I've just returned from a river excursion whose goal was to shoot video of a jaunt down some waterways in Louisiana, during which time I ate my first oyster, saw a live alligator in a bayou from the deck of an airboat, and rode a personal watercraft through a lock. A portion of the crew drove from Waco to the rendezvous point in Shreveport, LA, where we spent the night at the Sam's Town Casino. From there, we jumped into the Red River for a short ride. We pulled out and lodged at the Hotel Bentley in Alexandria, LA. On Friday, one of the trailers that we were using to transport the personal watercraft suffered a broken axle, so we were a little late in getting to the next bit. Arthur's Airboat Tours in Des Allemands was the most visually rich segment of the trip. Arthur made every effort to show the traveling entourage a blast, and helped me get some cool shots, perched atop the boat.