Brisbane, QLD


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

NEXT STOP NATCHEZ

We landed in the town of Natchez in the morning of 25 Nov. Natchez was inhabited by the Natchez Indians in 17th century. Then the French came and built a fortification called Rosalie. Flatboat men brought goods downriver from Nashville for further transport to New Orleans. The men walked back to Nashville 444 miles. Today the pathway through the wilderness remains as a National Park.

Cotton made Natchez the wealthiest city in US in 1860's. Plantation owners built mansions here and they were spared in the Civil War because the town surrendered. Many of them have been restored and are open for inspection.

After another delicious breakfast we boarded the Hop on Hop off bus and toured the town. 
 We toured Rosalie mansion built in 1823. The original owners were Peter and Eliza Little they didn't have children but  they cared for orphans. When Peter and Eliza died there was no valid will and the house was auctioned. It was bought by Wilsons who didn't have children either and also cared for orphans. They adopted one, Fanny McMurtry, who inherited the house. She married and had six children and the house stayed in the family until 1958. It is now owned by the society: The Daughter's of the American Revolution.
 Known as the Keyhole House due to the shape of the entrance.

  The houses in this town were amazing.


We had a guided tour of Stanton Hall built before the Civil War by cotton broker Frederick Stanton. This is a good example of the opulent Antebellum Classical Revival Mansion. Bill was most annoyed because we couldn't take photos and walked out. He can only take guided tours in small doses not one after the other.
After the tour we found him wandering in the gardens. We checked the map to see where to go next. Kathy knows how to win him
over,
"Look Bill it's not far to walk to the main street and a coffee shop." Now he was interested.
"Show me, how far do we have to walk?" Walking not being one of his favourite activities. As you can see it was still very cold.



We had coffee and a muffin for lunch and after visiting some other attractions we walked back to the boat instead of catching the bus. We strolled along the top of the bluff which overlooks the Mississippi. You can see 30 miles of the river.

We leaned on the fence and soaked up the lovely colours of the sunset over our pretty steamboat.

 We ambled down the steep embankment and prepared for another smashing dinner. I couldn't resist another glimpse of the sunset from outside our cabin.

 I even walked up to the bow of the our  boat to try and capture the silhouette of an old steamboat permanently moored in front of us and used as a casino.

23 comments:

  1. Hello Diane, The tour of the mansions looks wonderful. I like the Keyhole house.. And the view of the river and sunset is gorgeous.. Lovely photos from your trip! Have a happy day!

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  2. What beautiful houses. I also love the Keyhole House. And the sunset photos are awesome. Thanks for taking us on this tour along the river.

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  3. It's hard to imagine walking so many miles (444!) from place to place. Natchez has some very beautiful buildings and a rich history.

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  4. impressive homes! walking back up river 444 miles! wow!

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  5. the last two shots are spectacular and i like the bridge shot to... love the old houses, but what were they thinking with that orange paint? i like the other houses much more.. I can't walk 3 miles to see an eagle nest, guess i would have been left behind

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  6. Those houses are just huge. Imagine all the servants they would have needed.

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  7. This is a fantastic tour. I would very much like to see inside those mansions ... I love old houses and their interior decoration. Mind you just walking down a street of lovely houses like that would be nice too.

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  8. Reminds me a bit of Newport and very nice mansions.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  9. Those stacks in the final shot are redolent of the Mississippi and history. I'd say you got your shot. Came by because of your wonderful blog title!


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    <3

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  10. Great photography.
    Natchez sure has an interesting history. Looks like a very clean city
    with a great deal of civic pride. Certainly puts Memphis to shame.

    I sympathise with TOH (Bill) - you can be decidedly worn out with too
    much "organised" sightseeing every day.
    Cheers
    Colin

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  11. So pretty ... We've never been in Natchez, but similar grand homes in Charleston SC and elsewhere, these look beautifully kept. Must be something about the name (or age ?) ...Bill (mine) is not fond of guided tours

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    1. Thanks Sallie
      I knew I had seen very similar antebellum homes before - the tour of the Battery area in magnificent Charleston, SC.
      And that is a tour worth every cent - costs a bit more $$$$$!!!
      Especially if you do it in one of those horse drawn buggies.
      Very "G.W.T.W" atmosphere - shades of Rhett and Scarlett and good ole
      Ashley Wilkes!
      Cheers
      Colin

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  12. You got some wonderful photos, Diane, especially those beautiful sunsets. My best friend from high school lives in Natchez. She used to docent at one of those houses, not sure which one, all dressed up in Civil War Era hoopskirts.

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  13. The houses are so different to Australian houses. I'm with Bill on the photos. I understand art works in galleries need protection from flashes and maybe photography in places of worship is inappropriate but to ban photography in these sort of places is just meanness. I love the shot of the boat through the tree branches.

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  14. Wow another wonderful place and have to tell you I have enough trouble walking a couple hundred meters no way I could walk that far

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  15. I've always heard that the homes in Natchez were beautiful. Your sunset photos are simply gorgeous.

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  16. Gosh, those early boat men must have been a hardy bunch. The image of them doesn't go with the grand homes. I love your sunset photos of and from your steamboat.

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  17. Natchez houses looked so beautiful!, Diane, and you saw a lovely sunset. I also dislike that often photos are not allowed in historical buildings like this. They say the flash is damaging, but flashes can be turned off! I visited antebellum plantation mansions in Louisiana along the River Road area--they were spectacular but no photos allowed inside.

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  18. When I see these beautiful mansions, I always have to think of all the slaves who had to work for the owners and what an awful life they sometimes had !

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  19. Oh my goodness, I do love the architecture of those gorgeous mansions. The keyhole especially - charming.
    Beautiful steamboat photos too :D)

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  20. Those houses with porches are typical American. A rocking chair to it completes the image.

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  21. The houses are really lovely and look well kept.
    Your photos are really lovely Diane..Don't care for Bill to be in cell :)

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  22. What a wonderful tour of Natchez. I regret to say I have never been. You have really stirred in me a desire to do this steamboat tour! :-) The mansions were lovely and I loved learning a little about them. Beautiful photos of the boat and river!

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