Day two in New Orleans, we visited some historic sugar cane plantations.
This lovely Creole plantation, now known as the Laura Plantation, was built in 1804 by Guillaume DuParc. Sugar was highly valuable and created a fortune for more than one early New Orleans settler. This plantation is an example of Creole design using plenty of color (red, ochre, green, and pearl) on the exterior of the home. There are a number of outbuildings on the property including slave quarters, exotic looking gardens, barn, warehouse, and primitive sugar mill. The property's location at only 600 feet from the Mississippi River meant easy shipping access.
Of course the tour included lots of information about family intrigues, feuds, and alliances. Perhaps not so different from some of today's headlines.
Only a little further down the road, we visited the lovely Oak Alley Plantation.
Oak Alley is a beautifully restored sugar cane plantation originally built in 1839 by the Roman family. It is what I typically envision when thinking about an American southern plantation. The most amazing part of it (to me) was the 28 enormous live oaks lining the walkway to the front of the mansion--the view above is of the back, and it's gorgeous. But take a look at the front...
View toward the house:
View from the house:
It's no wonder that film-makers have used Oak Alley as a movie/tv location spot. My pictures don't do it justice. The oak trees are enormous and jaw-droppingly beautiful. There are many fascinating outbuildings on the property and on a beautiful day it's quite inspiring to stroll the grounds.
Oak Alley is reported to be haunted by past occupants. For those who dare, cottages on the property are available for rental. Apparently, they book up quickly, especially near Halloween, so book early to try your luck with the supernatural.
This brief post doesn't do either property justice. They are well worth a visit if you come to NOLA. The contrasts between the two plantations were quite fascinating, so I'd recommend seeing both.
Later in the day, we capped off our evening with a stroll down Bourbon Street. It's every bit as wild and full of people as I imagined. We had a nightcap in one of the oldest bars in NOLA, built between 1722 and 1732. The property was originally a blacksmith shop. Horseshoes, anyone?
A few blocks away, yet still visible from Bourbon Street is the St. Louis Cathedral. We didn't have time to go inside, but I understand it's phenomenal. This was our view, at night from Bourbon Street.
It's amazing, even though I feel bad about some of the things this statue of Jesus is certain to see after the sun sets. Remember, Bourbon Street is one of those "anything goes" kind of places.
After a long day, we finally headed back to the hotel with a firm goal to wake up extra early and push hard for Florida. Whew!!
This lovely Creole plantation, now known as the Laura Plantation, was built in 1804 by Guillaume DuParc. Sugar was highly valuable and created a fortune for more than one early New Orleans settler. This plantation is an example of Creole design using plenty of color (red, ochre, green, and pearl) on the exterior of the home. There are a number of outbuildings on the property including slave quarters, exotic looking gardens, barn, warehouse, and primitive sugar mill. The property's location at only 600 feet from the Mississippi River meant easy shipping access.
Of course the tour included lots of information about family intrigues, feuds, and alliances. Perhaps not so different from some of today's headlines.
Only a little further down the road, we visited the lovely Oak Alley Plantation.
Oak Alley is a beautifully restored sugar cane plantation originally built in 1839 by the Roman family. It is what I typically envision when thinking about an American southern plantation. The most amazing part of it (to me) was the 28 enormous live oaks lining the walkway to the front of the mansion--the view above is of the back, and it's gorgeous. But take a look at the front...
View toward the house:
View from the house:
It's no wonder that film-makers have used Oak Alley as a movie/tv location spot. My pictures don't do it justice. The oak trees are enormous and jaw-droppingly beautiful. There are many fascinating outbuildings on the property and on a beautiful day it's quite inspiring to stroll the grounds.
Oak Alley is reported to be haunted by past occupants. For those who dare, cottages on the property are available for rental. Apparently, they book up quickly, especially near Halloween, so book early to try your luck with the supernatural.
This brief post doesn't do either property justice. They are well worth a visit if you come to NOLA. The contrasts between the two plantations were quite fascinating, so I'd recommend seeing both.
Later in the day, we capped off our evening with a stroll down Bourbon Street. It's every bit as wild and full of people as I imagined. We had a nightcap in one of the oldest bars in NOLA, built between 1722 and 1732. The property was originally a blacksmith shop. Horseshoes, anyone?
A few blocks away, yet still visible from Bourbon Street is the St. Louis Cathedral. We didn't have time to go inside, but I understand it's phenomenal. This was our view, at night from Bourbon Street.
It's amazing, even though I feel bad about some of the things this statue of Jesus is certain to see after the sun sets. Remember, Bourbon Street is one of those "anything goes" kind of places.
After a long day, we finally headed back to the hotel with a firm goal to wake up extra early and push hard for Florida. Whew!!
