The recent round of excellent weather (and the fact that my truck only has 3/4 the tires it's supposed to have) has me taking the 'busa to work. I take the interstate in to work because it's quick and efficient, but very Boring (but at 1am there's nothing to look at anyway). But for the ride Home, I take River Rd. which very closely follows the Mighty Mississippi River (southwward in this case). It's much more "entertaining" road wise, and infinitely more scenic than I-10. Here's just a sample of the sites along the way...
Here's a typical view of River Rd (from near Houmas House). This is on the Eastbank, looking North. You can see the Plantation fence on the right, and a grain elevator in the background. Refineries/plants are plentiful on the river for the same reasons the Plantations were, their proximity to the river for import/export. The levee can be seen on the left of the roadway. This is also commonplace when you get this far south. There are very few "grade level" locations to view the river.
First stop is just down the road from work, and right before I hit River Rd. This is Ashland Plantation, circa. 1840.
"Duncan F. Kenner (1813-1887) built Ashland for his wife, Anne Guillemine Nanine Bringier, a member of an old and influential French family of Louisiana. Ashland-Belle Helene is representative of the massiveness, simplicity, and dignity which are generally held to epitomize the Classical Revival style of architecture."
The property is currently owned by Shell Oil, and is not open to the public. But atleast they keep the property well maintained.
Next is Bocage Plantation, circa. 1837.
"Built in 1801 by Marius Pons Bringier as wedding gift for daughter Fanny, who married Christophe Colomb, a French refugee. remodeled by Architect James Dakin in 1837."
It's privately owned, but open for tours and also operates as a B&B.
Next up is Houmas House, circa. 1828.
"The original French Provincial house that Latil erected on the property in is situated directly behind the Mansion, adjoined by a carriageway to the grand home described during its antebellum heyday as "The Sugar Palace."
It's also privately owned, but open for tours and weddings/events.
Next up is Tezcuco Plantation, circa. 1855.
"Tezcuco was a one-story, frame, Greek Revival plantation house located on the east bank of the Mississippi River about a mile and a half south of Burnside. Except for a few alterations, the residence retained its original c.1855 appearance"
Tezcuco was open for tours and weddings/events until 2002, when a careless cigar smoker with a wedding party caused a fire which destroyed the plantation. All that still stands of the original structure is the four brick chimneys.
Next up is St. Michaels Church, circa. 1833.
I love the brickwork on old churches. The convent to the left of the church is circa. 1860'ish, and the cemetary behind the church dates back to the 1820's. There are several Civil War veterans buried there.
Next is Manresa House, circa. 1812. (formerly Jefferson College)
"The main building dates from 1842; the President's House and Gate Houses from 1836.
After Jefferson College failed in 1848, Louis Dufau of New Orleans operated the Louisiana College here: this college failed in 1856. In 1859, Valcour Aime purchased the site and erected a chapel in memory of his children. From 1862 - 1864, the Federal Troops occupied the buildings during the Civil War.
In 1864, Mr. Aime donated the properties to The Society of Mary (Marists) who established St. Mary's Jefferson College, which operated until 1927, when it was closed.
The Jesuits purchased the properties in 1931 and since that time have conducted retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Each year over 5,000 laypersons, religious and priests make retreats here."
This is the grounds between the retreat house and the river... The Oaks of St. Joseph.
The view is stunning, peaceful, and humbling.
Next up is the Bonnet Carre Spillway, circa. 1932. The spillway structure was built in response to a great flood in 1927, and it's main function is to divert water from the lower regions of the Mississippi River basin. Basically, when flood waters get too high, they open the spillway to relieve stress on the levees downriver. The water from the Bonnet Carre drains to Lake Pontchartrain. There's another spillway located north of Baton Rouge, the Morganza Spillway, which drains to the Atchafalaya Basin. Both spillways made the national news recently with the record breaking flood stages the river endured this past spring. While the manmade spillway was created in the 1930's, the site was also the location of a disasterous levee break in 1871. The "Bonnet Carre Crevasse" took workers 12 years to close.
From where this pic was taken, with the floodgates open, I'd be under roughly 15' of water. Those are the floodgates spanning the length of the pic. What you see are less than half of the total number of floodgates (350 total)
Here's a view of the Mississippi from the river side of the spillway. At this point the river is a little over 1/2 mile wide, over 100' deep, and moving at about 3mph. But don't let the slow pace fool you, there are brutal ripcurrents, undertows, and boils in the river. Very few people that fall into the river around here make it out of the water alive.
Well, that's it for todays tour. There are several more Plantations and historical points of interest on the way (and atleast as many on the other side of the river), but I started running into school zones and getting caught behind buses, so I jumped back on a main highway and headed directly home. I'll try and get some more next week
Here's a typical view of River Rd (from near Houmas House). This is on the Eastbank, looking North. You can see the Plantation fence on the right, and a grain elevator in the background. Refineries/plants are plentiful on the river for the same reasons the Plantations were, their proximity to the river for import/export. The levee can be seen on the left of the roadway. This is also commonplace when you get this far south. There are very few "grade level" locations to view the river.
First stop is just down the road from work, and right before I hit River Rd. This is Ashland Plantation, circa. 1840.
"Duncan F. Kenner (1813-1887) built Ashland for his wife, Anne Guillemine Nanine Bringier, a member of an old and influential French family of Louisiana. Ashland-Belle Helene is representative of the massiveness, simplicity, and dignity which are generally held to epitomize the Classical Revival style of architecture."
The property is currently owned by Shell Oil, and is not open to the public. But atleast they keep the property well maintained.
Next is Bocage Plantation, circa. 1837.
"Built in 1801 by Marius Pons Bringier as wedding gift for daughter Fanny, who married Christophe Colomb, a French refugee. remodeled by Architect James Dakin in 1837."
It's privately owned, but open for tours and also operates as a B&B.
Next up is Houmas House, circa. 1828.
"The original French Provincial house that Latil erected on the property in is situated directly behind the Mansion, adjoined by a carriageway to the grand home described during its antebellum heyday as "The Sugar Palace."
It's also privately owned, but open for tours and weddings/events.
Next up is Tezcuco Plantation, circa. 1855.
"Tezcuco was a one-story, frame, Greek Revival plantation house located on the east bank of the Mississippi River about a mile and a half south of Burnside. Except for a few alterations, the residence retained its original c.1855 appearance"
Tezcuco was open for tours and weddings/events until 2002, when a careless cigar smoker with a wedding party caused a fire which destroyed the plantation. All that still stands of the original structure is the four brick chimneys.
Next up is St. Michaels Church, circa. 1833.
I love the brickwork on old churches. The convent to the left of the church is circa. 1860'ish, and the cemetary behind the church dates back to the 1820's. There are several Civil War veterans buried there.
Next is Manresa House, circa. 1812. (formerly Jefferson College)
"The main building dates from 1842; the President's House and Gate Houses from 1836.
After Jefferson College failed in 1848, Louis Dufau of New Orleans operated the Louisiana College here: this college failed in 1856. In 1859, Valcour Aime purchased the site and erected a chapel in memory of his children. From 1862 - 1864, the Federal Troops occupied the buildings during the Civil War.
In 1864, Mr. Aime donated the properties to The Society of Mary (Marists) who established St. Mary's Jefferson College, which operated until 1927, when it was closed.
The Jesuits purchased the properties in 1931 and since that time have conducted retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Each year over 5,000 laypersons, religious and priests make retreats here."
This is the grounds between the retreat house and the river... The Oaks of St. Joseph.
The view is stunning, peaceful, and humbling.
Next up is the Bonnet Carre Spillway, circa. 1932. The spillway structure was built in response to a great flood in 1927, and it's main function is to divert water from the lower regions of the Mississippi River basin. Basically, when flood waters get too high, they open the spillway to relieve stress on the levees downriver. The water from the Bonnet Carre drains to Lake Pontchartrain. There's another spillway located north of Baton Rouge, the Morganza Spillway, which drains to the Atchafalaya Basin. Both spillways made the national news recently with the record breaking flood stages the river endured this past spring. While the manmade spillway was created in the 1930's, the site was also the location of a disasterous levee break in 1871. The "Bonnet Carre Crevasse" took workers 12 years to close.
From where this pic was taken, with the floodgates open, I'd be under roughly 15' of water. Those are the floodgates spanning the length of the pic. What you see are less than half of the total number of floodgates (350 total)
Here's a view of the Mississippi from the river side of the spillway. At this point the river is a little over 1/2 mile wide, over 100' deep, and moving at about 3mph. But don't let the slow pace fool you, there are brutal ripcurrents, undertows, and boils in the river. Very few people that fall into the river around here make it out of the water alive.
Well, that's it for todays tour. There are several more Plantations and historical points of interest on the way (and atleast as many on the other side of the river), but I started running into school zones and getting caught behind buses, so I jumped back on a main highway and headed directly home. I'll try and get some more next week
