Laura Plantation, on the way home from New Orleans

On our way out of New Orleans, we stopped at Laura Plantation. It is a Creole plantation, which means the original founders of the plantation were of French descent and lived here prior to the United States acquiring the Louisiana Territory. The colorful exterior was originally a signal to anyone traveling by that the residents spoke French. (American plantation houses were painted white.) We had a wonderful guide who walked us through the house and grounds giving us a treasure trove of history of the family and the plantation itself.












This is Laura, who was the great-granddaughter of the original owners of the plantation. She is the source of the history of the plantation, having written her memoirs when she was in her 70's (she lived to 102). She is dressed in her Mardi Gras costume, which would have been scandalous to the American residents of the area at the time. But Creole families had different ideas about what was appropriate, at least with regard to Mardi Gras!




And here is Megan snapping a few photos of her own!