May 1, 2008

May 1, 2008

From Houma, LA we drove north to the Mississippi River and the site of one of the more famous antebellum plantation homes in the area, Oak Alley. The lower Mississippi is choked with these homes and you could spend weeks touring them. Oak Alley is a former sugar cane plantation house that was built in the 1830’s by a Frenchman. We start with the tour of the house. It is nice, but only of modest size, and nothing we haven’t seen before. At the end though we are shown out the front door and that is where this place excels. The path leading to the river is lined with twenty-eight majestic 300-year old oak trees that canopy the lane. Awesome and very romantic! So much so that this spot has been in many movies, such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt’s “Interview with the Vampire”. I am in big trouble though as Aimee tells me she has found her dream home. I remind her about the bugs and the humidity but she doesn’t seem to be hearing me.

I drag Aimee back to the RV and we follow the Mississippi River north past Baton Rouge to the Port Hudson State Historic Site. In the Civil War, Union troops tried to divide the Confederates by controlling the Mississippi. The river was vital for the south to export their cotton crop. Port Hudson and Vicksburg were the last bastions of Confederate control. Port Hudson was strategic because it was the first high ground of the lower Mississippi. Union Forces conducted the longest siege of the war here and the Confederates only surrendered once they heard Vicksburg fell. Aside from a movie and some exhibits there isn’t much to see aside for a few cannon and some recreated earthworks. Even the Mississippi isn’t visible. Since the war, the river decided to change course and move westward. I spend as much time photographing a colorful caterpillar and a cooperative dragonfly.

We spend the night at a private park outside St. Francisville, LA.