Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
west of town at Abita Brewery ( www.abita.com ; 166 Barbee Rd; tours free;
tours 2pm Wed-
Fri, 11am, noon, 1pm & 2pm Sat) .
The 31-mile Tammany Trace trail ( www.tammanytrace.org ) connects north shore towns,
beginning in Covington, passing through Abita Springs and Fontainebleau State Park ,
on the lakeshore near Mandeville, and terminating in Slidell. This converted railroad
makes for a lovely bike ride that drops you into each town's center. In Lacombe, about 9
miles east of Mandeville, you can rent bicycles and kayaks at Bayou Adventures (
985-882-9208; www.bayouadventure.com ; 27725 Main St, Lacombe; bicycles per hr/day $8/25,
single/double kayaks per day $35/50;
5am-6pm) .
River Road
Elaborate plantation homes dot the east and west banks of the Mississippi River between
New Orleans and Baton Rouge. First indigo, then cotton and sugarcane, brought great
wealth to these plantations, many of which are open to the public. Most tours focus on
the lives of the plantation owners, the restored architecture and the ornate gardens of
antebellum Louisiana.
Sights
Laura Plantation PLANTATION
( www.lauraplantation.com ; 2247 Hwy 18, Vacherie; adult/child $20/6; 10am-4pm) Laura
Plantation, in Vacherie on the west bank, offers the most dynamic and informative tour of
the River Road plantations. This ever-evolving and popular tour teases out the distinc-
tions between Creole, Anglo, free and enslaved African Americans via meticulous re-
search and the written records of the Creole women who ran the place for generations.
Laura is also fascinating because it was a Creole mansion, founded and maintained by a
continental European-descended elite, as opposed to Anglo-Americans; the cultural and
architectural distinctions between this and other plantations is obvious and striking.
Oak Alley Plantation PLANTATION
( www.oakalleyplantation.com ; 3645 Hwy 18, Vacherie; adult/child $20/7.50; 9am-4:40pm) The
most impressive aspect of Oak Alley Plantation is its canopy of 28 majestic live oaks lin-
ing the entry to the grandiose Greek Revival-style house - even better with a fresh mint
julep. The tour is relatively staid, but there are guest cottages ($145 to $200) and a res-
taurant on-site.
 
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