{"id":944,"date":"2016-08-02T08:30:08","date_gmt":"2016-08-02T12:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?p=944"},"modified":"2016-07-27T15:23:54","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T19:23:54","slug":"natchez-and-surrounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/natchez-and-surrounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Natchez and Surrounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nina Dietzel, Special Correspondent, AFAR<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After a thorough immersion into Nashville and Memphis\u2019 music scenes, our Trafalgar<\/a> travels brought us to Natchez, Mississippi, and Louisiana. I had forged quite a vivid idea about the area after reading \u2018The Bone Tree\u2019 and \u2018Natchez Burning\u2019, the first two books of an epic trilogy of race, family and justice by Natchez author Greg Iles [www.gregiles.com<\/a>]. I couldn\u2019t wait to see how the real South matched up.<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/a>
Joe Stone\u2019s home and B&B in Natchez, Mississippi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Be My Guest<\/b><\/p>\n

Nothing drops you faster into the culture of a place than an invitation to a local\u2019s home. We only spent a night in Natchez, but we were treated to a double dose of the fabled southern hospitality at two of the grand antebellum (pre\u2013Civil War) homes in town.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Elms in Natchez, Mississippi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our magical evening began with a short piano concert at Joe Stone\u2019s home, which was built around 1850. Joe, a musician and antiquarian, played for us on his Steinway Grand, and between pieces told us about the music, Natchez, and his own intertwined history with \u2018Stone House\u2019, which has been in his family for over 130 years.<\/p>\n

After the concert, we walked across the street to \u2018The Elms\u2019. This mansion, even older than Joe\u2019s by 50 years, belongs to chef Ester Carpenter, who treated us to an incredibly picturesque dinner on her magnificent porch, surrounded by ancient oak trees.<\/p>\n

My only regret about Natchez? I wish we\u2019d had more time in this storied town. I would have loved to wander through the streets to take a closer look and try to run into some of the characters of Greg Iles\u2019 novels that I had read so much about.<\/p>\n

Frogmore Plantation Now & Then<\/b><\/p>\n

The next morning, we finally crossed the vast Mississippi into Louisiana, the third and last state on our tour through the South. The goal was to visit Frogmore, an 1800 acre cotton plantation dating from the early 1800s that still works today as one of the most technologically advanced cotton estates in the area. In addition to farming their very land, owners Lynette and Buddy (George) Tanner are passionate about sharing an authentic slice of plantation history. Over the years, they have painstakingly restored a number of buildings that date as far back as the early 1800s. The timeworn kitchen, plantation store and slave quarters now provide a powerful background to Lynette\u2019s historical tours of Frogmore.<\/p>\n

\"Lynette<\/a>
Lynette Tanner, owner and expert guide at Frogmore Plantation, Louisiana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was no sugar coating on the hard parts of Southern history. Lynette gave us an honest overview of what life on the plantation must have been first for the slaves, and later on for the sharecroppers. She read us passages from \u201812 years a slave\u2019 by Salomon Northup, a slave\u2019s memoir from 1853 that, as you may remember, was turned into an Oscar winning film directed by Steve McQueen in 2013. Lynette\u2019s compassion, vigilant research and deep knowledge on the subject made for a deeply memorable and thoroughly educational experience.<\/p>\n

\"Carefully<\/a>
Carefully restored slave quarters at Frogmore Plantation, Louisiana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Y\u2019all Take Care, Until our Paths Cross Again<\/b><\/p>\n

As our breathtaking trip neared its end, I began to think about the vast number of unforgettable experiences we were able to pack into such a short timeframe. It\u2019s such a gift, to experience a new destination, and to be left with the feeling that you have barely scratched the surface. Trafalgar has given me this gift. I\u2019m longing to come back for more now, on my own. And this time, without a schedule.<\/p>\n

Interested in learning more about Nina\u2019s journey with Trafalgar? Visit <\/i>www.afar.com\/travelers\/nina-dietzel\/wanderlists\/tastes-and-sounds-of-the-south-traveling-with-trafalgar<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Nina\u00a0Dietzel\u00a0is constantly exploring as a photographer and AFAR Ambassador. She has photographed Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, collaborated with British sculptor and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, and documented the making of @Large-Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz. Her focus is travel and art, and her personal work has been exhibited in the U.S. and Germany.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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