Now that the kids are back in school my most of my days are spent sitting at my desk, completely overwhelmed by my computer screen and ‘to-do” workload. I think I’ve done a good job so far with prioritizing my day not that I’m working from home, but oftentimes I need to get out.
I spend 1/2 of event Monday working on the back-end of my business, writing Tuesday-Thursday and taking Fridays off to get housework and chores out of the way. This week, since I killed it last week with creating new content, I took this Tuesday & Wednesday off to explore and venture out on a #BayouTravel field trip. 
Although I hit the gym hard last weekend (no seriously, I did that lol), I went on 2 natural trail walks to burn some calories, tone some muscles (I know I have them because they hurt afterwards ) and explore the outdoors. Northlake Nature Center was on my to-do list so I headed to Mandeville, Louisiana before the bad weather came my way.
The Northlake Nature Center is surrounded by Bayou Castine, Savannah Lake and Beaver Pond near Fontainebleau State Park and adjacent to the 31-mile Tammany Trace Rails-to-Trails path. So if you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, you can some here plus it’s free of charge. Visitors can canoe, hike, enjoy a picnic in the open-air pavilion overlooking the Beaver Pond and offers several educational programs and local events throughout the year.
I normally enjoy having someone with me but going alone was a great way to focus and clear my mind. The area has produced many architectural finds that include evidence of a 700-year-old Acolapissa Native American population.
Aside from the bugs, the walk was a nice breather from the everyday norm but extremely hot! I think my next hike there might be in October when it cools down compared to the August summer heat wave.
The Northshore is just a short 45 minute drive from New Orleans and host to many local St Tammany Parish attractions, some of which are FREE! Many Northshore museums and attractions, albeit smaller than offered in New Orleans, offer beautiful landscape, rich history and are generally more affordable (if not free) to other popular attractions.
Now wanting to splurge on a swamp tour? You can canoe for very little at the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge just minutes away in Lacombe, Louisiana. The canoe tour is VERY affordable (adults $10, 5-9 years old only $5) but you must register in advance. The excursion lasts 2-3 hours and worth the short drive from New Orleans. Keep reading in the next week for additional information on Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
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