I knew of course that there are levees built along the Mississippi River to hold back flood waters and protect homes and farmland. What I didn't know was that there are roads on top and you can drive on them. I also didn't know that the levees themselves have created their own ecosystem, making such a tour very interesting.
If you weren't familiar with the area or unless someone told you, you might not even find the access roads to the levees which might be through a farmer's field or barnyard like this one.
The levee roads are gravel.
On one side are miles and miles of farmland...cotton fields mostly in this section of southeast Arkansas.
On the other side is wetlands....not the mighty Mississippi I was expecting to see....that's farther away.
Free-range horses graze on the sides of the levee.
And cattle too.
This is a "Japanese bull"...Tu Hung Lo
The wetlands are home to a variety of birds and other animals. This is a white ibis.
Arkansas alligator.
Turtles
Beaver (not!)
On edit: My friend Kathy from the Women's RV forum pointed out that this is not a beaver, but a nutria....note the rounded tail.
I had never heard of a nutria before.
Click here for more info about the nutria: http://www.nutria.com/site5.php
More beautiful horses
Great Egret
White-tailed deer
A little history in the area.
The cemetery is marked with a big cross.
This was at the base of the cross.
The graves are either deteriorated by age or vandalism.
Colorful swampland
Cormorant
Another historical marker
Whiskey Chute as it looks today.
Great blue heron in flight
This little guy was curious about us.
He followed us a little ways.
Cattle egrets hanging out with the horses.
This donkey was hoping we had something better to eat than grass.
Here he comes...
"You folks have any apples?"
"
Back here maybe?"
Maybe Sharon has some.
Nope.
Sharon catching up in a cloud of dust.
Time to drive off the levee and find lunch. Hope you enjoyed the tour.
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