Day 2 - Louisiana Plantations

Day 2 – 5/14/2021 – Plantations

Today the plan was to visit three plantations, while they are still open to the public: Evergreen, Laura, and then Oak Alley.  After spending the night in Slidell, LA, we have about 80 miles to Evergreen Plantation.  Only we found out that Evergreen is not open because of covid-19.  So bypassing Evergreen our first plantation is Laura Plantation: Louisiana’s Creole Heritage Site. 

To get to Laura Plantation, we are crossing Lake Pontchartrain along I-10.  It is about 5 ½ miles long, but not the 24 miles across the lake using the Causeway.  After crossing Lake Pontchartrain, we cross New Orleans where we once stayed in the motorhome in 2012.  You can just see the tops of the motor homes through the road railing.  Just beyond the apartment complex is the French Quarter.

From I-10 we get a view of the New Orleans Superdome as we pass by.  We didn’t get anything because just as I took the picture, a tractor-trailer drove between us and it.

Using I-310, we cross the Mississippi River to route 18 along the river to Vacherie and the Plantations.  As we drive along the river, we come across several gasoline refineries.  This one just happens to be behind a cemetery. 

Check out the size of the pipes used to deliver gasoline to the ships on the Mississippi.  It is difficult to tell from this picture because there is nothing to establish scale, but at 5' 5" tall Carmen could probably walk inside without bending over.

We drive past another church and cemetery.  Check out how the crypts are above ground.

Laura: A Creole Plantation

The first Plantation we visit is Laura Plantation: A Creole Plantation.  Creole is the non-Anglo culture and life-style that flourished in Louisiana before it became part of the United States in 1803.  While we wait for it to open, I walk around and take a couple pictures of some of the flowers they have. 

There were several rose bushes around, but most had passed by.  This one was one of the nicest.

We get our tickets, which happened to be the last two for the 10:00am tour and go inside.  While waiting for the tour to begin, we visit a small museum about life for slaves on the plantation, information on some of the slaves, and other information.  Some of the information was about how some of the slaves joined the Union Army.  Others indicate the sales of slaves, like the one at the bottom far left, sold Madison age 28 on April 18, 1848 to Dupac Bros for $1800.00.  The paper also indicated that he was a good carpenter.  Skills were important for a better life as a slave.

Other information described where the slaves came from, the stories they brought with them, and the foods they ate.  One of the stories ended up as a tale of Br’er Rabbit.  Here is one of the early retelling of the stories by Walt Disney, on a record.  They even had some Br’er Rabbit molasses and a Br’er Rabbit New Orleans Molasses Recipes book.  Along with other items in the display case was a book titled “Uncle Remus Stories” by Joel Chandler Harris. 

The tour is beginning so we move out onto the grounds and come first to the front of the “Big House”.  This is the house where the owners lived and entertained. 

We enter the basement first; see and hear some of the history.  Laura, built in the 1770’s, was once one of the largest in acreage of over 400 plantations that existed before the Civil War.  The Union Soldiers saved the Plantation from destruction when the owner signed an allegiance pledge.  The Union Army did destroy or burn most all of the other plantations.  In the basement, they had some of the barrels used to transport sugar and molasses.  This is a depiction of Elizabeth Dupare one of the daughters of the original owners.

Leaving the basement, we travel around the house and through the gardens to go up the stairs to go inside the House.  There are some flowers, but most seem to have past their prime.  However, look at the size of these live oaks.  They must be over 200 years old.  

On the way, we pass by about 50 dragon flies.  I had to get a picture of one of them, just because I always add flora and fauna to the travel narration.  This one decided to settle right in front of me and in the sun, begging me to take its picture.

Moving from room to room, the tour guide tell stories to us to give an idea of life before the Civil War and a little about each room.  I particularly like the dining room and pantry in the following room.  As we moved into the pantry, the guide tells of an electrical fire several years ago and you can still see the burnt wood beams in that pantry, purposely left to show damage, most other rooms were restored to hide the fire damage.

From the back porch of the house, we can see where the original kitchen sat.  There are several buildings including the chicken coup and other buildings.  The original kitchen was two-stories and built in 1805. 

Looking back at the house we can see where the living quarters are on the second floor with the basement underneath.  This was due to the Mississippi flooding on occasion and the levies were not built yet.  You can see where the area is marked off on the left and the brick pylons on the right are located, which at one time held additional wings of the house. 

Next we move through some of the property to what would be a typical slave dwelling.  This is a duplex, with one family on each side of the house, whether the family size was two or ten.  No matter how many people were in the family, they fit into a single room with an area about 14' by 14'.  After the Civil War and freed, they were now paid to work.  Each signed a contract indicating the amount paid and remained living in the same quarters.  Food, clothes, quarters, and whatever else needed they bought from the owners.  Not much different from those that worked in the coalmines or other indentured servant. 

Ha!  Just outside of the slaves quarters I see this lizard.  I knew I’d get a picture of one sooner than later.  This one was blowing out his throat to look dashing. 

We pass by several other buildings and then the tour is over.  Before leaving the grounds and while no one is in the way, I sneak away to get a picture of the front of the House.  Check out the massive size of the live oaks in the front yard.  Many of were planted in the 1800’s. 

Oak Alley Plantation

We leave Laura Plantation and are on our way to Oak Ally Plantation.  Just before the turn into the Plantation grounds and parking lot, we pass this view.  WOW!  The top of the fence is in the way, but you can ignore that.  I hope to get a better picture from inside.  Check out the size of the live oak third from the right side, it is massive.

After parking and paying our entry fee, we made our way around the grounds.  We first come to a group of cabins that were once the residence of slaves.  At Oak Alley, we find six cabins, three on each side of the street; a recreation of the 20 cabins that were near the original site.  Again, these are single homes, split into duplexes holding a family unit (2-5 people or more) on each side.

While walking around the slave quarters, different placards gave information about living in the houses.  One described that the “House Slave” might get hand me down furniture, and another described the “clinic”.  In between the buildings, displays provide other information, such as this laundry kettle and the barrel next to it used to make lye for soap.  Kettles like this cooked down sugar cane to produce sugar and to make molasses.

Looking past the slave cabins to the “Big House”, you can clearly see the difference in living standards.  Look at the size of the House compared to the cabins.  As many people lived in the Big House as did in one side of a cabin.

Sorry, I just cannot get over the size of the Live Oak trees.  From the slave quarters, looking towards the back of the house you can see how massive some of the trees are.  The couple of trees on the left have limbs so heavy that they droop to the ground.  In the foreground, you can see they are using one of the kettles as a water feature.  These have to be over 150 years old.  They look great now but in 1850, they might not have provided much shade from the summer heat

While we are waiting to go into the Main House, we walk around the gardens.  There are many roses here and most are gone past their prime, however there is one rose just waiting for us to come by.  Our tour is starting and as we get in line the tour guide is telling everyone NO Pictures inside the house.

We tour the house, down stairs and up stairs.  The furnishings are what you might find in the typical 1840’s plantation.  Then, the tour guide opens up the double doors leading to the second floor balcony.  Now this is breathtaking.  I get a picture of the Carmen acting as the Lady of the house as we look towards the Mississippi River and the rows of Oaks.

After touring the house, we immediately head out to the row of oaks that make up the broad path leading up to the House.  We are fortunate that there is hardly anyone here at this time.  Imagine seeing this as you stand near the end of the oaks.  (I didn’t go all the way to the end of the oaks, since I wanted to get a picture with hardly anyone in the picture.)

What I find amazing are the tree limbs of these massive trees.  Look at these limbs growing down to the ground then back up.  This tree and the next both have this type of huge limbs.

Finishing the House tour, we continue to walk the property and the large gardens.  On our way to view the sugar processing kettles, we pass more gardens and I see this rose.  Another pretty rose that has not faded yet. 

We finally get to see a Magnolia blossom that is not too far past its prime and within sight.  A pretty flower cut and placed in a bowl of water to liven up the table. 

Finishing our walk around the Plantation, we pass more flowers.  There are a number of kettles about the place filed with water and plants.  One such kettle contained a couple of Irises.  And since we haven’t seen any on our trip so far, I thought I’d share. 

Heading back to the car, we reached the first kettle water garden we encountered when we entered.  As we walk up, we see one of the park rangers squatting and looking at something.  When asked she indicates the two skinks, which are part of a group of lizards, sitting under the kettle.  Of course, once she pointed them out we saw them.  The one hiding is the female. 

It is time to head back to the car and head to our final – squirrel (I just had to do that) – destination for the day. 

Okay I lied.  One more flower picture as we are getting to the parking lot.  Promise, last one for today. 

We leave Oak Alley and begin our drive to the hotel 115 miles away in Opelousas, Louisiana.  Here we will spend the night before heading to Oklahoma to visit family.