About Mary Syrett

Originally from Baton Rouge, Mary Syrett is a freelance writer and photographer who holds degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her articles have appeared in a variety of popular magazines.

ALL POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR:

Paddling the Calcasieu

Most always, the ingredients for a great recipe are balanced to let the flavor of each individual part come through every bite. Louisiana’s Calcasieu River resembles a great recipe. Natural beauty, food and fun, as well as superb fishing make … Continue reading


Paddling the Rio Grande in New Mexico

The Rio Grande or Rio Bravo del Norte, as it is called in Mexico, flows from headwaters near Creede in the mountains of southern Colorado south through New Mexico, eventually forming the Texas/Mexico border on its way to Brownsville, before … Continue reading


Paddling the French Broad River

The French Broad River is the third oldest stream in the world, the first and second oldest being the Nile and the New River (the latter also begins in North Carolina). So old that it is practically devoid of fossils, … Continue reading


Canoeing the Iconic Cape Fear River

The Cape Fear River is formed by the confluence of the Deep and Haw rivers in southeastern Lee County. Its watershed is the largest in North Carolina, containing 9,000+ square miles. The Cape Fear begins in Greensboro and flows all … Continue reading


Canoeing the Congaree

There’s a place not far from Columbia, South Carolina, surrounded by enormous trees, where a person loses all sense of proportion. A sweetgum tree, for example, that from a distance appears tiny, turns out, upon close inspection, to be quite … Continue reading


America’s Foreign Country: Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin

For more than 18 miles, concrete and steel columns holding up Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette in Louisiana rise out of a swamp. Not just any wetland, but the Atchafalaya River Basin Swamp, which covers a third of … Continue reading


Canoeing in North Carolina’s Northeast Corridor

A number of outdoor enthusiasts believe that northeastern North Carolina has it all. Anglers and boaters love the area, while persons seeking quiet cannot believe their good fortune.

Rising in a corner of the Great Dismal Swamp, the Perquimans River … Continue reading