The perfect season for nature and enjoying the outdoors

Hunting season, fall weather and football all have something in common. Each starts in early September and ends way too soon for many of us. When the weather starts getting cool each fall, nature sends us an uncontrollable urge to pack our outdoor equipment and head to less populous areas of our region. Like a duck flying south for winter, there is an innate desire in all of us to be absent from civilization and explore surroundings that unite us with nature. The great outdoors has a profound impact on our lives in that it unites families, spurs traditions and creates lifelong memories. I am sure you can think of a memorable moment or tradition with your family that included the outdoors and is probably bringing a smile to your face right now.

Louisiana has branded itself “Sportsman’s Paradise” and living in Shreveport-Bossier City places us, like a bullseye on a target, right in the middle of God’s country. The A&E reality TV show, “Duck Dynasty,” has brought North Louisiana and our love of the outdoors to the nation.

I want to challenge you during the month of December to explore this paradise that we live in and spend some time outdoors. Since I can’t visit with each of you, I am taking it upon myself to act as your local outdoor guide. Each of the following activities is located within 20 minutes of downtown and open to the public.

First off, pack up the family and head out to Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Center near Benton where you can rent a cabin or set up a tent and campfire. Or enjoy an energetic hike through Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park (located between Blanchard and Longwood) and experience the fall foliage and native wildlife. Grab a bike of any kind and glide along one of our rural stretches of highway where you might see a plantation house and remaining fields of cotton waving in the breeze. Better yet, head out to Bayou Bodcau Dam, where you can experience its outdoor shooting range, hunt and explore its vast acreage of wilderness.

If water activity is more your speed, then bring your boat or kayak out to Caddo Lake, which boasts one of the largest cypress forests in the world. Be sure to keep an eye out for more than 100 species of migratory birds as you explore the lake and its mysterious channels.

We are indeed blessed that Caddo and Bossier parishes have some of the most valuable real estate in the world and you don’t even have to wait for the next episode of “Duck Dynasty” to enjoy it.

Upcoming sports events you will want to attend: • Dec. 21 – Louisiana High School Coaches Association All-Star Football Game, Independence Stadium • Dec. 31 – Advocare V100 Bowl, Independence Stadium.

The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is a division of the Shreveport- Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau in partnership with the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish Commission, Bossier Parish Police Jury and the City of Bossier. Visit our website: www.shreveportbossiersports.com or email Kelly Wells at [email protected].