The Manchac Swamp

Manchac Swamp is located a short distance from Mandeville; a very enjoyable motorcycle ride by the way Highway 22 that passes through Madisonville and Ponchatoula before connecting to I-55.
Madisonville small resort town located on the scenic Tchefuncte River, and is well worth a visit.  It features waterside restaurants with evening entertainment where you can have a pleasant meal and enjoy live entertainment while watch the boats idle leisurely up the Tchefuncte River.

The Annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival just finished up last week (wouldn't you know it); but, there other claim to fame - their numerous antique shops were still going strong, were just too inviting to pass up.

A few miles removed from the faster paced life of Mandeville and New Orleans, Ponchatoula's laid back life style is a relaxing change of pace and its many antique shops are just plane fun to browse.

As you head south on I-55 you pass along Manchac Swamp Bridge which is purported to be the world's third longest bridge (a mere 1800 and some feet less than the Pontchartrain Causeway).

The Manchac Swamp separates Lake Pontchartrain from Lake Maurepas (although the lakes are interconnected via the Manchac Pass).

Surprisingly for most of its length the bridge parallels a two lane highway which is built over the marshy swamp lands.  One has to wonder why existing highway was not just widened rather than building the, seemingly, more costly elevated interstate highway that was built in the 1970's (I'm sure I'll never know the answer).

Manchac itself is small fishing village where most of the villagers are said to make their living shrimping and fishing.

The Manchac Swamp is touted as being one of "The Twelve Eeriest Places on Earth".  The story is that in 1915, one Julie Brown was being buried when huge hurricane swept through and virtually destroyed the entire town of Frenier - the hurricane end up being the final resting place for all 50 attendees of the funeral of Julie Brown.  Still today, the depths of the swamp hold the mass graves of the hurricanes victims of that fateful day.  The victims of that disaster are said to, "Still haunt the Manchac Swamp".