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    Recommended Reviews - Shadowlawn

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    2013
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    4 years ago

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    Oak Alley Plantation - View of Oak Alley from the Big House.

    Oak Alley Plantation

    4.1(615 reviews)
    45.6 mi

    This was another amazing tour set up by the American River Cruises line when we sailed up the…read moreMississippi. We docked and loaded on to our buses for a very short ride to this old plantation. On prior trip to the area, Helene and I have had the opportunity to visit some old plantations and still find it fascinating... It's all about the history, not always good though. The Oak Alley home was originally a sugar plantation and of course, built by and relied on enslaved men, women and children to run efficently. That's always part of the history that I find most disturbing. You start out in the main house and the tour inside the mansion runs about a half hour. There is a a lot to see and absorb inside. They take you through all the rooms and showed us the different details for making each room unique. I have no photos inside the home as we were not allowed photographs. After going through the main house you could wandeer the grounds for while and view the slave quarters. Fascinating and still very disturbing. There is a restaurarant here as well as the gift shop [of course,] where you could also getting something refreshing to drink. Since it was close to 100 degrees, anything was good and welcomed. The grounds are just beautiful and packed with history. I would urge anyone who comes down to this area to do at least one of these tours, it's an incredible journey.

    This was a two hr slavery tour which consisted of self guided campus and guided house tour. Wes was…read moreour tour guide, he was very knowledgeable of the house tour. He took us through each room of the house and showed us the different details the rooms were famous for. On the grounds it showed the way slaves lived through medical hospital, living arrangements to different tools of captivity and work needs. A restaurant also is on the campus and cafe and gift shop for souvenirs, quick snacks and full menu needs. Bed and breakfast is available a Grounds is beautiful and upkeep of property is maintained. Check website for days and hours of operation and prices

    Photos
    Oak Alley Plantation - Slave quarters

    Slave quarters

    Oak Alley Plantation
    Oak Alley Plantation - Slave quarters building

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    Slave quarters building

    Laura Plantation - The Big House (Dec 2022)

    Laura Plantation

    4.5(389 reviews)
    48.7 mi

    Visited Laura Plantation on February 28, 2026 and had a really great experience overall…read more Our tour guide, Christine, was fantastic. She was not only very informative but also incredibly kind and personable. She had a way of explaining the history that made the tour feel engaging rather than just a typical scripted presentation. By the end, it almost felt like you were being shown around by a friend rather than just a guide. The tour itself is about 2-3 hours long and involves a fair amount of walking, so I definitely recommend wearing comfortable shoes. One tip: if you're planning to visit and don't have your own vehicle, make sure to purchase the ticket option that includes transportation. It will make things much easier. Also keep in mind that there aren't many food options nearby. Unless you're planning to walk quite a distance, it's a good idea to eat beforehand or plan your meal for after the tour. There's also a small museum on the property that's worth checking out. It's close by and provides additional background and stories that help give more context to the plantation's history. Overall, this was a very informative and meaningful tour, and I would definitely recommend it if you're visiting the area.

    Very interesting tour of a Creole plantation. The architecture is very different than Oak Alley…read morePlantation down the road. The tour is informative.

    Photos
    Laura Plantation - Sugar cane

    Sugar cane

    Laura Plantation - The Big House (Dec 2022)

    The Big House (Dec 2022)

    Laura Plantation - Slave quarters

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    Slave quarters

    Atchafalaya Basin Bridge - Aerial view of Atchafalaya Bay.

    Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

    5.0(2 reviews)
    40.8 mi

    The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, or Atchafalaya Swamp bridge, Louisiana French "L'Atchafalaya"…read more is a 18.2-mile bridge, one of the few roads from Grosse Tete, Louisiana, to Henderson, Louisiana An 18.2 mile bridge that crosses the largest swamp in the US, or if you rather, the largest wetlands in the US. A "Swamp" is a forested wetland. It's an enchanting sight for sure. Nothing like it in the world. It has its own beauty like none other. Home to the Alligator & Nutria. Nutria is a swamp "rat" that is trapped for its luxurious fur. Fur more luxurious than a mink. Cooks up better than a chicken & you can train them as pets. haha. The Atchafalaya swamp is best known for its iconic cypress-tupelo swamp trees, roughly 260,000 breathtaking acres, the largest remaining contiguous tract of coastal cypress trees in the United States. Mostly destroyed by the loggin industry in the 1800's. From 1830 to 1953, the community of "Bayou Chene" the native Chitimacha tribe, lived & thrived there logging, hunting, trapping & fishing the shallow waters. There were a few Chitimacha villages or "towns" there, the "Village of Bones" or "Namu Katsi" the "Cottonwood Village" known as "Kushuh Namu" in the Chitimacha language. That's all gone. Completely gone. Like it wasn't even there. Vanished into the silty shallows. You can research it, it's an interesting read if you enjoy Native American History. Long story short, after years of flooding, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers screwing it up, turning it into a permanent flood zone, with disaster after disaster of rising waters, the community left with the closing of the United States Post Office at Bayou Chene in 1952. Most of the residents of Bayou Chene relocated to the nearby basin towns like New Iberia, St. Martinville & Breaux Bridge, like my grandfather. Today, absolutely nothing remains of the native American "swamp community." The government loves to destroy, "order thru chaos" next it will be "fill in the blank" community. It's history & memories buried underneath the murky waters of the Atchafalaya Basin. It's only visible reminder of what once was, is ugly cut down ancient cypress tree stumps from the loggers that will never grow back. Not for centuries, if ever. Long time ago, my Grandfather had a fishing cabin here, his father b4 him. We all have many great childhood stories & memories staying with my grandfather in Breaux Bridge. With my father away at war, mother visiting her parents, my grandparents, I was born here, in Louisiana, even thou we lived in Pensacola at that time. All that I have left, all that remains of it now, is this photo I have of my mother & her cousin, my Uncle playing outside there on the Atchafalaya Basin. You can see the iconic trees in the background. My mother sure does look adorable in her cowboy boots. A real beauty like none other just like the Atchafalaya basin. My heart aches for a people erased, a one of a kind ancient forest lost. But my memories of her, and our time together there, will forever remain. Highest recommendations.

    I do love a good bridge! And even better is when they seem to be stable and not so scary you feel…read moreyou will fall from. This has a peaceful view that is relaxing. It is a long bridge over a bayou/swamp area, I guess the Atchafalaya Basin. I can imagine boaters going along fishing, swamp creatures doing their thing, wild boars doing whatever they do. Being fairly straight, at some times the sides narrow in, at least there is a breakdown lane for the most part. I can also imagine a hunting or fishing shack being somewhere in the middle and a family having owned it since the beginning of time. I really like this bridge.

    Photos
    Atchafalaya Basin Bridge - My mother & my uncle on the L'Atchafalaya river basin outside my grandfather fishing cabin.

    My mother & my uncle on the L'Atchafalaya river basin outside my grandfather fishing cabin.

    Atchafalaya Basin Bridge
    Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

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    Louisiana State Capitol - Front of State Capitol building.

    Louisiana State Capitol

    4.7(47 reviews)
    49.5 mi

    Arrive well before 4 p.m. Security stops admitting the public at that time. Observation deck on…read more27th floor will be closed for a few years due to the ongoing restoration, but the first floor is worth the visit alone--beautiful and historically significant. Ask for a tour at the first floor tourism desk.

    This state capitol feels like a monument to both old and new. Sprouting out amongst the nearby…read morebuildings as a concrete obelisk, you probably wouldn't think much of the Louisiana State Capitol. Its greens are a bit underwhelming but as you get closer to the building you do get a sense of its historic significance. Once you're in and past security you're greeted with an art deco style interior that feels old and outdated but in a bit of a charming way. Going on a Friday before a long weekend meant the place was a ghost town but that was nice as we felt we had the whole place to ourselves to explore. There wasn't much going on when we went but they do have an amazing observation deck that allows for beautiful views of the Baton Rouge area (for free!). You do have to take two elevators to reach the top but it's well worth it. Keeping with the theme both elevators are small and old fashioned which kind of adds to the charm. There's also a gift shop at the top where we bought some magnets from for a reasonable price. This was a fun pit stop we hit along the way to New Orleans which is how we would view this place as a whole. There's nothing here that would make you go out of your way for it, especially with how difficult parking can be around there (we walked 10 minutes from our spot). However, if you're on your way to NOLA or are very interested in Louisiana's state history, then this place would definitely be for you.

    Photos
    Louisiana State Capitol
    Louisiana State Capitol - Incredible detail everywhere.

    Incredible detail everywhere.

    Louisiana State Capitol - Illustration of Huey P Long's assignation

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    Illustration of Huey P Long's assignation

    Shadowlawn - landmarks - Updated August 2026

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