A Day of Plantations

Karla and I started bright and early again and did a plantation tour after I had my beignet breakfast of course! We had about an hour long bus ride to get out there. We had really wanted to go to Nottoway since Nadja had recommended it but there were no tours to get out there :( So we did a two plantation tour and started with Laura Plantation. It was a Creole plantation which just means they were native to the area.

 It's hard to tell by the picture but it was super colorful. I am used to stately old white plantation manors to this was different on the outside which was so interesting. The tour was very informative and I learned alot.

Here you can see some of the colors better

 

 

 The slave quarters here are where the old Uncle Remus stories were recorded. I can just picture Brear Rabbit and Brear Bear hanging out here with the children,

 Next up was Oak Alley. Much bigger and more famous. This was more of a typical sugar plantation.

We had lunch here at Oak Alley and I finally got to have some Gumbo. It was super good and not too spicy at all which surprised me. Oh and a mint julep of course!!

A big sugar cauldron where they boiled the sugar cane to extract the sugar.

 

 

 Another great guide in period costume

 

 This enormous red thing was swung back and forth by a rope pulled by a slave girl in the corner. It swatted flies (of course I forgot they wouldn't have had screens) and kept the air moving for dinner. If you were really wealthy you could afford to put big bowls of ice under it to help cool the room down as well.

 

 This was quite the dramatic view from the 2nd story balcony. 

Clear back there behind the levy was the Mississippi River.

 

 Once back in the city I spent some time wandering around alone taking pictures and taking in more of the French Quarter. It was just so fun to be there and see the amazing architecture.

 

 I found this amazing lace and linen shop just full of baby dresses. Well I looked around and decided I needed to return for a baby blessing dress for Shayla! I was drooling at all the wonderful dresses.

 

 

 

 

I sat here in the square for awhile listening to some street performers and I was sad that it was the only jazz I had heard all week? Wandering around the French Quarter was a treat. I wish I had had more energy, time and a ton more money!! We had a fabulous dinner all of us again with some sales people. A really great day.