The Wandering Disciple

Usually boasting a crimson red color, this crayfish is a colorful blue. When researchers at the Northwestern State University Aquaculture Research Center discovered this rare trait of the Red Swamp Crawfish, they donated them to the Audubon Insectarium. By the time this batch of crayfish shed its skin, the entire second skin was completely blue and this phenomena has researchers perplexed.  You can take a look at these rare color changing crayfish along with other rare and interesting insects from around the world at the Audubon Insectarium in downtown New Orleans.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)

Hundreds of colorful butterfly fill the Butterfly Garden at the Audubon Insectarium in downtown New Orleans.  The butterfly here are a sampling over over 50 different types of insects found within the Insectarium.  The Audubon Insectarium is the largest museum in the country dedicated to insects.  (Photo: November 20, 2017)

New Orleans, Louisiana:  Last year when we were planning our summer road trip, we had anticipated going to New Orleans.  I did all the planning but when it came down to it, I made a last minute change to go back to the mountains and we went to Asheville instead.  But the New Orleans trip was only delayed until Thanksgiving break. As with all of our trips, I had planned on doing a road trip.  We would have crossed a few new states off the list and made some stops along the way.  But the more and more I looked into driving, the more hesitant I was with the cost of parking at the hotel, the limited parking in the city, the length of the drive.  A few weeks ago, I happened to check airfare and found rates low enough on Southwest, it was cheaper to fly than drive.  So I booked us a flight and away we went. It has been a long time since I have flown, 2009 to be exact.  Being an airplane nerd, I was really happy to be flying.  Our flight to...