Thoughtful Thursday: A Slew of Firsts in Yellowstone

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently ventured to Yellowstone National Park in northern Wyoming. True, it was a business trip – well, technically, a press trip, which, for a travel writer, amounts to the same thing as a business trip – but that didn't prevent me from having a great time.

In fact, it was the first time that I'd ever seen Montana or Wyoming – much less Yellowstone – in my life, and the only thing that would have made the experience more enjoyable was if I'd been able to take my husband, Dan, along for the ride.

Although it would require several posts to describe all that I saw, did, and ate while away from home for a week, I thought that it might be more interesting to note some of the “firsts” that happened to me – through pictures as well as words. (Just note that, save for the two specified below, all photographs were taken by me.)

Here, then, is my first look at snowy Montana from an airplane window.

This is my first roadside encounter with a bison in the wild (which, incidentally, happened in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley).

Here's the first pair of snowshoes that I ever strapped on and attempted to hike in (not a bad way to experience the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces)!

From the look of shock on my face (that's me in the front, with Serena and Molly behind me), it might be easy to guess that this is the first time I ever emerged from boiling hot springs (the Boiling River, to be exact) in a frigid winter landscape. (photo courtesy of Donnie Sexton)

Here's the first snowcoach in which I've ever ridden (the only way to traverse most of Yellowstone National Park in the wintertime) – that's Suzanne, by the way, standing in front.

Here's my first look at Old Faithful blowing her top! Isn't she beautiful, particularly in the winter?

Here's a dimly lit ice-skating rink near Old Faithful, site of my first solo ice-skating experience (without rails, surrounded by snow drifts, and beneath a canopy of stars).

This is the first time that I ever made a snow angel (not far from some wild bison on a geyser plateau) – that's me in the middle, by the way, with Serena and Molly on either side. (photo courtesy of Donnie Sexton)

This is the first time that I ever wore a snowmobile suit and, yes, rode a snowmobile (which is great fun in the forests beyond West Yellowstone)! (photo courtesy of Donnie Sexton)!

And that's just a sampling of my adventures in and around Yellowstone – a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will always treasure.

So, have you ever been there?

Weekend Mishmash: Cold Schmold

The last time that I saw snow, it was a rather unimpressive flurry in northern Michigan. Because it happened during the springtime, it didn't leave much of a presence behind. Well, as I just mentioned on my American Nomad blog, I'll soon be headed to Yellowstone National Park – where I'm guaranteed to see some of the frozen white stuff – and with any luck, this New Orleans girl will survive the crazy temperatures. To my Northern friends I ask, is five layers overkill?

Thoughtful Thursday: Bikes, Knives, and One Good Hubby

As I indicated on this blog more than three years ago, I am very grateful for my hubby, Dan, and his random acts of kindness (such as bringing home a harvest cookie from one of our favorite coffeehouses in the French Quarter, just to distract me momentarily from impending deadlines). We've been together for more than 13 years (married for nearly 12), and I can't imagine my life without him...

...which is why I was terrified at the thought of losing him in late October. That's when, as I explained on my American Nomad blog, what initially resembled a mere stomach flu turned out to be, just five days before Halloween, a case of massive internal bleeding – to such an extreme degree that, if I hadn't gotten Dan to the hospital when I did, his low blood count would have resulted in a potentially fatal heart attack.

Despite a massive, ever-growing hospital bill, I'm incredibly grateful to the staff of the Tulane Medical Center in downtown New Orleans for saving my husband's life – and I'm happy to report that he's doing much better these days – and back to his old tricks of thoughtful generosity.

About two weeks ago, for instance, he celebrated my 36th birthday with his usual gusto, despite the fact that he was still recovering from his unexpected hospital stay – and that birthdays always make me feel a little melancholy. Apparently, he doesn't mind that, come birthday time, I often fret about the children yet to be born (yes, I know my biological clock won't last forever) and the novels yet to be published – he just enjoys celebrating my existence, which, I must admit, makes me very happy.

So, on Friday, November 30 – which, incidentally, also happens to be Mark Twain's birthday – Dan surprised me with a beautiful new bike. It's a bright blue, vintage-style Schwinn, with fat tires, a wide seat, an awesome headlight, a handy storage rack, only one speed (thank goodness!), and vivid sunflowers all along the frame – and it's girlie to the max! No wonder Schwinn calls it a “Slik Chik.” Of course, that doesn't refer to the “chick” riding it through the French Quarter. As many friends and relatives can attest, I'm not the most graceful individual, but so far, I have yet to have a mishap on my new bike.

Naturally, the bike wasn't the only birthday present from my awesome honey. On that day, he also treated me to a scrumptious dinner at Bayona, lured me to our favorite Irish pub, and took me to my first New Orleans Comic Con, where he bought me two more wonderful presents: a replica of the Angel puppet from the classic Angel episode “Smile Time” (Fellow Joss Whedon fans may understand my glee at having this particular doll in the house.) and a bad-ass knife to add to my small collection (one that I started as an adolescent). Only Danny knows me so well – and for that, plus so many other reasons, I'm grateful to be married to such a wonderful guy! I love you, honey!

Tuesday Travels: Christmastime at Louisiana's Madewood Plantation House

While exploring New Orleans, many visitors make time to venture beyond the city's borders – and embrace the unique attractions that southern Louisiana locales like the Northshore, the Great River Road, and Cajun Country have to offer. While all of these regions are worth experiencing, I admit to harboring a particular affinity for the plantation homes that lie along or near the Great River Road. Despite the complicated history of Southern plantation life – and the horrendous practice of slavery that allowed many plantations to thrive – I've always enjoyed visiting these antebellum homes, if only to have a better understanding of America's past.

As I've expressed on my American Nomad blog before, two of my favorites are the Destrehan Plantation and Laura: A Creole Plantation. Over the weekend, though, my husband, Dan, and I had the delightful opportunity to experience two other plantation homes in southern Louisiana – Madewood Plantation House (pictured above, 4250 Hwy. 308, Napoleonville, 985/369-7151) and Oak Alley Plantation (3645 Hwy. 18, Vacherie, 225/265-2151) – both of which were well worth the 1.5-hour drive from our apartment in the French Quarter.

Admittedly, I'd been to Oak Alley on several previous occasions, though never with Dan. As for Madewood, however, this was the first time that either of us had ever seen it in person – mainly because, unlike Oak Alley and the other plantations along the Great River Road, Madewood lies a bit farther afield. In fact, it's considered a “bayou plantation” – likely because of its proximity to Bayou Lafourche. Honestly, though, I was excited to visit both plantations with Dan – though the two experiences turned out to be quite different.

On Saturday night, Dan and I were invited by Keith and Millie Marshall, the owners of Madewood, to attend their annual Christmas Heritage Banquet. So, shortly after five in the evening, we found ourselves headed southeast on Highway 308, hoping that we wouldn't miss Madewood amid all the other houses that lay along both sides of the road. As soon as we saw the looming white “house,” though, we knew we'd found it – and I must confess, we were both impressed by the understated elegance of this Greek Revival-style mansion (pictured above). In fact, we couldn't believe that the home, outbuildings, and well-tended, 20-acre grounds were privately owned!

Once Millie had spotted us and introduced us to her two dogs, Clio and Pandora (pictured to the left with Millie), she offered us a brief tour of the mansion's lower floor, which consists of several high-ceilinged rooms, including a parlor, a dining room, a ballroom, a library, a spacious foyer, another well-furnished sitting room, and the bedroom in which Dan and I would be staying overnight. Upstairs, meanwhile, there are four more bedrooms, including the former bedroom of Naomi Marshall, Keith's mother, who bought and renovated the mansion in 1964, and a nursery (pictured below) furnished with children's beds, a stroller, vintage toys, and an adult-sized canopy bed. All the bedrooms offer full or half-canopy beds, queen-sized or king-sized mattresses, access to private bathrooms, air conditioning, and wireless Internet access, and some even provide access to the breezy verandah.

Naturally, Christmas decorations were everywhere – fragrant wreaths hung on the doors, garlands were draped above the thresholds and along the banister (pictured to the left), eerie-looking angels were suspended above the tables in the ballroom, and two enormous, extensively decorated trees stood in the ballroom and parlor. Beyond the high ceilings, stylish moldings, gorgeous chandeliers, and tall windows (which I rightly assumed would be lovely in the daytime), the house boasts an impressive hodgepodge of furniture, artwork, family mementos and photographs, and other artifacts, including Mardi Gras tiaras, Millie's mother's vintage spoon collection, a seemingly anachronistic painting with a curious backstory, more silver pitchers and demitasse cups than I've ever seen in my life, and, perhaps my favorite items, two old music stands with attached candleholders that seem reminiscent of The Phantom of the Opera. While the furnishings in many open-to-the-public plantation homes appear to coincide with particular historic periods, the eclectic nature of the items at Madewood make it seem less like a museum and more like a real home – which is, of course, part of the charm of this tranquil plantation.

As I discovered later in the night, Keith (a journalist, a historian, and Madewood's business manager), had found and chosen many of the furnishings himself – a task in which he seems to take a lot of pride. Madewood, after all, has been in his family for nearly five decades, ever since his mother purchased the property, which had been part of a former sugarcane plantation that lay between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Originally commissioned by Thomas Pugh and built by architect Henry Howard around 1846, the Madewood Plantation House had survived the American Civil War and passed through the hands of several families, including the Godchaux and Baker clans, before Naomi claimed it in 1964. Keith was 17 at the time, and apparently, the relatively empty though stately mansion required a lot of love and care to become the house it is today.

In fact, it wasn't always a bed-and-breakfast. For a long time, it was simply home to the Madewood Arts Festival – that is, until the mid-1980s, when Keith was spared from a staggering utilities bill by a doctor who had called to inquire if Madewood accepted overnight guests. After that, the rest, as “they” say, was history.

Interestingly, the only original buildings on the property are the mansion, the outer kitchen, and the former carriage house. Keith was in fact responsible for relocating the other buildings to Madewood's grounds, such as the Charlet House (pictured to the left), a two-story cottage linked to the main house by a shady patio (pictured above). This early-19th-century riverboat captain's house now contains three sumptuous suites, including one with a fireplace and a private screened porch ideal for honeymooners, the Porteus Suite, and another (pictured below) noted for a former inhabitant – Brad Pitt, who stayed there during the filming of Interview with the Vampire.

Following our tour of the house, Dan and I ventured to the old kitchen (pictured to the left), which, in the fashion of most plantations, was separate from the home. There, Janet Thomas, one of Madewood's amiable staff members, graciously served us some hot wassail (a yummy spiced ale that, yes, lured me back for seconds and thirds, but I digress...).

A local church choir (pictured to the right) then regaled us with Christmas carols in the foyer, after which Dan, the Marshalls, all the other guests (numbering around 50), and I took our seats in the dining area, where we were treated to salads, scrumptious tomato soup, wine, and a Christmas-style buffet, complete with turkey, cornbread stuffing, spinach casserole, cranberries, and a yummy mashed concoction made of pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apples, and raisins. During dinner, the Marshalls, who were serendipitously the other couple at our table, shared stories of Madewood and their previous experiences as journalists at The Times-Picayune. Besides the fact that Keith was a Rhodes Scholar alongside President Bill Clinton, the other takeaway that impressed me was the fact that Millie had interviewed novelist Anne Rice early in her writing career, which sparked a lifelong correspondence. Apparently, like the actor who played the vampire Louis, Anne is also a fan of Madewood.

After dinner (and my first yule log dessert), Dan and I took our coffee and Christmas cookies onto the rear porch (pictured to the left), a comfortable place to relax in the cool night air. Eventually, the other guests went home or ventured to their bedrooms, and we were finally able to access our own bedroom (the bathroom, after all, had been needed during the party). Situated beside the rear porch, the room featured a handsomely carved, half-canopy, queen-sized bed, an old-fashioned armoire and dresser, two relaxing day beds, and other vintage furnishings – it's no wonder, then, that I'd noticed guests taking photos of it all night. Although the unfamiliar mattress and one annoying mosquito made it hard for Dan to sleep, I enjoyed the chance to stay in an authentic plantation – particularly one in which the guests are free to wander. That's certainly not the case with the major plantations-turned-attractions along the Great River Road – and that's probably why so many guests and party attendees had been there many times before.

Its authenticity is why Sister, Sister was filmed there back in the mid-1980s, and why location scouts from Django Unchained considered it as the model for the villainous Calvin Candie's house in Quentin Tarantino's soon-to-be-released film. But, despite Madewood's lack of televisions and in-room telephones (which, frankly, only adds to its peaceful vibe), modern conveniences certainly exist there. Our bathroom, for instance, boasted a whirlpool tub and terrific water pressure, and I also appreciated other little touches, such as having coffee brought to our room before breakfast. It's this balance between old (like the former kitchen pictured above) and new (such as having individual thermostats, not to mention contemporary kitchens in addition to the original one) that makes Madewood such a unique place – and yet, at the same time, challenging for some guests, who come expecting nothing but modern luxuries. It is a real plantation home, after all, with the quirks of any 166-year-old place – just as the French Quarter is a real place, and not merely a squeak-free tourist attraction. So, it's good to keep Keith's words in mind when staying there: “Madewood will teach you flexibility – you just go with the flow.”

Of course, Madewood wouldn't be the hospitable place it is without its small, capable staff, which, besides Keith and Janet, includes Janet's great-nephew Michael Johnson; his wife and the house/event coordinator, Angie Johnson (who met Michael at Madewood); Angie's sister, Alice Himel; and the caretaker, Warren Freeman, whose family has cared for the property since the Civil War. As Millie said on Sunday morning, “See, you come to Madewood, and you never know where the day will take you. We all become part of the family!”

After relishing a Southern-style breakfast of eggs, grits, biscuits, and the like in the decked-out ballroom (pictured to the left), Dan and I chatted with Keith, Millie, and an Austin couple who had been to Madewood on three separate occasions, then took one last stroll around the house and grounds (which include a small cemetery, pictured below) before heading to Oak Alley for an afternoon tour of its impeccable house and grounds. But that's another story entirely, which I'll save for a future post.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a bed-and-breakfast that offers a glimpse of the 19th-century lifestyle of Southern aristocracy, consider staying at Madewood during the holidays – or at any time of the year. Standard rates (Sun.-Thurs. $229-265, Fri.-Sat. $259-298) include a wine-and-cheese reception in the library, a candlelit dinner of regional favorites in the dining room, coffee and brandy in the parlor, and a full breakfast for two. Special packages and weekend getaways, however, are also available. Given the reception hall in the rear cottage and the spacious grounds, it's also not a bad spot to hold a wedding, a reunion, or any large gathering. But, more than anything, it's a wonderful place to escape the city for a while, and of course, it's a convenient home base for exploring other area plantations (such as Oak Alley, pictured above).

If I ever have the chance to stay there again, I'd happily book the same bedroom in the main house, though I wouldn't mind giving one of the others a try as well. After all, as with most bed-and-breakfasts, each room or suite at Madewood has its own unique spirit – and I don't mean the ghostly kind.

So, have you ever slept at a plantation? If so, which one – and how was the experience?

Weekend Mishmash: Outdoor Fun Even After Labor Day

Autumn doesn't technically begin until late September, but for most Americans, Labor Day (which happens to be tomorrow) signifies the last chance for a summer holiday. As I've mentioned in a previous post, autumn is my favorite season, and yet, I find myself, like many of my friends and relatives, lamenting the passing of summer. This one, in particular, seems to have flown by. Within a month, my husband, Dan, and I will be back in New Orleans – in a new French Quarter apartment that has hopefully not suffered any wind or water damage from Hurricane Isaac – and my wonderful summertime activities will be just a memory. No more hiking or bicycling in the woods of northern Michigan. No more swimming in Big Bear Lake. No more riding around in my trusty $85 paddleboat (the best buy of the summer). No more lying on my lakeside hammock, and no more exploring the Tahquamenon Falls of the Upper Peninsula.

But, just because fall is on its way, that doesn't mean it's too late to explore the great outdoors. In fact, autumn – with its ever-changing colors – is a delightful time to explore America's outdoor treasures, such as the Great Smoky Mountains (pictured here courtesy of Colby McLemore), a majestic, wooded mountain range that spans the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. As a child, I shared a particularly amazing trip there with my mother, and for a long time now, I've longed to return with my husband.

After all, it's an ideal locale for a nature lover's escape, with countless trails, numerous scenic overlooks, and oodles of fascinating flora and fauna to experience. For more information about this popular region (pictured here courtesy of Colby McLemore), consult experts like Deborah Huso, the fellow Moon author who's written the Moon Blue Ridge & Smoky Mountains guidebook ($16.95), and Katy Koontz, the fellow SATW member who's created a helpful mobile app called Smoky Mountain Travel Guide ($2.99).

Both the book and the app are handy tools to take with you on your trip to the Smokies (pictured here courtesy of Colby McLemore). Of course, if you need a bit more convincing, consider the following images:

a beautiful day in Cades Cove, courtesy of Colby McLemore

a historic log cabin in Cades Cove, courtesy of Colby McLemore

cover shot for Katy Koontz's Smoky Mountain travel app

sample Cades Cove screen shot in Katy Koontz's Smoky Mountain travel app

sample topics to browse in Katy Koontz's Smoky Mountain travel app

So, are you itching to explore the Great Smoky Mountains for yourself? If so, what are you waiting for?

Tuesday Travels: Lament for Scrumptious Turtles

My husband, Dan, and I will soon be embarking on our seasonal move from New Orleans to northern Michigan, and while we're both eager to dwell again amid the tall trees, clean air, and peaceful waters of our home near Big Bear Lake, there are many aspects of the Big Easy we'll be missing during the summer – namely, the music, the architecture, and, of course, the food. In particular, I'll surely find myself longing for raw oysters, boiled crabs and crawfish, shrimp po-boys, muffulettas, fried green tomatoes, oyster artichoke soup, and, yes, turtles – not the animated kind, mind you, but the dessert cookies that consist of shortbread, dark chocolate, and pecans, and can be found in most local grocery stores.

Just consider the photo below – wouldn't you miss them, too?

Thoughtful Thursday: Gratitude for Film Fest Volunteers

March has been a busy month for me and Dan. Besides finishing up the photos, maps, and text for my Moon New Orleans guide, I've spent much of my time planning ways to distribute our new audio ghost tour of the French Quarter, preparing for and running our Big Easy International Film and Music Festival, and doing the same for our Beverly Hills Shorts Festival (which took place this past weekend in Los Angeles). While I'm not quite able to take a vacation yet, I do want to take a minute to thank all of the wonderful volunteers who helped to make both festivals possible.

Although we appreciate each and every person who helped us this year, we're especially grateful for Angel and Jen (pictured above), who have helped us year after year with the Beverly Hills event, and Susan and Dan (pictured on the right), who always make our Big Easy festival a little brighter. So, thanks, everyone – we truly couldn't have done it without you!