By car from Madisonville to the River, the West side of the River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Two nights at Oak Alley Plantation. Oak Alley Plantation rests along the banks of the mighty Mississippi sixty miles above New Orleans. Built in 1837-39 and famous for its alley of 28 evenly spaced giant live oak trees, believed to be a century older than the mansion. See: OakAlleyPlantation.com
Our favorite plantation tour was of Laura Plantation (see: lauraplantations.com). This Creole habitation began as a Colapissa Indian village. In 1804, Gillaume DeParc, a French veteran of the American Revolution, set up his plantation in sugarcane and it remained in his family until 1891 when his great-granddaughter, Laura Locoul, sold it to the Florian Waguespack Family. The Waguespack family ran resided on and lived at the plantation until 1984. Today 12 original buildings, including slave cabins, still stand on this National Register site. In the slave quarters at Laura and neighboring plantations were recorded for the first time in the U.S. the west-African folk stories of "Compair Lapin," better known today as the tales of "Br'er Rabbit."
Slave cabins behind Laura, now in need of repair.
Up on the levee in front of Oak Alley Plantation was the American Queen. Riverboat tours up from New Orleans.
The tugs and barges were also ever present on the River . . . passing in front of the Riverboat and our bed and breakfast . . . .
We became students of sugar cane.
A stop by the Cora Texas Sugar Cane Refining Plant . . . and online research into how "they" refined sugar cane in the 1800's.
Our last stop was at the Nottaway Plantation. One of the largest in the United States, some 65 rooms. All the crown moulding around the walls/ceiling was made from a combination of horse hair, spanish moss, and Mississippi River mud.
By car from Madisonville to the River, the West side of the River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Two nights at Oak Alley Plantation. Oak Alley Plantation rests along the banks of the mighty Mississippi sixty miles above New Orleans. Built in 1837-39 and famous for its alley of 28 evenly spaced giant live oak trees, believed to be a century older than the mansion. See: OakAlleyPlantation.com
Our favorite plantation tour was of Laura Plantation (see: lauraplantations.com). This Creole habitation began as a Colapissa Indian village. In 1804, Gillaume DeParc, a French veteran of the American Revolution, set up his plantation in sugarcane and it remained in his family until 1891 when his great-granddaughter, Laura Locoul, sold it to the Florian Waguespack Family. The Waguespack family ran resided on and lived at the plantation until 1984. Today 12 original buildings, including slave cabins, still stand on this National Register site. In the slave quarters at Laura and neighboring plantations were recorded for the first time in the U.S. the west-African folk stories of "Compair Lapin," better known today as the tales of "Br'er Rabbit."
Slave cabins behind Laura, now in need of repair.
Up on the levee in front of Oak Alley Plantation was the American Queen. Riverboat tours up from New Orleans.
The tugs and barges were also ever present on the River . . . passing in front of the Riverboat and our bed and breakfast . . . .
We became students of sugar cane.
A stop by the Cora Texas Sugar Cane Refining Plant . . . and online research into how "they" refined sugar cane in the 1800's.
Our last stop was at the Nottaway Plantation. One of the largest in the United States, some 65 rooms. All the crown moulding around the walls/ceiling was made from a combination of horse hair, spanish moss, and Mississippi River mud.
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