Slidell

We came to Slidell for one reason — Honey Island Swamp lies just north of town, and it’s supposed to be one of the least disturbed river swamps left in the country. What we didn’t expect was to like the town itself so much beforehand, a quiet grid of streets along Bayou Bonfouca with camellia bushes in nearly every yard, which explains the “Camellia City” nickname on the water tower. Lia, wary of swamp tours in general after a mosquito-heavy trip years ago, was won over by Slidell’s low-key, unfussy charm before we’d even gotten in a boat.

Honey Island Swamp

The tour left from a small dock outside town, our guide cutting the motor once we were deep into a channel walled in by cypress knees and tupelo gum, moss hanging so thick it brushed the top of the boat. He pointed out a nine-foot alligator sunning on a log close enough that Lia grabbed my arm, and told us, matter-of-factly, that the swamp’s isolation has kept it nearly untouched since before European settlement — no roads reach most of it. Barred owls called from somewhere in the canopy, and for a while nobody on the boat said a word.

Heritage Park and Bayou Bonfouca

Back in town, Heritage Park sits along Bayou Bonfouca with a small amphitheater and walking paths that locals use for evening jogs, and we followed the boardwalk past docked pontoon boats as the humidity finally broke with the sunset. Olde Towne Slidell, a few blocks of restored storefronts, has a scattering of antique shops and a diner that served us the best fried green tomatoes of the whole trip, thick-cut and still crackling from the fryer.

Getting There

Slidell is about thirty minutes northeast of New Orleans via I-10, making Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) the closest airport. A car is necessary — the swamp tour docks are outside town, and Olde Towne, while walkable once you’re there, isn’t connected to the rest of Slidell by transit.