The Laura Plantation

We knew that visiting a Mississippi River plantation was on our list of things to do when in the New Orleans area.  We've heard that Oak Alley (think Forrest Gump) is highly commercialized and doesn't have any slave quarters.  Why are slave quarters important?  Well, because they existed.  They were a real part of every plantation whether we like to think about it or not.  As with so many things that Andrea and I like to visit, authenticity is important.  We'd rather see it honest than see it glossed or glammed-up.  We received a tip that the Laura Plantation was one such place.  After visiting, it seemed quite so.  There are still some slave quarters, which amazingly housed workers (paid) until the 1970's.  There is a gift shop that you "must" walk through to get in or out and the house itself was rebuilt after almost complete destruction about a decade ago due to a fire.  Of course, it is no longer a working plantation, but nevertheless the history was there.

Standing out in front of the house, awaiting our tour to start.  I was amazed that there were about 5 nationalities represented in the crowd.  One person didn't even speak English (was there with a family member who could translate).

Wine Wine Wine Wine Wine Wine.  The cellar of the house was quite the wine store in it's day.  They stored and sold a lot of wine in this plantation house.

"...and this holds mommy and daddy juice."

No, we didn't teleport to Central America.  This is in the back yard of the plantation and, yes, there are bananas growing  in October.

Remaining slave quarters.  This is a duplex, if you can believe it.  In the heyday of the plantation, these houses stretched for 4 miles in two rows out from the plantation house and into the sugar cane field.

Another view of the house's backyard and beginning of the slave quarter row.

Amazingly the kids have cute moments.  We didn't even have to ask them to do this.

So earlier I said that Oak Alley was commercialized.  Well, that doesn't mean we didn't visit there, though!  Unlike Laura, we did not tour Oak Alley.  But, they have a pretty good restaurant.  Out where the plantations are located, there's not a lot of "town" there.  So, we were kinda at the mercy of what was available.  So, this was foodie stop #3 in the New Orleans area. I bought the creole sampler which resulted in a bowl of shrimp gumbo, shrimp etouffee, and andouille sausage.  It was pretty good and the price wasn't over the top, either.  As we left Oak Alley, we did like pretty much anyone going by the front of the house and just stopped in the middle of the road to take a picture.  Does it look like Forrest Gump?  I think the trees were a few years younger when it was filmed.

The entrance to Oak Alley from the Mississippi River

Plantations were abundant on the journey.  Houses like these were found all along the road as we drove back toward New Orleans.

...and this one