Monday, Plantation tour today

The Plantation Monday was a good trip, I drove for the first time in a week, other than just going to the local store, was nice to drive again, and the road wasn’t too busy. 65mph is the speed, but all 70 plus, I stay with my 65 though, no tickets here.

Oak Alley Plantation from the road

After an hour or so we get to Oak Alley Plantation, and wow it looks as presented in the brochures, except the entrance you see isn’t where you drive in, you have to pass it, then turn down a driveway to get to the back of the plantation, and find no shade to park in, and this time we brought Bosco, so try to get a spot for him, but the gardener says no go parking in front of the gate, so we leave for the next plantation, which is better, more realistic, and less made over presentation. We go next door kind of, was a drive but in the past next door was a mile or so. St. Joseph Plantation was just what we wanted to see. We got there at 3pm, and the last tour started for us. We met the guide Kat, short for Catherine, and she informed us she was a direct descendant of the man who bought this plantation in the 1800’s from the person whom had it built. Here great great great great great great Grandfather. Wow that was impressive.

Rear of Plantation house

Front of house, drawing

Rear of house, Drawing

Kat showing us a bedroom

Child's bed

A Mustachio cup

To start we went to the ground floor, and watched a short film which gave us some info on the area and sugar cane, and how it is harvested now, and how important it is to the area as a crop. After Kat gave us much information on the family history, and plantation history, me I took pictures, and asked questions that she said was testing her knowledge, and she was so nice to us as we went through the huge home, 12,000 square feet. Polly and Lyn listened to much of what was said, and asked questions of the family, and how they were all related, and who was who, as there were pictures as we went from room to room. Wow, what history here, and how it was way back then. Another couple join us after awhile and Kat welcomes them, and just keeps on the roll, and continues with the tour. Ceilings are 15 feet and rooms are huge, the design is to have air flow through the house from each side, and to have the ceilings high so warm air stays up, and cool air flows through. We go out on the huge balcony's and see what it might have felt like looking over what was a massive entrance that fronted the Mississippi river.

You can’t see the river now as the levee was build years ago to stop the flooding of many areas.

How the plantations were laid out
 next to the river

We learn as we go, but when we have finished the tour of the huge house, we are shown the bathrooms once again, and then told we can look around at the out buildings, which are where the slaves lived. Hmm no tour here, wonder why? We go and look through many small places some for cooking as kitchen was outside the house as would heat up the home, and the huge bowls that the sugar cane was rendered down in were outside too, on display for us to see, but not actually part of the tour. Almost felt like the outer part was where the slaves were, and that wasn’t what we would show, you go look yourself at that if you want, like the old ideas were still there, don’t mix slaves and with us.

Rear porch

Front porch, no stairs down from here

300 year old oak tree

Cabin where slaves lived

Bed where slaves slept

Slaves Quarters

After the tour I asked if I could bring Bosco as we went through the slave quarters, and Kat said sure, so I went to get him from the shaded truck, and met a man that looked like he was just pulling out. He asked how I liked the tour and I said it was really good, and Kat was just great. He then explained he was the director in charge of the place, and he came and checked every once in awhile, and asked people how they liked it. He was also a direct descendant of the family too, and I learned that only people that are direct descendants are allowed to be share holders in the plantation company. Hmm I thought, the director, well I say “You know, if you had some of the direct descendants of the black people that were here to show us through the slaves living quarters, that would be a good thing, as many come here to see just that.” too that he said they had an old guy living here five years ago that had lived on this plantation all his life! Hmm I think, guess he heard me, just don’t think he will be doing what I suggest. Wonder how long it will take, how many generations it will take to change this?

Guess what this is?

Probably not in my lifetime...

Was an interesting day, and we all talked on the way home of what it must have been like back then. Bosco was happy to be included in the day for a change, and we had our nachos and beer when we returned home, was a nice relaxed way to end our trip here with Lyn.

The kitchen outside close to the main house

Tuesday early I took my sister in law to the airport for here trip home. Was a truly fun time here in New Orleans, and having Lyn here was a fun time for all of us. Polly and Lyn just yak yak, and cards came out, competition began. Polly likes to win, and rub it in when she does, Lyn was “Like who cares...” But Polly did have fun. We all three discovered the French Quarter together, and the Swamp Tour, and the Plantation, as well as the Uber and how that works well in a city. All in all was a good time had by all.

Today we get to all we put off when having fun. Laundry for Polly, and me I decide to do some reorganising in the basement of the trailer, and clean the fan screens on the AC and the vent fans, as all gets dusty and dirty. Carefully I learn how to take them all apart, clean em, and get them back together without breaking anything. All went well. The basement was a little longer, and much hotter to do, but except for banging my head on the hitch one more time, all went well. I have changed things around and now have more accessible room in the doorways to pack up the cables, and hoses when we leave, rather than trying to stuff them in with just enough space, will see how it goes today as we pack to go today.

After Polly finishes laundry some still damp, we hang it out on the chairs, and a makeshift clothes like as all will dry quick today, hot as ever out now at noon. Me I go for a swim, all sweated up, Polly stays in the nice cool trailer, and takes care to bring in Laundry until all dry.

The pool is a place to meet many people, and that I did. Met a couple from Minnesota who are just about to get married this year for the 2^nd time, September 9^th they tell me, we have a good conversation, and they tell me of a beach I should go to in Florida, as many have told me. Another couple tell me of a place they stayed called Fort something, and I will look it up when I get back to the trailer. Many suggestions where to go and what to see as we talk over a beer and just enjoy the freedom of our travels, and stories as we go.

I did look up what I had been told when I get to planning the next leg of our journey, and decide will wing it this time, and do a drive up and see what they have at the next place we stop.

Polly wants to go to Walmart when we return, I punch it into the phone, and off we go for another journey to somewhere we have never been before, through a neighbourhood, and part of this place we are now just starting to get familiar with.

We get a few groceries and a thing that should help me with the phone GPS as will attach to the vent of the truck so I can see what the phone says we should do ahead of me on the screen. Hope this helps us with our plans. We pick up a couple small steaks for dinner, and head home for a nice dinner, and relaxing evening. Having Lyn was fun, but nice to be just 3 again, Polly, Bosco and me.

Loving or life here in Louisiana...
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More to tell next time about our last day here.

Today we go to Florida and on to another adventure, will write more then.