Lousiana is noted for it's antebellum plantation homes, and among them none is more picturesque or ideally situated than Oak Alley, "Grand Dame of the River Road." It sits on the banks of the Mississippi River on the Great River Road, about half way between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
One thing that sets this particular home apart is that it is framed with a quarter-mile driveway lined with magnificent live oaks, thought to be 300 years old. The canopy of evergreen trees make a magnificent avenue leading from the Mississippi River to the Greek-revival plantation house. It was built in 1839 by a wealthy French Creole sugar planter, and is today owned and operated by the private Oak Alley Foundation.
Oak Alley is the most photographed of all Louisiana plantations, and has been featured in numerous movies as well as print and television commercials. A tour here offers a fascinating glimpse into a lifestyle and an era in the history of America's deep south that is now "Gone with the Wind."
There is a gift shop at the plantation and a restaurant which serves breakfast and lunch daily. Four cottages on the grounds serve as a Bed-and-breakfast Inn, offering respite from the three Ts of modern living: television, telephones and traffic.
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