On 28th December we drove off in the little bus
to visit various places on our way to an overnight stay at Nottoway Plantation.
The day’s first visit was to Abita Creek Preserve where we walked along the trail
to find the local variety of pitcher plant. Once we saw one, there were lots to
spot as well as some great fungi.
But we couldn’t hang about and were soon on
our way to Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery. This is an alligator ranch that has
everything to do with alligators, from eggs to products made from alligators.
We booked a tour and were soon learning all about the life cycle of the
alligator and how the ranch manages them. It was great fun even though we
hadn’t opted for the handling experience – having handled gators/ crocs
elsewhere.
There were rumblings of hunger from the men, so our next
stop had to be for food. This was planned at the Abita Brew Pub in Abita
Springs. It is on Holly St, which seemed very seasonal! Po’boys were ordered and
they all came with chips and beers for the chaps. Our cheery server was taken
with our selection of accents. A trail for walkers, horses and cycles goes right
by the Pub and is built on the old railway. We didn’t follow it as now we had
to drive to White Castle and Nottoway Plantation.
Gradually the sun set in an impressive display of reds and
deep pinks, then at last we arrived at Nottoway which was floodlit and looking
very picturesque. We had three cabins and ours overlooked the ornamental lake.
We showered and changed and met in the bar for a quick glass of fizz before
going in for our celebratory dinner. A bit on the ‘Faulty Towers’ side of
things, we were a little disappointed with their idea of fine dining, but we
had fun, which was the main thing. After dinner we strolled around the front of
the main house – we had been eating on the ground floor, then around the little
lake and back to the cabins for a well-earned sleep.
The next morning we met for a hilarious breakfast where menu
items appeared and disappeared at the drop of a hat. Nevertheless what we had
was pretty good, and soon we were ready to take the first tour of the house. It
is beautifully renovated and was dressed for Christmas, and our guide was very
informative. Afterwards, we collected the suitcases and loaded up the bus ready for
the next adventure. But some people cannot live without coffee, so Google was
consulted and a coffee shop was found in the town of Donaldsonville, the
Grapevine, and that was our next stop. Delicious coffees and cake were ordered
and we noticed it was the most popular place – ladies lunching, families
meeting and so on. Great service, too, so we were very lucky to have found it.
Our route took us along the edge of the bayou and we stopped
at the famous view of Oak Alley plantation and the bayou before we visited
Laura Plantation, the only Creole plantation open to the public. It is
beautifully painted and renovated, and the guides focus on the story of the family, how the
plantation was named Laura, and it all comes alive as they take you around. It
was a wonderful visit that we all enjoyed, so much so that we bought the book Memories of the old Plantation Home by
Laura Locoul Gore. From here it was not such a long drive back to New Orleans.
With still a day to go before The Birthday and New Year’s
Eve, D suggested a trip down the coast and on into Mississippi. Before leaving
we had tried to get a swamp tour, but that one was fully booked, but we did
pass another operator, and decided to go back and try for a tour. Luckily they
had space for us and we soon boarded the boat and headed out into the Pearl
River. Our guide took us along the river into the Honey Island Swamp and we saw
lots of wildlife on the way.
Now we drove on towards Mississippi and refreshments. These
we found at the Mockingbird Café in Bay St Louis, a jolly café with wi-fi, in
this seaside town of Mississippi. We were hoping to get to the Sandhill Crane
reserve, and so, on we drove along the coast, taking in the beautiful beaches as
well as seeing the commercial resort of Biloxi with its casinos. At last we
came to the centre, rather late as the gates close at 5pm and there was only
about half an hour to go. So we walked quickly down to the water’s edge, then
got back in the car and drove off to another car park that didn’t close. From
here we could walk part of the trail.
Before we got there we stopped to see what
several people had stopped to look at – a female alligator partially hidden
across the bank of a small river. Someone reckoned that she was semi-hibernating,
and just lay there as still as stone. We made a short walk, enjoying the low
sun, then stopped by the bay to watch it set. And then we just had to drive
back to New Orleans. What a great day out!
The great birthday dawned and it was presents with breakfast.
The big surprise was a trip to the practice days of the Masters in Augusta in
April, a very popular present, and I can go, too. The plan was to visit the
Ogden Museum today, which we very much enjoyed and then we went in search of
coffee, as usual. There was one lovely coffee shop open close by, Bittersweet Confections, where the lady put a candle in A’s cupcake as a birthday cake. The coffee
was very good and various cakes were also very much enjoyed. Just next door is
a glassblower’s where you can watch the blowers at work, though they weren’t
up to much today. They did have some wonderful glass creations for sale and New
Orleans residents must be very tempted. There was a cruise ship ‘parked’ at the
end of the street – that’s where the terminal is and it looks very strange
seeing the several storeys high ship between the houses.
After all this we had a quick shop in Wholefoods and a rest
as tonight we ate in Restaurant Nola in the middle of the French Quarter. A beautiful
restaurant, where we were seated upstairs and enjoyed excellent service and
delicious food and a birthday treat for A. And then we went outside to the
riverside to watch a spectacular firework display.
New Year’s Day dawned, and we had to get going as the men
were playing golf at the Audubon Park Golf Course. Off they went, and we ladies
went off to the mall as M wanted to look at some clothes. Once that was done,
we drove across to Barnes and Noble and their Starbucks. Here I found Dr. Zeus
books for birthday presents to take home; and then we discovered Lego
Architecture. What a great extra for A and D who are always hoping for Lego,
but thought they would have to wait another five years for the expected baby to
be old enough to have some. This is just so grown-up that they don’t need that
excuse! We got The Empire State Building and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth
House. We had a last family meal together as M&N were leaving the next day.
