Oak Alley Plantation Featured in New Movie

Oak Alley , Her Magesty , Her Movies & Her History !

Greetings From New Orleans & Oak Alley !
Oak Alley has always been one of my favorite places from any one of a number of different perspectives . Seldom do I go by there , either at night or during the day , that I don't take a long gaze at her statuesque line of oak trees that is the hallmark of this historic plantation . As far as the movies go that were filmed there , " Interview With A Vampire " , with Tom Cruise , I believe was the last movie to be filmed there . I also read that the row of oak trees that line the path way to her doors were actually planted well before the actual plantation was built by noneother than River Pilots that wanted to use them as a referenc point when they were out navigating the river . When I was working on the steamboats , Oak Alley was a regular and routine stop for both the DQ and the MQ and in my humble opinion , Oak Alley was the much better plantation stop for a number of reasons . One added feature that Oak Alley now offers is both a fairly good restaurant and also a bed and breakfast as is the case with a few of the other plantation homes as well . If you have an opportunity to come to the Deep South and what we call the River Region , you really have to MAKE the time to come and visit the Oak Alley Plantation ! Now one other item that you must most definately partake of and especially if your home is north of the Mason Dixon Line , are the famous Oak ALley , Mint Julips !! They are out of this world and if you enjoy a sweet " Adult Beverage " , well none are better than the Oak Alley , Mint Julips !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Keith Norrington;16545 wrote: Oak Alley Plantation has appeared in numerous films over the decades and again stars in the recent premier of "Midnight Bayou", adapted from the book by Nora Roberts. The rather bizarre plot, which begins at Mardi Gras 2001, features Jerrry O'Connell, Lauren Stamile and Faye Dunaway. The movie is featured on the LIFETIME Channel and can also be watched online.

Even if you don't care for the story line, those of us who love Oak Alley enjoy the many scenes of the plantation house, inside and out.

Take a look!

Oak Alley , Her Magesty , Her Movies & Her History !

Greetings From New Orleans & Oak Alley !
Oak Alley has always been one of my favorite places from any one of a number of different perspectives . Seldom do I go by there , either at night or during the day , wheather in a car or on a ship , that I don't take a long gaze at her statuesque line of oak trees that is the hallmark of this historic plantation . As far as the movies go that were filmed there , " Interview With A Vampire " , with Tom Cruise , I believe was the last movie to be filmed there . I also read that the row of oak trees that line the path way to her doors were actually planted well before the actual plantation was built by noneother than River Pilots that wanted to use them as a referenc point when they were out navigating the river . When I was working on the steamboats , Oak Alley was a regular and routine stop for both the DQ and the MQ and in my humble opinion , Oak Alley was the much better plantation stop for a number of reasons . One added feature that Oak Alley now offers is both a fairly good restaurant and also a bed and breakfast and gift shop as is the case with a few of the other plantation homes as well . If you have an opportunity to come to the Deep South and what we call the " River Region " , which is basically the area between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that is adajacent to the river , you really have to MAKE the time to come and visit the Oak Alley Plantation ! Also , if your vacations allow you to come and visit in the fall , Oak Alley sponsors a first class Craft Fair . What is rather unique about this particular fair is that all the booths are on rows or streets , if you will and each street is named for other Plantation Homes that line the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge . Something else that is rather unique to the Oak Alley Plantation , that really few are aware of is the three antique cars that are on the premises in the open garage , located just behind the home . Now one other item that you must most definately need to partake of and especially if your home is north of the Mason Dixon Line , are the famous Oak ALley , Mint Julips !! They are out of this world and if you enjoy a sweet " Adult Beverage " , well none are better than the Oak Alley , Mint Julips !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Yes, Oak Alley was one of my favorite stops as well. I recall fondly the touch football games that our DQ crew would play on the river side of the levee there.
It's amazing to think of the tens of thousands of tourists that the queens carried there over the years. People who, in all liklihood would never have had the experience otherwise. Ofcourse, the same can be said for many other attractions up and down the rivers.

If you stay at the B&B, it is magical after hours. You can easily imagine being back in time, especially if you and yours are the only overnight guests. They also used to have the BEST bread pudding, and I hope they still do.

Oak Alley was still a private residence when I first haunted the place. Cattle were the main source of income and roamed beyond the somewhat seedly plantation house, as it was then. A tall, thin, rangy fellow, who ran the place, would have been at home in a John Wayne film. He drove a fancy chromed pickup truck and was pals with Captain Wagner.

As soon as we tied up I would hurry up to the house and be seated casually on the patio as our passenger guests arrived for their tour. Someone would always seem surprised to find me so comfortably draped over the furniture and would ask what I was doing, and I would reply that Oak Alley was my home; that I lived there, and they always seemed to believe me.

The alley of oak trees showed up nicely on the radar screen whenever we passed by, and Captain Harry Hamilton would always point this out no matter how many tiimes he had done so before.

I hope this doesn't upset any of my former boat mates. Hopefully you were aware of this tidbit and took full advantage of it. Every trip to OA, after photographing PAX on the walkway, I would walk to the back porch and purchase a, or maybe a couple, of the best Mint Julips I have ever tasted. One time the girl serving them said, "oh, you're with the boat, then these are FREE." After that I always made sure to walk up, puff out my chest and say, "I'm with the boat." Delicious and deceptively potent. She told me they were 2 parts Bourbon and 1 part mint simple syrup. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

More Oak Alley Pictures

Greetings From Oak Alley !
Hello To One and All !
Just a few more Oak Alley Pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Joe

Keith Norrington;16545 wrote: Oak Alley Plantation has appeared in numerous films over the decades and again stars in the recent premier of "Midnight Bayou", adapted from the book by Nora Roberts. The rather bizarre plot, which begins at Mardi Gras 2001, features Jerrry O'Connell, Lauren Stamile and Faye Dunaway. The movie is featured on the LIFETIME Channel and can also be watched online.

Even if you don't care for the story line, those of us who love Oak Alley enjoy the many scenes of the plantation house, inside and out.

Take a look!

Even More Oak Alley Plantation Pictures !

Greetings From Oak Alley !
Just a few more Oak Alley Pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted

Ted Davisson;16567 wrote: Greetings From Oak Alley !
Hello To One and All !
Just a few more Oak Alley Pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Joe

Oak Alley! Me and Phil having sandwiches from the deli outside on the patio, watching the world go by. It never got any better than that.

There was nothing like sitting on the front porch of Oak Alley with a crew julep just feeling like you owned the place!

It's comforting to know that I'm not the ONLY one who has sat on the veranda at OAK ALLEY and fantasized that the plantation was mine! The first time I visited there, well over 30 years ago, the house was rather run down, but even in its somewhat shabby state, it was fabulous and I was immediately smitten with the majesty of not only the great house, but the incomparable alley of oak trees with a gravel path to the levee. In those days there was no gift shop, restaurant, B&B rooms, etc. Two elderly and delightful ladies who gave the house tour at that time had been employees of the late Mrs. Josephine Stewart, who, with her husband Andrew (also long deceased) had purchased the house in the 1920's and brought it back from near ruin. There are many wonderful and fascinating plantation houses on the River Road, but Oak Alley has long been my favorite.

I remember the late Capt. Arthur McArthur, pilot on the DQ, telling of his days as pilot on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Str. MISSISSIPPI. One time they had a contingent of congressmen and big wigs, including their wives, from the Mississippi River Commission aboard for a HIGH water inspection trip. At Oak Alley, some of the ladies wanted to see the pretty plantation home and Capt. Art was requested to head the MISSISSIPPI into the levee so they could look down the avenue of oaks to admire the house! He vividly recalled that the swift current kept swinging the boat sideways and, despite his best efforts, he couldn't hold her there (NO bow thruster!) much to the disappointment of those folks who just didn't "get it" that piloting a steamboat was not like parking a car!

If you happen to own a copy of the large Persac map of Plantations on the Mississippi River from Natchez to New Orleans - Oak Alley is on there, of course, but is listed as J.T. ROMAN, builder of the house in 1837. According to history, the actual name of the house was "BON SEJOUR" (pleasant sojourn) but steamboat travelers on the Mississippi persisted in calling it "Oak Alley" and so the name stuck.

Oak Alley has a great website which can be accessed by clicking Oak Alley Plantation - Visiting, Bed & Breakfast, Groups & Private Events, and About Us

Greg, yes it certainly is amazing to think of all the people who probably never would have known of OAK ALLEY if not for the DQ, MQ and AQ landing there. And pictures of the GORDON C. GREENE, tied up at the levee in front of OAK ALLEY in the 1930's and '40's, prove that the plantation has long been a popular steamboat stop!

Your mention of the touch football games reminds me that some of the crew of the DQ used to enjoy tossing a frisbee on the lawn during stops at Houmas House. Capt. C.S. "Rip" Ware, who delightfully (and unintentionally) murdered the English language with his wonderful Mississippi drawl, called a frisbee a "feezul" and the plantation "HOO-MAS House". Before we'd land there, he'd say, "Y'all gonna be throwin that feezul when we get up to Hoomas House?" Those were the days!!!

While Mrs Stewart was living in the house, the public tour was of the first floor, which was furnished in 1930s style furnature. Some Delta Queen passengers were taken aback by that fact.

No brick sidewalk down the great Allie of Live Oaks then either.

How primitive by 21st century tourist standards! (chuckle)

One last Oak Alley Picture

Greetings From Oak Alley !
One last Oak Alley Picture !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson

Jim Blum;16584 wrote: While Mrs Stewart was living in the house, the public tour was of the first floor, which was furnished in 1930s style furnature. Some Delta Queen passengers were taken aback by that fact.

No brick sidewalk down the great Allie of Live Oaks then either.

How primitive by 21st century tourist standards! (chuckle)

Jim: Here's a picture from the long ago days of OAK ALLEY, as we first knew it, showing the gravel path between the house and levee.

Found another image of interest concerning OAK ALLEY. Here's a 1962 picture of Mrs. Josephine Stewart, grande dame of the plantation, on the veranda with the avenue of oaks in view. Mrs. Stewart passed on in 1972 and her nephew now presides over the foundation which operates OAK ALLEY.