Thinking about taking a trip to Louisiana and looking for ways to fill your itinerary? Look no further than the historic River Road, located in the heart of Louisiana’s antebellum plantation country. River Road winds along the banks of the Mississippi River and is one of the oldest roads in the state. This fabled road extends for about 70 miles from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Nestled in between dense fields of sugar cane on both sides are famed Greek Revival and Creole plantations mostly built by wealthy planters between 1750 and 1861.
A drive along River Road is the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon outside of New Orleans or Baton Rouge. There are enough plantations to tour to fill up an entire weekend, most notably Bocage Plantation, an impressive American Greek Revival plantation built between 1835 and 1837, as well as plenty of local restaurants that serve authentic Cajun cuisine.
If one afternoon is not enough time for you to soak in the mystique of times past, book a stay at Bocage Plantation’s bed and breakfast and spend a whole weekend exploring every mile of River Road’s stately plantations. River Road is more than a two-lane blacktop; it is a road that has been traveled by generations of Cajuns, Creoles, and Louisianans, and their presence emanates around every turn. Take a trip down River Road and you will take a trip into the past.