If you’re looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of New Orleans why not visit a plantation and see how folks lived back in the day. In the 19th century SUGAR made Louisiana wealthy and now you can take a tour or drive along a 70-mile stretch of highway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge to get an insight into this world. Let’s take a look.

I.

OAK ALLEY PLANTATION RESTAURANT AND INN

LOCATED AT: 3645 Highway18, Vacherie, LA Call (225) 265-2151

This is the only plantation that my husband, Peter and I visited. I have to say: it was absolutely spectacular. If you’re in a crunch and only have time for one tour – this is the one you should take. The plantation was restored in 1920 and began the revival of bringing “grand houses” back to life. Now, you can tour Oak Alley, dine on Creole and Cajun cuisine in its restaurant and even stay overnight. Oak Alley has Sunday Brunch and offers a Children’s Breakfast for those little scamps who are 11-years-old and younger. A FUN FACT: The scary movie “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte” that featured Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Joseph Cotton was partly filmed here.

II.

THE DESTREHAN PLANTATION: 13 MILES NORTH OF NOLA

LOCATED AT: 13034 River Rd., Destrehan, LA Call (985) 764-9315

Again, if you’re on a tight schedule, this one is for you because it’s fairly close to New Orleans. It was established in 1787 and is the oldest documented plantation home in the lower Mississippi Valley. This historic antebellum home on the banks of the river has lush green grounds and moss-draped live oaks. A SPOOKY STORY: A former owner lost his wife when she was only 19-years-old. Later he found out that she had been unfaithful. So today it’s said that visitors can feel his anger. Even worse, Jean Lafitte, the famous pirate also haunts this plantation. He’s looking for his buried treasure. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!  

III.

THE OPULENT SAN FRANCISCO PLANTATION

LOCATED AT: 2646 Hwy 44, Garyville, LA Call (985) 535-2341

This antebellum, galleried main house is nestled under centuries of old live oaks and contains rooms featuring rare antiques that tell the story of its former residents. It was built in 1849 and, in profile, has a styling called, “Steamboat Gothic,” a very colorful description. WHAT’S THE SCUTTLEBUTT? One legend holds that the French phrase “son saint-frusquin” or “the shirt off his back” was a description of what the construction of the house cost its first owner. Some things never change!

IV.

NOTTOWAY PLANTATION: A GLORIOUS “BIG HOUSE”

LOCATED AT: 31025 Hwy 1, White Castle, LA Call (866) 527-6884

This is the largest mansion on a plantation in the entire South. This means you can explore this 53,000 sq. ft. residence via a self-guided audio tour or with an on-site tour guide. You can get to this plantation by bus, car or car ferry. If you drive it’s 78 miles from New Orleans. WHAT’S THE INSIDE STORY? A murder is committed here every few weeks! The Murder Mystery Theatre performs with a troupe of actors. It’s a period piece related to the plantations early days and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

V. and VI.

A GREAT TEAM: WHITNEY AND LAURA PLANTATIONS

THE WHITNEY: At 5099 Hyw 18, Wallace, LA. Call (225) 265-3300

THE LAURA: At 2247 LA-18, Vacherie, LA. Call (225) 265-7690

There are two different approaches here: the WHITNEY focuses on the lives of the enslaved people who worked in the cane fields – while the LAURA tells the story of one Creole family through four generations of those who lived there. Scenes from the Quentin Tarantino film “Django Unchained” were filmed on and around the WHITNEY. This is the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of the enslaved people.

The guided walking tour of the LAURA includes a tour of the main house, gardens and slave quarters. It lasts approximately one hour and fifteen minutes – self-guided tours are prohibited. AN ASTOUNDING FACT: The planter, Stephen Duncan, owned 1,000 slaves in the 1850s.   

DON’T FORGET:

Martin Luther King Day falls on Monday, January 18, 2021. This is a federal holiday that respects the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. whose life was brutally cut short when he was just 39-years-old. I once heard him at Columbia – he was a riveting speaker and held all of us spellbound. 

WHY RATHBONE MANSIONS? Yes, it’s a brand new year. We are now looking at 2020 in the rearview mirror. Have you ever slept in a canopied bed that’s in a gracious antebellum mansion? New experiences are what make life exciting. So why not plan to pay us a visit in 2021? New Orleans is like no other city in the world!

PLEASE PHONE, USE EMAIL OR CHECK THE WEB for the current status of whatever plantation you choose to visit.

Shaun Nelson-Henrick