Oak Alley Plantation

So.... I've gotta say Louisiana has sure been good to me. I got to scratch off another item from my "bucket list" today.  That makes 3 biggies here in the state of Louisiana.  Number one - coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Number two - my team WINS THE SUPER BOWL, while we were here in Louisiana.  Number three - I finally get to visit the gorgeous Oak Alley Plantation!  

What a stunning place... because I was unwilling to step into ankle deep mud to bypass the gate, this was my view of the front of the building...

I know, pathetic. We left our campsite this morning in complete cloud cover and gray skies, but look at the brilliant sunshine that came out upon arrival at the Plantation!

We took a tour inside the home, and here's a view from the upper verandah.

The Live Oak trees that line the path are approximately 300 years old. They were planted about 100 years prior to the construction of the plantation home. Several movies were filmed on the grounds, the most famous may be "Interview With a Vampire" starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.  I just can't get enough of this view!! 

This is the dining room of the "Big House". The red item above the table was a bit of a mystery, but then the guide explained that it is a fan! It's attached to the visible rope which, when pulled, "waves" the fan across the table. 

The master bedroom.  This only shows half of the room, it was huge.

I don't know what you call this white thing on the ceiling, but I like it. I really like it. Really jazzes up the room!

Beside the front entrance. John took this shot (obviously) and at first I thought I'd delete it.... but then it grew on me.  All the sunbeams or orbs or whatever the heck they are, sort of make it a bit mystical.

There are several other plantation homes along this stretch of the River Road in southern Louisiana.  Some are available to tour, some are private homes, and some are totally uninhabited. I don't remember the name of this one... a quick snap as we were driving past. 

I for one hope that we'll get to see some other plantations/historic homes while we are here in the deep south.  They speak of a long-gone era I've only ever read about. 

On to another subject - RV living.  As luck would have it, we've had a couple of disasters in the past week or so. One minor and one kind of major.  The minor: The toilet seat cracked and came apart, beyond fixing. A trip to Lowe's solved that.  The major: The microwave/convection oven is fried. We won't go into just how this unfortunate event occurred, but suffice it to say that it could be a LONG time before we can microwave or bake anything... no fan or light over the stove, either.  We are now challenged to dream up meals that can be either barbecued or done on the stove top. Oh wait, I've still got the crock pot too.  See, things aren't quite as bad as they first sound.

Soon we'll be heading east again.  Ever been to Mississippi?  We'll soon be able to say "yep"... or maybe the more southern sounding, "Yes Sir"; "Yes Ma'am"!