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The Oak Alley Plantation


Highlight of the Plantation Tour
The Big House, cuz the other houses are all smaller

Unlike Laura, Oak Alley is really massive with wide open fields. We have the first quarter of our time just for independent exploration of the grounds. Since there are a lot to see, this makes sense but for those who want a more guided tour, it may not be super ideal. You can stroll by the Big House during this time but it’s best to save it for last since the main guided tour takes place inside. To me, the most interesting areas to visit before the Big House were the Slave Quarters and the old Blacksmith Workshop.

These Slave Quarters are much more expansive than in Laura. They consist about eight or so small log cabins surrounding the central path going from the exit of the area to the big house itself. Nothing crazy inside except for again the usuals like beds and pots and stools. Only here, the cabins’ insides tell a more in-depth story of the lives of the Enslaved people. They contain numerous informative plaques detailing different aspects of enslaved life from healthcare to religion to animal raising in the form of a chicken coop. One particular cabin has quite the somber exhibit, showcasing


At the back end of the entire complex, just a few yards away from the exit sign, you can find the little Blacksmith Shop shown here. While not necessarily well advertised, it’s neat nonetheless.


Highlight of the Plantation Tour
Now the true tour starts

I was watching a surprisingly upbeat video projected to the right of the Big House about Louisiana sugar production when I realized my group’s guided tour had begun in earnest. We joined other groups in forming a long line outside the building until we could enter a crowded Big House.


Unfortunately, we can’t take photos inside the building. However, it is very similar to Laura Plantation just on a grander scale with its over-the-top pageantry, owing to the higher scale of everything found in Oak Alley.


The presentation is not as focused on the owning family itself just about general life on Oak Alley and how it is representative of Louisiana Plantation life in general. There’s a lot of detail on the Enslaved people to the point where the whole experience bathes in melancholy even more than Oak Alley. This building has mutliple floors with ornate furniture and designs and a balcony with gorgeous views over the landscape, which is where we finish the tour.

We learn a bit about the geographic struggles the property has faced over the years as well as it sits right behind one of Louisiana’s infamous levies and suffered the same natural disasters the state in general faced. The gravestones shone above are for the family who owned the plantation, sitting a little ways away from the Big House. The Enslaved people didn’t receive a gravesite.


Afterthoughts

Thus ends the Oak Alley section. Overall, I can say a lot of the same things about Laura Plantation here too. I enjoyed the neutral tone taken in describing the plantation’s history, not sugarcoating its past horrors. However, in doing the tours together it becomes challenging not to compare the two. Between the two, the presentation of the Laura Plantation was much longer and slightly more in-depth. However, the free time given by the Oak Alley Plantation is nice too. Best is the chance to visit things like the illuminating Slave Quarters, which Laura didn’t offer.


With those thoughts out the way, I would also recommend this plantation tour. For much of the same reasons as Laura. However, if you are on a budget and want to choose only one, it really depends on you. Cajun Encounters offers single tours for cheaper for each plantation. As I said the tour itself of the Laura I found more engrossing and all-encompassing. However, the scale of Oak Alley, not just the building but the whole estate is part of the appeal there. For those reasons, doing them together can also assist in establishing a full, complete picture of the Louisiana Plantation story


In Conclusion

That’s it, folks. Remember the name Cajun Encounters and follow the link I included at the top. If you visit New Orleans you will probably run into them eventually anyways. I, for one, found them on a brochure at the hostel I was staying at.


As mentioned, a lot of this post doesn’t deal directly with experiencing a plantation tour as a person of color. I hope to make another post directly addressing but I will say based on my experience these places are interesting. They are grand and fascinating but that’s about it. Visually they are undeniably beautiful but it’s difficult to heap praise on anything in these areas. Likewise, as entertaining as the tour might be, there remains an unshakable melancholy to these places. That darkness keeps places like this separate from the usual travel destinations.


Nevertheless, thank you for reading! Be sure to leave a comment! If you don’t I’m gonna assume you were a slavery fan so shame on you! Now I’m off to pay taxes or something! See you next time!

About Post Author

I am the creator of the Globe Junkie and author of all this heat and/or trash you find on here. It's my first blog so don't hate! If you do, I'll wag my finger at you!
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