Events Calendar For St. Francisville Area
New Roads - St. Francisville FERRY Updates
What You Can Do For 1 - 5 Days in
St. Francisville Area (Summer 2010 Update)
*** Our Exclusive Itinerary
Without Images for Quick Printing
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BREAKFAST: To fortify
yourself
for a busy day, begin by indulging in a gourmet New Orleans-style
egg breakfast here at Barrow
House Inn.
Now, to work off those
calories, drive the 5 miles to Audubon State Historic Site (Oakley
Plantation),
which was built during the colonial period here around 1806.
The architecture is a much simpler style and the grounds are quite
natural,much like they were over 180 years ago when John James Audubon himself walked the same paths.
For a different pace,
travel a mile further down the road to the
Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve (The Nature Conservancy) and take a light hike through
the woods. Don't miss the huge pond and gazebo! LUNCH:
Drive back into SF (St. Francisville) and eat lunch at Magnolia Cafe,
a true local treasure with too many delicious items on the menu!
Then onto Rosedown Plantation State Historic
Site. It's a true "Gone With The Wind" experience
with the 1835 Greek Revival
'big house' and 28 acres of formal English gardens. Stroll down the
alley of oak trees and admire the many statues, fountains and gazebos.
The tour of the house alone is a captivating hour, so you will spend a
good amount of your afternoon here.
The last stop is our Civil
War site, Port Hudson State Historic Site
(15 miles south of town on Hwy 61). Port Hudson was the last
Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. One of our most
frequent guests said this battleground
is fascinating, especially for those in the military. DO NOT MISS in
the Welcome Center:
the
Ketchum Hand Grenades and the
computer which gives your family's connection to this battle. Kidslove it!
DINNER (2 Excellent Choices):
1)
Carriage House Restaurant
(Newer 4-star restaurant w/ cuisine by our friend, Chef Joey McIntyre)
Directory of Local Shops
(Click 'Tourism' button in menu at top)
After breakfast, pick up our unique audio walking tour at the
Barrow House. Listen to the town's history and stroll around the historic
district, which includes a stop at
Grandmother's Buttons - one of the most unique
shops in the entire area. Don't miss it! The stained glass window is reason alone to go inside.
Just steps away is Grace
Episcopal Church (1859),
one of the South's most beautiful churches and cemeteries. In the
Spring it's absolutely stunning when the azaleas are in full bloom.
Continue along Ferdinand
Street (the main
avenue in the historic district) to shop for gifts such as
local handicrafts, antiques, pottery, quilts, Audubon prints,
and
whatever else suits your fancy.
LUNCH: Audubon Cafe (in
Spring Creek shopping center @ US Hwy 61 and LA Hwy 10)
After lunch, drive out into
the countryside to Greenwood Plantation, where you
can learn about the rebuilding of the home (which took 16 years) and
the filming of the TV mini-series "North and South."
Next, drive through part of the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area
on your way to the Louisiana State Penitentiary Museum
at Angola. This is the one place every area visitor loves, believe it or not! The tales told by
the trustees alone make it well-worth the trip. There you will see the
infamous electric chair "Gruesome Gertie"
and display of weapons fashioned by inmates.
In the gift shop you can buy a DVD of the award-winning A&E
documentary "The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison"
(the crew stayed at Barrow House Inn while shooting the film) &
an "Angola: A Gated Community" t-shirt.
Return to SF. If this is a Friday or
Saturday night, you can take the fun 'Mystery Tour' at the
Myrtles Plantation,
where you are entertained with stories of ghosts which supposedly roam
the property. NOTE: The night tour is more entertaining than the day tour, so
*do not* do both.
Do You Play Golf?
If so, you can choose from 4 golf courses in the surrounding area:
DINNER - (2 choices are previously mentioned):
The Oxbow
DAY 3 IN ST. FRANCISVILLE AREA
Take a 5 mile drive to Butler
Greenwood Plantation, with its fabulous Victorian parlor and
visit with Anne Butler, who is 8th generation and a
noted local historian and author.
Drive up the road a few miles to Cottage Plantation, which is
famous for hosting Andrew Jackson on his way home to Tennessee after defeating the
British at the Battle Of New Orleans
on January 8, 1815 (the battle was actually pointless, since the War of 1812 officially ended 2 weeks prior).
If you're here
between March 1 - July 1 *or* October 1 - December 1,
you're in luck. You can visit Afton Villa Gardens ,
set among the ruins of Afton Villa Plantation and patterned after the
world-renowned
Sissinghurst Castle Garden in England . Afton features 40
acres with 100,000 (!!!) daffodils and countless tulips in the Spring,
with more beautiful
blooms in the fall.
Take the 12:30 PM or 1:00 PM
ferry (call
888-613-3779 for operating status ) across the Mississippi
River to visit New Roads, an
historic town on the banks
of the False River.
LUNCH: Eat Lunch at Satterfield's
overlooking the False River. After lunch, drive 3 1/2 miles north on LA
Hwy. 1 to the Pointe Coupee Museum. While there, be sure to ask about
visiting Parlange Plantation,
which has been in the *same* family since the 1750s.
DINNER:
Ma Mama's Kitchen or
Morel's in downtown New Roads.
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge:
Clark Creek Natural Area
DAY 5 IN ST. FRANCISVILLE AREA
Next, head over to Centenary State Historic Site , the original location of Shreveport's famous Centenary College (1826 - 1908 at this site) If you're there on a weekend in March - November, take a ride on "Louisiana's Steam Train", the Old Hickory Railroad . . . ALL ABOARD!!! |
Barrow House Inn, a Louisiana Bed & Breakfast (circa 1809)
"Giving Guests Antiques & Ambiance Since 1986"
9779 Royal Street · St. Francisville, Louisiana USA 70775
Telephone (225) 635 - 4791 · Email:
