Our venture southeast started in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Natchitoches is the oldest town in Louisiana. Nope! Not New Orleans. While I’ve always viewed New Orleans as a party town, maybe because of my misspent youth; I’m not much of a party girl these days. Natchitoches actually predates the Louisiana Purchase, and was already a thriving community before the Louisiana Purchase happened. So while I’m not a history buff, it’s almost impossible to not appreciate the history of this area.
So we set out to northern Louisiana. What southern girl doesn’t enjoy oak lined avenues and grand Plantation architectures, so representative of this area?
Natchitoches is definitely a step back in time, with its grand historic homes downtown and its sprawling country plantation homes. We visited Oakland plantation, which was built in 1821; and has the distinction of having been owned by the same family, until the 1960’s, when it was released for preservation to the National Park Service.
It is a time capsule of one family’s history; it is a reflection of the American way of life. The building started life as a two room “weekend” home. A place where to family would leave “Big” house in the city, during the heat of summer; and travel to the country home. This home was located by a river. The gentlemen could check on the plantation during the growing season and the children could play by the river. As time passed and the plantation prospered, the house was added to and some outbuildings were repurposed. The old separated kitchen of pre-civil war architecture became a boys “fishing cabin”. The back porch was closed in, to be the “new and modern” kitchen in the 1948, right beside the 1800’s grand dining room.
The Plantation near Oakland Plantation was the Melrose Plantation. It was a prosperous plantation owned by people of color from the 1796 to the 1847. It reached its zenith in 1838. Each plantation functioned on the backs of enslaved peoples and each had to reorganize their way of life, after the civil war, learning to use tenant farmers and share croppers.
This side trip was a reminder to me that we don’t need to have “it” all at once, but can better appreciate things built up over time. Yes, we may need to reassess the purpose of things as time goes on.
For us, this is what traveling is all about, moments of awareness, realization and contemplation; all wrapped up in a beautiful world that is God’s coloring book. Thanks for checking on our adventures, as we complete our first foray to the Southeast.
