If you have any faith in the groundhog, you’re counting on warmer days ahead. As the bitter air drifts away and the sunshine beats down on the campus, it’s the perfect time to get out on the water.

After attending ULM, I don’t believe there is a better place to enjoy the water than at ULM. You may have seen the pictures of students paddling in Bayou Desiard in your brochure when you toured the campus. Believe it or not, this is something everyone can do.

Bayou Desiard isn’t just reserved for our amazing waterski team. You can head on down to the Wesley and borrow a kayak, free for all students. Sign a waiver, pop on a life jacket and take a relaxing ride down the bayou with friends. You can paddle through the cypress trees and under the bridges. If you’re lucky, you might see some turtle friends on your outing.

If you’ve been on the Bayou Desiard plenty of times, don’t worry. There’s actually more than one spot to kayak in Monroe. You can rent a kayak from H2Go and take to the waters of Black Bayou or Moon Lake. The best part, you don’t have to travel more than a few minutes off campus. Just watch out for gators!

Whether you’re up for an early morning paddle with your friends or a sunset paddle to snap some beautiful photos, make sure to get on the water this semester. Add it to your college bucket list because you can’t go to the Best on the Bayou, without seeing the Bayou up close for yourself.