Louisian Travel - The Lure of the State

Plantation homes and history being big screen inspirations to life

Imagine the elegance and beauty of fully restored19th century plantation homes, then, imagine sleeping and dining in this grandeur. For me, stepping into these Central Louisiana communities that brought Steel Magnolias to life on the big screen, brought to life many stories I’d read and dreamed of.

Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, was established in 1714. From its brick streets to the elegance of the restored houses along the Cane River Lake banks, the community welcomes visitors into the heart of the South.

There are around 40 bed and breakfast locations in Natchitoches, ranging from the exquisite beauty of the three-story Levy East House built in 1838, to the grandeur of Judge Porter House with its mid 19th century antiques and European cut crystal chandlers, to the sleep of a lifetime I had at the turn-of-the-century Cloutier Townhouse. Casey, my guide on the historic streetcar tour, provided the “real story of Natchitoches” and its historic homes.

The Cane River Creole National Historic Park, established in 1994, is near the town of Natchitoches. Although visitor services are restricted at both the Oakland Plantation and Magnolia Plantation, I was glad to have arranged a tour. Rick, our guide with the National Park Service, provided a wealth of information about plantation life in the 1800s, explaining the architecture of the Creole plantation houses.

Betty Metoyer introduced me to Melrose Plantation, founded by her family some eight generations ago. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974, this plantation consists of the original Yucca house, built in 1796, the Big House, constructed around 1833, and the only Congo-like architecture on the North American continent dating back to historical times, and the African House, all open for visiting.

Louis Metoyer, founder of Melrose Plantation, donated the land on which St. Augustine Catholic Church still invites its Creole community to worship in. Bernardine Delphin, one of my luncheon companions at the Creole Cultural Center, said, “I’ve lived here in the same house for all of my ninety years,” generously sharing her memories with me. The Church is part of the Creole tour, and is acknowledged as being the first Catholic Church in America build by free people of color in 1803, and independently financed.

Melrose Plantation became home to John Hampton and Cammie Garrett Henry, affectionately known as “Miss Cammie,” at the turn of the century. A patron of the Arts, Miss Cammie invited artists and writers to stay on the Plantation, providing they were working on a creative project. Over the years, she was a patron to such creators as: Lyle Saxon, Francis Parkinson Keyes, Alberta Kinsey, Anne Parish, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner.

Clementine Hunter, a field worker at Melrose from the time she was sixteen, was encouraged through the years by the many artists she met. By 1940, when she was in her fifties, she started painting. Now, Clementine is recognized as an important black folk artist. I had the privilege of viewing many different pieces of her expressive style of artwork at The Old Courthouse State Museum in Natchitoches.

Kate Chopin, wrote in The Awakening, “Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer; than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.” Recognized as a woman ahead of her times, her 1890 home in Cloutierville has been designated a National Historic Landmark. I found the building, artifacts, and story of her years in Cloutierville fascinating.

I was lucky to stay in two historic hotels while taking day trips to these nearby communities. The first was the Bailey Hotel, a 1907 structure completely renovated in 2001. Nestling into the historic four poster bed was a real treat after soaking in the large modern Jacuzzi-it was a great blend of time periods. In Alexandria I spent two evenings at The Hotel Bentley, once the organizational center for Louisiana Maneuvers, which were conducted in preparation for the US entry into World War II. Generals, such as Paton and Eisenhower, had made the Bentley their headquarters.

Lt. Moran and his excellent storytelling skills wove an exciting drama around the war-games that paved the way for our World War II victory, during my tour of Camp Beauregard. A spacious museum houses uniforms, clothing and artifacts from the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the World Wars. Outside, visitors wandered through the aircraft, tanks and jeeps that have been restored.

Of course, no trip to Louisiana is complete without visiting an alligator farm. The Bayou Pierre Alligator Park & Show, owned by Terry and Deborah Rogers, also had animals from the Nutria to the Barbado. And, of course, I sampled the alligator meat available as Ka-Bobs or sausage, which tasted rather like Calamari. Over the course of my holidays I also tried: frog legs, quail, catfish, crawfish with etoufee, Lasyone’s famous meat pies, pecan pie and many other excellent traditional dishes.

More to see:

Other neat places I visited included: the Kisatchie National Forest [open to everyone from hikers to ATVs], Southern Forest Heritage Museum [a lumber mill being restored], Paragon Casino and Resort [RVs can park for less than $15 a night.], the ‘A Shoppes’ in Alexandria, Fort St. Jean Baptiste [exact replica of the 1732 structure], Kent Plantation House, and Loyd Hall Plantation. And, for my next visit, I’m planning for Alexandria between September and November in 2003, when the Alexandria Art Gallery will be home to around 100 treasures from Spain along with their curator, to celebrate the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase.

Author: Linda Aksomitis