Whitney Plantation, Edgard, LA 3/5 & 9/2015

On the road again Thursday March 5.

Wow, what a change in weather.  At midnight the temperature was 71.  I awoke at 2:30 am.  It was 75 degrees.  At 7:30 it was 41 degrees and dropping.  But I know I dare not complain.  Back in Phil's hometown of Merrill, WI it is minus 21 degrees.

We toured the Whitney Plantation Museum., Edgard, MS.  It is "the only plantation museum dedicated to understand the facts of slavery."  The Big House is the "earliest and best preserved" Creole Plantation on River Road.

We start in the Antioch Church.

Inside the Church are statues of many children.  Thru the WPA in the 1930's many former slaves told their life experiences.  Theses statues depict their ages at the end of the Civil War.

Wall of Honor lists the slaves who were on this Plantation before 1840.

 The field slaves were given Sunday off.

Names of 107,000 who were slaves in Louisiana before 1820

 It was cold and blustery.  I'm bundled up in coat, hat and gloves.  The tour guide said it is good to do tours on a cold day like this.  We have to realize the women slaves had one dress and the men capri pants.  No shoes, no coat or gloves but still they had to work outside.

"Field of Angels" where 2,200 slave babies who died before their 3rd birthday are remembered.

Slave cabins and kettles for boiling sugar cane.

The slaves took their water from the nearby stream.  Could have worms, bugs, many impurities in it.

Oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana.

Straight walk to the Big House to serve the food.

 Olive oil vessel buried partially in the floor was used to keep food cool.

 Main dining room floor is tile in case of flooding.  
 What we would call the living room

 Office

Master Bedroom.  A house maid wanted to be sure to keep her "inside" job.  Remember it's cold outside today and it was warm in the Big House.  Maybe the missus would like a fire and that would warm her bare feet.  There were 20 house slaves.  They were 24/7.  Always available.

Throughout the tour we learned of the many uncertainties the slaves faced.  Would they get the bath water the right temperature.  If not what would the misses do to me?

At an auction in 1840 a 12 year old carriage driver went for $1200, the most for Louis, a blacksmith & cooper for $1600, a household worker for $700.

It was very touching to read the memories of the former slaves.  How harsh their working and living conditions were and the insecurities of measuring up to the Master's expectations.

Very moving.

We have been watching the weather and see how cold it is from here (SE LA) to home.  We decided to stay 2 night at Bayou Segnette State Park, Westwego.

Friday March 6 was a day of R and R.  Phil worked on genealogy in the morning and I worked on the blog in the afternoon.  I visited with new friends that we met at the Grand Isle State Park.

 Love the lights a camper has.  Solo cups and Christmas lights.

 Beautiful sunset at Bayou Saynette State Park.

 On the road again Saturday March 7.

As we travel I-55 I notice the trees are starting to leaf out.  At home they usually leaf out the first of May.

Bridges, bridges, bridges.  We have traveled numerous especially in Louisiana and Texas.    The bridge to Grand Isle, LA was 8 miles but their is not the longest we traveled.  The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is 18 miles and we travel is twice.  

We stayed at a Flying J Truck Center in Jackson, MS.

On the road again Sunday March 8

 We attended Mass at St. Richard's in Jackson, MS.

We stayed at Pilot Truck Center in Marion, IL.

On the road again Monday March 9 and after 83 days we made it back home.

Home again, home again.  As you can see in our backyard some of the snow has melted.  I read they set a record of being the coldest February.  We left Dec. 17 (but had some January weather days in November).

We traveled 8533 miles.  We explored parts of San Diego, enjoyed activities in conjunction with and  attended the Rose Parade, Nixon and Reagan Presidential libraries, the Hearst Castle, Big Sur highway, 5 California Mission churches, 2 of CA's deserts, Joshua Tree National Park, celebrated Christmas with new friends at Jojoba Hills Escapee Park, Monterey Aquarium, and John Steinbeck Museum during our 31 days in California.

We experienced our first Quartzite gathering, visited family and friends in AZ and TX.  We were awed by the McDonald Observatory, impressed by the presentation at Fort Davis, learned about the Biosphere, the seafood industry and camped often by bayous and on barrier islands.

We hiked up in the Chiricahua Mountains, walked 5 miles seeing the Historic homes in Lake Charles and visited some of the "Painted Churches" near San Antonio, TX.

We have fond memories of celebrating Mardi Gras in Gautier, MS with other Roadtrekkers and at Rainbow Plantation, AL.

I was so impressed by the Walter Anderson Museums, Ohr-O'Keefe Museum, the Sports Art Museum and the Whitney Plantation.

Our food highlight was the Low Country Boil at Pogo and Vicki's.  What a great time hanging out in their backyard with 30 other Roadtrekkers.  We ate plenty of gumbo, po' boys, great steak and cooked fresh shrimp.

It was a fabulous trip.  The RV is unloaded.  Now to dream of our next trip.....the Boston Marathon..to watch.