If you ever find yourself in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and you decide you want to get in tune with nature, head south on hwy. 27. Not far inside Cameron Parish you will find the Cameron Prairie Wildlife Refuge on the right. Stop in for an overview of the area, along with a cute anamatronic Cajun--it was broken the last time my daughter & I went, but I've seen it before and it's amusing.
Walk though the building to the rear raised walkway and you will find yourself faced with breathtaking views of the marsh. It really is beautiful.
A couple miles down the road--if you get to the bridge, you've gone too far--look to the left and you will find the Pintail Wildlife Drive. Here you can find many species of birds, especially if you go in the fall or winter. We went during the spring and summer, so there were still quite a few birds, but what we wanted to see was the alligators, and there were plenty.
The drive is nice, but--here's a tip--keep the windows up and sun roofs closed as this is prime mosquito hunting territory. On the first quarter of the drive there's a place to pull over and stretch your legs. The newish boardwalk does call for bug repellent. Here we ran into more horseflies than mosquitos; but again, it may be the time of year we went.
One of the best things about this trip to the boardwalk and wildlife drive was the family of river otters we ran into on the last leg of the walk before heading back to the car. It was a great experience.
http://cameronparishtouristcommission.org/listing/pintail-wildlife-drive
http://www.creolenaturetrail.org/planning_your_adventure/Refuges_Sanctuaries/Cameron_Prairie_NWR/
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