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dan1066's review
4.0
Purple gallinules are said to make a good gumbo, but they are almost too pretty to eat.
Anne Butler (text) and Henry Cancienne (photography), the dynamic duo behind the classic guide [b:Louisiana Hwy. 1|10890943|Louisiana Hwy. 1|Anne Butler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327998615l/10890943._SX50_.jpg|15806740], present "Easy-Access Hikes and Drives" to Louisiana Swamps and Marshes. It's a nice-sized book organized in alphabetical order. Each entry provides URLs and basic information about where to find these accessible trails and when to expect them to be open. Cancienne provides ample photographs of the flora and fauna while Butler describes historical trivia or relevant information for each site.
Be aware, in addition to the powerhouses of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lake Martin Cypress Island Preserve, the duo also include the Morgan City Welcome Center, the Lafayette Visitors Center (located on a island between two three-lane roads near a McDonald's and Sonic), and the St. James Parish Welcome Center (not quite complete at the time of printing). I understand the sentiment, but if we're including welcome centers with a quick swamp view on the back veranda, why not include the University of Louisiana at Lafayette swamp outside the student union? It has cypress trees, basking turtles, small alligators, and Spanish moss wafting in a gentle summer breeze as well.
Butler's prose does get repetitive, but, then again, it's about what to see in Louisiana marshes and swamps--chances are good it will be alligators, turtles, and snakes in addition to egrets. It's not Butler's fault; she does a decent job with the material she has. Cancienne's pictures are good, but his selection also gets repetitive: There's only so many pictures of a water moccasin or egret I need to see.
In the end, I enjoyed this work. It provides a bucket list of sites to visit and provides possible activities (though 99% of the time it's fishing, hunting, and birding) for visitors.
Anne Butler (text) and Henry Cancienne (photography), the dynamic duo behind the classic guide [b:Louisiana Hwy. 1|10890943|Louisiana Hwy. 1|Anne Butler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327998615l/10890943._SX50_.jpg|15806740], present "Easy-Access Hikes and Drives" to Louisiana Swamps and Marshes. It's a nice-sized book organized in alphabetical order. Each entry provides URLs and basic information about where to find these accessible trails and when to expect them to be open. Cancienne provides ample photographs of the flora and fauna while Butler describes historical trivia or relevant information for each site.
Be aware, in addition to the powerhouses of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lake Martin Cypress Island Preserve, the duo also include the Morgan City Welcome Center, the Lafayette Visitors Center (located on a island between two three-lane roads near a McDonald's and Sonic), and the St. James Parish Welcome Center (not quite complete at the time of printing). I understand the sentiment, but if we're including welcome centers with a quick swamp view on the back veranda, why not include the University of Louisiana at Lafayette swamp outside the student union? It has cypress trees, basking turtles, small alligators, and Spanish moss wafting in a gentle summer breeze as well.
Butler's prose does get repetitive, but, then again, it's about what to see in Louisiana marshes and swamps--chances are good it will be alligators, turtles, and snakes in addition to egrets. It's not Butler's fault; she does a decent job with the material she has. Cancienne's pictures are good, but his selection also gets repetitive: There's only so many pictures of a water moccasin or egret I need to see.
In the end, I enjoyed this work. It provides a bucket list of sites to visit and provides possible activities (though 99% of the time it's fishing, hunting, and birding) for visitors.
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