Wow! It's amazing what Habitat workers can build once they set their minds to it, isn't it? This project only took 50 "not-so-voluntary" workers 2-1/2 years to build in the early 1800's and even then, it didn't have plumbing or electricity. It's the Oak Alley Plantation named for the twenty-eight 300 year old Virginia live oak trees leading up to the door. (No, I didn't get my math wrong. Some unknown but foresighted person planted the trees but never got around to building the house of his dreams.) If you look really hard you can see John & Joe (our friend from Florida who drove over for the day) sitting to the right on the veranda. 
Then, if you look really really hard in the close-up photo of them, you'll see they're sipping mint juleps. (Locals sure know how to enjoy their liquor - the tour guide said Louisianians were born without livers...) 
The other photo shows some of the trees. Can you guess what you see at the end? It's a BIG ship going down the Mississippi and the rise in front of it is the levee. (Was that a lucky photo or not?!)
One last item I you might find interesting... Traditionally, pineapples are a sign of welcome and early plantation owners always cut a fresh pineapple to welcome their guests. Because distances were so great, these guests sometimes stayed for weeks or months. What I didn't know was an uncut pineapple left at the foot of the guest's bed signalled "you've overstayed your welcome, go home". Modern day Louisiana hosts have apparently switched to leaving canned pineapple at the foot of the guest's bed instead. Just thought you'd like to know that little "tidbit" in case you're planning to visit friends in Louisiana.
