My first visit to Fontainebleau State Park on Lake Pontchartrain, for the Seafood Festival. Wow, what a place!

Turn your head to the right, and you have a beautiful view of spanish moss on cypress and live oak in alligator swamps. This is part of one of the largest wetlands in the world, and there's some even swampier areas to explore, but we stayed close to the Festival area today.

Here's an alligator under the tree. Only a see a log in the water? That's what the alligator wants.

There's evidence of other reptiles too. Stef the Snakeskin Charmer!

Turn your head to the left, and it's a totally different view - waves, sandy beaches, and mangroves.

This may be used in a future painting.

Lake Pontchartrain connects to the ocean, and is brackish. Strangely, it's host to both saltwater creatures like dolphins, manatees, and bull sharks; and freshwater fish like bass and trout.

Everybody must get stoned.

I made a friend.

Camouflage.

Chris and I. A friendly couple shot this for us. If you're reading, hi Amy and Scott!

I discovered not every "Pot-O-Gold" at the end of a rainbow is something to get excited over. Who the heck names a port-a-potty that, anyway?

The weather was erratic throughout the Festival. We went on one of the better days, but it still had surprises in store, and it changed quickly. A lot of people left after seeing this over the water!

But a lot of people stayed too. Nothing like live music on the beach!

One of the festive boats. And swimmers, despite rumbly skies.

Carnival lights on the pond. The band was playing Journey's "Lights" while this was taken. Perfect!

There was of course delicious food too. We were just too busy eating to get pictures of it! We'll definitely be coming back here soon when the Festival is gone, just to camp out and enjoy the area.