Swamp People Invade D.C. on Gumbo Train

Yes, you read that headline right!

The star of History Channel’s Swamp People, Bruce Mitchell, has left the bayou behind and headed to our nation’s capital to sing the praises of Louisiana gumbo, and he took our Crescent train to do it!

What you probably already know about Bruce is that he raises reptiles and hunts and processes wild gators (who doesn’t?). But what you likely don’t know is that he’s a huge gumbo fan!

“I can never get tired of having gumbo,” Bruce says. “I don’t have one favorite dish, but I love my seafood. You’ve got to have it at least three times a week. That’s a Louisiana rule.”

Little known fact: Louisiana is the No. 1 provider of shrimp, oysters, crab, crawfish and alligator production in the U.S. and a close second in the harvest of fin fish.

Bruce joined the Southeast Louisiana Gumbo Group on a week-long trip, visiting Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta and Washington, D.C., on our Crescent. That train travels daily between New Orleans and New York.

“I love taking the back roads when I go places, and the train tracks are the original back roads, so it was right up my alley,” Bruce says.

Bruce spent his time on the train talking to customers and crew, signing autographs and (of course) checking out the beautiful scenery of the historic South.

“You can see so much from the train like ponds, rivers, lakes,” Bruce says. “We just had a ball.”

History Channel’s Swamp People, in its fourth season, follows Louisiana swampers through the 30-day alligator hunting season.