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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
Many of the images you see are available as fine art prints on photographic papers or canvas. Please visit my
gallery for details.
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
370 miles up the road from Destin, FL, we rolled into
Country Livin' RV Park in Ajax, Louisiana. Ajax is just a few short miles from Natchitoches, La. via I-49. The owners, Denise and David are great hosts. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome, and the park is quiet, clean and beautifully kept. Denise was so helpful in recommending the "must see" spots of Natchitoches and surrounding areas. Thanks, Denise!
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| Country Livin' RV Park |
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| Country Livin' RV Park |
There's a private lake on the property where you can fish or just sit and relax.
They were even kind enough to lend us a fishing pole for a few hours.
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| Country Livin' RV Park |
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| Country Livin' RV Park |
After getting settled on the grounds and hearing all the inside scoop about where to go from Denise, I knew the first stop would be Front St. and Rue Beau Port, the heart of downtown
Natchitoches (pronounced NAK-ə-təsh) historic district, along the Cane River Lake. It took me all day to
say the name of the town correctly. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has had trouble with that! I kept wanting to make it sound something like Nagodoches, TX, which, as it turns out, is Natchitoches sister city.
The parish is the original French colony of Louisiana, established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, and was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. It is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. The buildings are a mixture of Creole and Victorian architecture. Such character, culture and history!
And I would be completely remiss if I forgot to mention that
Steel Magnolias was filmed entirely in Natchitoches. The writer, Robert Harling, Jr., is a native and still resides here.
The National Trust named the town one of the"Dozen Distinctive Destinations" for Historic Preservation in 2005. The
Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District has much to offer. 33 blocks worth!
The Cane River Lake area is also home to
Oakland and Magnolia Plantations, as well as several others we explore.
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
We were able to grab the perfect parking spot on Front St. in front of
Kaffie Frederick General Mercantile, Louisiana's oldest general store. The store has lots of fun, nostalgic items like the old original working freight elevator, and a 100 year old cash register to ring up your purchase.
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
From there we walked down the steps from Front St. to Rue Beau Port, along the Cane River Lake to stroll and capture images of the
Roque House, the surrounding park-like setting, and the lake itself. Benches along the way offered great places to sit under huge tree canopies to enjoy the view.
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
After our walk along the lake we headed back up to Front Street to continue exploring. The architecture along the street was decorated in beautiful wrought iron balconies and the street and sidewalks were brick. Colorful flowers were in bloom everywhere and a horse drawn carriage waited for a fare. The shops and restaurants had much to offer. A few shops that I found particlarly fun were: Hello Dolly, for clothes and accessories;
Dickens and Company, for local and fleur de lis gifts; and the
Natchitoches Art Guild Heritage Gallery where you can view and purchase the work of local artists and artisans--always a must see for me!
Our favorite place to eat downtown was
The Landing Restaurant. We made a point to be there on Sunday for their wonderful champagne brunch and live jazz. Great food, great time!
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
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| Natchitoches, Louisiana |
Having enjoyed
The Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, it was time to make plans to explore
The Cane River National Heritage Area and tour the plantations...
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The following photos of the plantations and other historical places have links provided so you can read about their histories easily as you view the images. Hope you enjoy these!
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
The 1830's
Cherokee Plantation.
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
Early 19th century
Beaufort Plantation.
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
St. Augustine Catholic Church built in 1803.
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
St. Charles Chapel is a mission church to St. Augustine Catholic Church.
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The following set of photos are from the
Oakland Plantation:
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
Plantation general store still open until the 1970's.
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
Plantation stables:
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
Plantation quarters.
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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The following photos are from the
Magnolia Plantation:
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
General/company store and plantation slave cabins:
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
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| Cane River National Heritage Area |
The following is an excerpt from the brochure/map, "Cane River National Heritage Area - A Cultural Journey" I thought it was worth repeating...
"History is not always pleasant to recount. As we build our present, we should be mindful of our past... Injustice is part of history, but so are stories of perseverance, hope, community, and success. This area's national park, three state parks, and privately owned historic sites depict aspects of the difficult times that shaped this place.
Explore the real America in the Cane River region."
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Further along the road we drove by this great old piece of Americana and had to turn around to stop for a photo...
We ended our excursion along the Cane River Trail by stopping by
Little Eva Plantation in Cloutierville for some Natchitoches pecans! We had a wonderful visit in the Nachitoches area!
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Here are several images from the area that I have created using different filters and imaging techniques. Prints of images from Natchitoches and the Cane River National Heritage area are available for purchase from my
gallery.
See you next time from Texas!
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