Calcasieu Ship Channel Ferry
On our way to New Orleans, we had to cross the Calcasieu Ship Channel, which connects ship traffic from the Gulf to Lake Charles or the Intracoastal Waterway. The only way across was to take the car ferry, so we did. This is a very important shipping channel and you can see all sorts of ships, barges and tugs around the ferry crossing. The channel is 400 feet wide and 40 feet deep and is one of the busiest ports in the country. It has several bends and very narrow spots and is also affected by the tides, making it a difficult channel to navigate.
After a short wait, we drove onto the ferry - front row! We got a nice view of the ramp on the other side. I don't think we were allowed out of the vehicle because it was such a short trip. Lousiana's state bird is the brown pelican and these big birds were were all over. I think it might have actually been the only place in Lousiana that I actually saw these birds. They flew overhead or sat on posts in the water. In less than 30 minutes from arriving at the crossing we were on our way.
