Down into Louisiana...

From Natchez, we crossed into Louisiana and followed the River Road on the western side, LA-15, then LA-1. Dub, from Nathchez's Steampunk Cafe, had told us to go this way. For long distances, the roads runs along the top of the levee. Farming along this stretch seemed to be rice, pecans and sugar. The land is flat and the farms are big, and we saw several acreages getting sprayed by yellow painted crop dusting aeroplanes. When dusting, they are really close to the ground, maybe only 20-30m up, or less.

Going south, we passed the point (the first on the whole river, we think) where it's the same state on both banks of the Mississippi. From here on, the Mississippi delta seems to be everywhere, and there are extensive engineering efforts apparent to control the river, for irrigation and flood mitigation, no doubt.

John James Audobon Bridge. Image from Wikimedia Commons

We crossed the river on a huge and new John James Audobon Bridge and called into the pretty town of St. Francisville. Before 2011, the only crossing here was a ferry. This blog has mentioned that bridges over the Mississippi are infrequent, because they have to be so big. This new bridge is the only crossing between Natchez and Baton Rouge, and is the largest of its type (cable-stayed) in the USA. It was certainly impressive to drive across! We were anxious to get to the plantations around Vacherie LA, so we didn't hang around in St. Francisville, but took the I-10 to get through/around Baton Ridge quickly.

Cast iron kettle used for sugar refining at Oak Alley. Facsimile slave houses in background.

Old photo of slave houses, from display at Oak Alley.

During the tour at Oak Alley Plantation(which was quite crowded), it occurred to us that there were almost no African-Americans in attendance (and none on our earlier tours either). This surprised us, because as unpleasant as it is, plantation life and slavery is significant part of the history of black Americans forcibly removed from Africa. Southern America is not in denial about the slavery in its past. There are frequent memorials to slavery, and the plantation tours are forthright about it.

The "big house" between the last two 300 year old trees in the Oak Alley. The view from the house 1st floor is stunning, but nowadays, sight of the river itself is obstructed by the flood levy.

Grand columns characteristic of Greek Revival architecture, at Oak Alley big house.

Oak Alley was a sugar plantation (common below Baton Rouge where cotton doesn't survive) - the house and grounds are immaculately preserved, but the orginal slave quarters are gone, and replaced by facsimiles. The most stunning thing about this plantation is the alley of oaks creating a driveway from the house to the river. These are 300 years old, and no-one knows who planted them. The "big house" dates from the early 1800's and was built by slaves for Creole sugar baron Jacques Roman for his bride Celina in the Greek Revival style (read Greek columns!) that we have discovered is very common in the lower Mississippi valley for grand houses and major civic buildings.

Bedroom and nursery of the Oak Alley big house. The furnishings are of the era of the original owners, but are not originals.

Our guide at Oak Alley, beside a map showing the plantations between New Orleans and Natchez.

We enjoyed the house tour: it is guided by men and women resplendent in early 1800 costume. Our guide sounded just like Scarlett O'Hara! Mint juleps were provided, to add a sense of reality. It was interesting to learn that the original house incorporated a spiral staircase in a private location - Creole sensibilities denied all but very close family and friends access to the private quarters upstairs. Later American owners (1920's) installed a regular staircase in the entrance lobby.

The plantation bell at Oak Alley signalled phases of the workday in a slave's life.