This tour combines a visit to a River Road plantation and a cruise through the swamps of south Louisiana
Highlights
Oak Alley Plantation:
* Amazing alley of 28 oak trees that are 250 years old
* Self-guided Slavery Exhibit focuses on enslaved Africans before and after Emancipation
* Docent-led tour through the "Big House"
* Sugarcane Theater and the Blacksmith Shop
Manchac Swamp:
* Privately-owned wildlife refuge
* Home of the legend of "Rougarou", the Cajun warewolf
* History of the town of Frenier
* Boundary between the lands of Great Britain and Spain in 1700's
included with
* Roundtrip transportation from the French Quarter
* Local guide
* Narrated round-trip transportation
* Guided tour of Oak Alley Plantation
* Swamp Boat Ride thru a private area of the Manchac Swamp
* Local Taxes
excluded by
* Food and beverages
* Optional gratuities
* Hotel pickup and drop-off
Itinerary
You'll experience a bygone era in one of the South’s most beautiful settings-Oak Alley Plantation, built in 1839. Marvel at the unbelievable quarter-mile long alley of 28 magnificent Oak trees, each over 250 years old, and view the majestic cypress trees in Louisiana’s swamps bordering the Mississippi River.
Your guided tour will reveal the fascinating stories of the home and its history. Perhaps the most photographed plantation over the years, Oak Alley has been the setting for such motion pictures as Interview with a Vampire, Primary Colors, and the wedding of Bo and Hope from the daytime soap opera, Days of our Lives.On your journey to this historic setting, you'll also have the opportunity to enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Pontchartrain as you cross the Bonnet Carre Spillway (the flood outlet of the Mississippi River).
Experience the following exhibits on 28 historic acres: Slavery at Oak Alley, East and West Gardens, Blacksmith Shop and Sugarcane Theater. Travel past Whitney, Evergreen, Felicity & St. Joseph Plantations, ghosts of the past that front the Mississippi River, where rich crops of sugar cane, cotton, and indigo from these fertile lands once traveled to far ports of trade. You can purchase lunch, a snack, salad or sandwich in the Plantation Café to enjoy at the picnic tables or aboard the coach.
Then it’s a short ride to the Manchac Swamp where you will cruise through a privately-owned wildlife refuge, home to the legend of “Rougarou”, the Cajun werewolf. You might not find the “Rougarou”, but you’ll get up close and personal with some alligators in an area where time seems to standstill. You can purchase drinks and snacks at “the swamp”. (Cost is not included in tour price)
