Oak Alley Confidential

Oak Alley Plantation--the South's most photographed plantation--derives its name
from 28 oak trees that lead from the Mississippi River to the front porch.
(Click image to enlarge.)

After New Orleans, we ventured out along the Great River Road and headed for Oak Alley Plantation. Located in Vacherie, Louisiana, Oak Alley is one of the most photographed plantations in the South. The plantation gets its name from 28 oak trees that were planted in a double row perpendicular to the Mississippi River in the early 1700s. These magnificent oaks--estimated to be more than 300 years old--provide the canopy and framework that makes Oak Alley picturesque. To learn more about this beautiful, old sugar cane plantation, go here and here. And a shout out to my sister for recommending this as a must-see.

Left: Alligator--breaded and fried in cornmeal. And no, it does not "taste like chicken"!
Right: Chicken and sausage gumbo--a Louisiana specialty.

For lunch, I had the fried alligator--a first for me--and the chicken and sausage gumbo. Yummy!




Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09

Biltmore Confidential

The Biltmore House: The Gilded Age Home of George and Edith Vanderbilt
(Click image to enlarge)

Today's portion of the trip is brought to you by the Vanderbilt Family and the Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville, North Carolina. The use of the word "house" to describe this building is a laugh. The "house" is actually a castle and was built by George Washington Vanderbilt between 1888 and 1895. It contains what, at that time, were considered state of the art conveniences, like indoor plumbing. While most homes in America in 1895 didn't have indoor bathrooms, the Biltmore had 43 of them with deep cast iron tubs and flushing toilets.



The house contains 250 rooms and is the largest private residence in the United States to this day with 175,000 square feet and 8,000 acres of land. It is still owned by the Vanderbilt family and employs 1,800 individuals to maintain and show the home. Occasionally, the descendants of the Vanderbilts stay in the castle. The home is one of the finest examples of Gilded Age architecture in the U.S. and contains a 10,000 book library and fine art, including 16th century Flemish tapestries, woodcuts by Renoir, portraits by John Singer Sargent, a 1916 Skinner organ in the dining hall, and handloomed Jacquard wall coverings and draperies from Lyon, France.

Springtime means flowers and the gardens at the Biltmore are spectacular!
(Click image to enlarge.)

This time of year also features the Biltmore's annual Spring Flower Festival and the tulips were in glorious bloom all over. Definitely worth the price of admission to visit this beautiful home and its gardens.

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 04/09