What quote am I vibing? “The civilized people of today look back with horror at their medieval ancestors who wantonly destroyed great works of art or sat slothfully by while they destroyed. We have passed this stage.... Here in the U.S. we turn our rivers and streams into sewers and dumping grounds, we pollute the air, we destroy our forests and exterminate fishes, birds and mammals - not to speak of vulgarizing charming landscapes with hideous advertisements. But at best it looks as if our people were awakening.” Theodore Roosevelt
Road Day: 77
This morning, I had my final breakfast at my hotel home in Houston. I am so happy to have had the chance to rest for a week and explore such a fun city. And be safe from Hurricane Michael!
I spent the first part of my trip and Cali in airbnbs, but I spent the southern trek home mostly in hotels, and I had a free night from hotels.com - so, at Greg's encouragement, I booked a gorgeous room in a bed & breakfast on a plantation in Saint Francisville - Greenwood Plantation Bed & Breakfast. I am wowed by how pretty it is here. I didn't pay too much attention to exactly where this place was when I booked, I just knew it was near Baton Rouge. As it turns out, I am in quite a rural area, and I couldn't be happier to be back to a slower pace and more natural surroundings!
My first stop was at the very haunted Myrtles Plantation. I took a tour of the house - there is such a violent history in this one house, violence across owners and generations. I won't tell you all the stories because you should go, but they involve a poisoned cake, a hanging, voodoo, yellow fever, a shooting...it's a lot. The home was originally built by General David Bradford, a famed leader of the Whiskey Rebellion. He was surprisingly not involved in any of the drama.
I quickly drove to my B&B and checked in, realizing pretty quickly that that was dumb, cause I had to drive like 15 miles back to the Oakley House which is part of the Audubon State Historic Site. It was purchased by the state and dubbed as such because in 1821, before Audubon had any great fame or fortune, he stayed in the basement and tutored young Eliza in drawing. He did 32 of his paintings on the grounds there, and about 30 more in West Feliciana Parish, which, I think, is Saint Francisville...I don't know how parishes work.
Finally, I had my favorite Louisiana dish - red beans and rice with sausage at Francis Southern Kitchen & Bar, and headed back to my room to watch the Astros and enjoy my room and the grounds. Side note: The LSU game was on at the bar, and as much as I love sports, I hate the sound of people in a bar cheering loudly. At one point, they cheered so loudly that I dropped my phone in my red beans, which wasn't ideal. Side side note: College football is way too commercialized and the stress put on these young men to perform to bring money into the pockets of schools is not fair given their unpaid status - especially when they suffer life-changing injuries.
Guys! I'm well on my way home. Almost there. I'll tour the plantation at which I'm staying tomorrow morning and get a little bit closer tomorrow. For now, I'm happy and tucked away.
