18 January – New Orleans to Nottoway

Saying goodbye to New Orleans, we followed the River Road toward Baton Rouge to see some more of the fabulous plantation houses. First we went to Oak Alley. We approached from the rear of the building, and it was first glimpsed through the oak trees and box hedges that surround it. 

Walking around to the front we walked the famous Oak Alley that gives the plantation its name. The oaks were planted some 300 years ago by an unknown person, who created an avenue of live oak trees from the Mississippi River to where the house was built 100 years later.

Oak Alley was built in 1837. The widow of it’s founder was incapable as a business woman and also lived considerable beyond her means. That, coupled with the Civil War and the freeing of slaves, meant that Oak Alley was turned over to creditors and sold at auction. Eventually purchased and restored, the house is now operated by a foundation.

We stayed at Oak Alley for a quick café lunch – Steve had a Cajun platter with seafood gumbo, red beans (like baked beans in a bacon flavoured sauce), crawfish and jambalaya. A bit of everything that is classic Cajun cooking.

Our next stop was Nottoway, the largest surviving plantation home in the South. Painted white, and 3 stories high, it has 53000 sq ft, 64 rooms, 15 foot ceilings, 11 foot doorways, and at the time had 3 indoor bathrooms with hot and cold running water and flush toilets. Built in 1859 with no expense spared, Nottoway was intended to be an ostentatious display of the wealth of the Randolph family. Its commanding position on the Mississippi ensured that it could be seen and admired from the road or from the river. 

Nottoway survived the civil war undamaged because the lady of the house insisted on remaining at home while her husband moved the farming operations to Texas. She confronted the advancing Union army from the terrace, armed with only a kitchen knife.... and invited them in to take tea. Her hospitality earned her, and Nottoway, a reprieve from further attacks, although the home was occasionally shelled by passing warships. As was the case with so many of these gracious homes, Nottoway passed through a succession of owners and was very run down, when it was purchased and restored. In 1985 the property was bought by Sir Paul Ramsay from Sydney and developed into the venue, hotel and restaurant it is today.

As we were on the tour, the guide mentioned that you could stay in the house. We checked it out and it decided to take a room. We were in a gorgeous room on the top floor, in the rotunda. The room is half round with a deep balcony to walk around, an open fire place and a canopied bed. We sat out on the main upstairs verandah in white painted rocking chairs and watched the sun setting over the Mississippi. We had the run of the house and we were the only guests staying upstairs, so we wandered around taking pictures. Dinner in the restaurant was lovely.

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