Swamps and Critters

Our road trip continues.  After a quick visit to Elvis's birthplace, we headed back for the Trace.  First, let me mention how clever Howard is.  He usually picks out some audio books for us to listen to before we take a long road trip.  This time he got Deep South by Nevada Barr, a murder mystery that takes place on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  It's pretty fun to be in the location of the book you are listening to - to actually drive through the kudzu-covered landscape she describes and to visit the places she mentions, especially the murder site.  It can also be scary.  We had just listened to a scene about an alligator attack when we pulled up to mile marker 122.0, the Cypress Swamp.  Here's a blurb from our guide book:

You can enjoy this easy, flat walking trail in 15 minutes, or you can savor it for much longer, quietly waiting for swamp wildlife (such as herons and alligators) to appear.

Wait a minute!  Did he say alligators!?  I love how he nonchalantly mentions alligators, as an unimportant after fact.  On pages 34-36 he warns of the 'Natural Dangers' of the Trace and what to do if you encounter them - things like poison ivy, chiggers, ticks, and venomous snakes.  There is NO mention of alligators on those pages.

122.0 Cypress Swamp (Mississippi)
Anyway, here's our first glimpse of the swamp.  It was a stunningly eerie sight.

Unbeknownst to me that morning, I had dressed in swamp camouflage.  I'm pretty sure that's why the alligators didn't bother me.

Although, Howard wore his beach camouflage and that seemed to keep the alligators away too.

What do you think, log or sleeping alligator?

Just a few more photos from this day.  Before we got to the swamp, we stopped at a very scary restroom.  It was covered in spider webs and some kind of stinging critter nests.  Howard stumbled upon this IOUS (Insect of Unusal Size).  First compare him to the bricks, then take a closer look.  I'm pretty sure he could fly off with a small child.  Anyone know what kind of insect it is?

Stayed tuned for more on the road trip!