It is said the people of Louisiana don’t tolerate
corruption, they demand it. The state has a reputation for
producing sleazy politicians, several of whom have ended up in the
slammer. But they do love a good party. Anywhere that provides
drive-through daquiri stalls for roadside refreshment should tell
you that.
Perhaps it’s the mix of French, Spanish, Caribbean,
English, US and African cultures that’s created this most
eclectic and eccentric of states. Determined to find out, I drove
from New Orleans along the River Road which follows the Mississippi
northwards. East of the river is mainly of British influence and
west is unmistakably French.
Dotted along the way are many former plantations where
owners’ grand homes have been converted into charming bed and
breakfasts.
Holidaymakers be warned: road signage and directions in
Louisiana are appalling and it is easy to get lost. After several
directional hiccups, I arrived at Nottoway Plantation.
Set in 7,000 acres of land, Nottoway is the grand belle of
plantation homes and is said to be the south’s largest
surviving antebellum (the pre-civil war period) home. The
plantation oozes grandeur, from the cypress tree columns to the two
seperate front doors – one for men and one for women.
Its owner, John Randolph, fled with 200 of his slaves to Texas
during the Civil War. When it ended he had to pay $20,000 to gain a
pardon from President Andrew Jackson before he could return to
Nottoway.
Visitors heading further west from the Mississippi will reach
the heart of American Acadiana. Louisiana Acadians – settlers
of French origin – called themselves Cadians, but Americans
referred to them as Cajuns and the name has stuck.
Acadiana is awash with sleepy small towns, some with well
preserved historic districts such as charming Abbeville.
Nearby New Iberia, with its handsome mansions that line the main
street, is the setting for many of James Lee Burke’s
atmospheric detective novels.
Many of the towns are French-inspired in both name and design.
Lafayette, Thibodaux and Loreauville conjure images of provincial
France, and nowhere more so than in the delightful town of St
Martinville. The St Martin de Tours catholic church is the
epicentre of Acadian worship and nearby on the Bayou Teche stands
the Acadian Memorial, a moving testament to the plight of the
Acadians.
In the northern reaches of Acadiana near the town of Sunset is
another lovely old plantation home, the Chretien Point, which
provides welcoming accommodation. This Creole house was built in
1831 and contains the fabulous staircase copied for the film
version of Gone with the Wind.
Set in 20 acres on the Bayou Bourbeau, it’s a 15-minute
drive from the Cajun culture capital of Lafayette, and only a
couple of hours’ drive back over the Mississippi to St
Francisville.
Nestling on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi, St Francisville
is full of antebellum homes, former plantations and Victorian
clapboard mansions, enclosed by the obligatory white picket fence.
Its Main Street, unencumbered by Wal Mart, MacDonalds and malls, is
prosperous, and even attracts that rare species – the
American pedestrian. With an air of pastoral contentment, St
Francisville is the very picture of small-town America.
The Butler Greenwood Plantation, set in 2,200 glorious acres,
lives up to all the expectations of a graceful plantation home. The
main house, reached by a winding driveway, is home to many historic
reminders of the Civil War era. Its owner Anne Butler has an
intriguing story to tell. While going through an acrimonious
separation from her then husband, she was shot five times by him
and had to play dead for several hours until help finally arrived.
Her husband had been the warden of the notorious Angola Prison
nearby.
Needless to say he is now a guest of the state rather than an
employee, and Anne has turned her little piece of paradise into an
exclusive B&B with guest cottages dotted around the lawns and a
small lake.
Like its inhabitants, Louisiana is a little eccentric and
sometimes downright weird. But that merely adds to its allure
– it’s not a place visitors are likely to forget in a
hurry.
