What is the Southern Travelers Explore Conference? It’s a multi-day travel conference in the south that brings together travel writers with destination CVB’s (Convention & Visitors Bureaus) with the express purpose of highlighting an area by inviting writers/bloggers to immerse themselves in the region, sampling highlights of things to do and places to eat and things to see and experience in that region. This year’s conference was in Louisiana, specifically the Louisiana River Parishes which highlight the plantations of the old south along the Mississippi River. There were around 70 attendees this year and we all came together and stayed at a hotel near the airport, had sessions all 3 days and then broke into smaller groups where we sampled the fare, visited all the plantations and other fun adventures of the region. We all took away highlights of our visit and will be writing about them all. Today I’ll share what the conference was about and the first day we were there and then later I’ll share the other plantations we visited during the time we had there.
I also stayed extra time and spent time with my niece, Lauren and her family for 4 days. It just so happened that she was heading to Atlanta around for a girls trip to Blue Ridge the same time I would be, so I booked the same flight so that we could fly back together and that was fun to be on the same flight. I also saw my sister while there on the Sunday the conference ended. I haven’t shared this here on the blog, but Renee broke her femur about 6 weeks ago and unfortunately is on a walker right now recovering. I know you’re going to ask how she broke it so the simple story is, she fell while getting up the night to go to the bathroom, tripped on her rug which wasn’t laying flat enough. She fell on her knee, which had been replaced a few years ago. If not for that, she probably would have been fine, but because knee was metal and it was part of her femur, the metal caused the femur to split so she had surgery the day she went into the hospital and they patched her up. She had to stay in the hospital a few days, but is now at home and doing PT. I think she starts outpatient PT soon, which will be good, but they did tell her she would have to stay off her leg for another 6 weeks. She’s learning to get around gingerly on a walker. So that’s the family news! We enjoyed getting together at their lake house that Sunday afternoon and had dinner together, so that was nice. The weather was beautiful while I was there.
Back to the travel conference, we opened up on Thursday afternoon and had a first opening session with speaker and then we boarded our buses for a dinner out at Oak Alley plantation, a real highlight of the trip. Everything was set up for us when we got there and it was outstanding. I visited Oak Alley with my sister 11 years ago, when Parker was just a baby. Parker is now 12, if you can believe that. Those girls are growing up so fast. You can see lots more of the inside of the house on that link.
Set up at the conference, Mardi Gras masks.
There were a lot of sponsors that contributed to the conference, such as the apple cakes we got from Sevierville, TN. These were delicious!
And here’s a list of all the sponsors. Melody Pittman and her daughters, Taylor and Peyton, work so very hard to bring this conference to fruition every year and they move around to different southern destinations each year. I spoke at the very first on in Thomasville and really enjoyed that one too. This one in New Orleans was exceptionally well done and I enjoyed it all. I’ve been to several of these plantations over the years that my niece has been living down there, but this time, I got to see even more of them.
Melody and me. A big thanks to Melody for inviting me to come and take part in the conference. I am so glad I did and really enjoyed the sessions and all the activities, food and fun we had. I’ll be sharing at least 2 more posts of the plantation tours I was part of.
It was getting dark when we loaded the buses to head out to the River Road and to Oak Alley. It was beautiful as we got out and headed inside.
Seeing the plantation at dusk was extra special. The sun was going down and the sky turned golden and then blue.
The restored slave cabins are still there to view and read all about life on the plantation from the enslaved vantage point.
The huge live oak trees always capture my attention, they are so stately and gorgeous.
We all headed into the house from the backside and did an evening tour.
We were handed mint juleps and lemonade to sip and it was so beautiful as the sun was going down. I had a mint julep and it was sweet and delicious.
The dining room was exactly as I remembered it. I just went back and looked at my original pictures again to see the rooms.
The big wrap around porches are stunning.
Master bedroom. For more pictures, click over to my post that I linked above.
The Oak Alley of 300 year old oak trees that makes this place so picturesque.
There have been many movies filmed in this house, including Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte in 1964.
I’m not sure what this house was, but I liked how it was lit up at night. There are many structures on the vast property.
We headed down the paved sidewalk to the restaurant, Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant, where a huge buffet was set for us, featuring Cajun and Creole specialties.
We were all hungry by then and dived into all this deliciousness. It was so good!
I especially loved this Etouffee, which was pictured above. It was so yummy.
Picture opportunity with Mike, our tour guide. He was so friendly and knowledgeable about the area, since he was born and raised here.
Enslaved cabins at night. The blue sky cast a beautiful light over the grounds of Oak Alley. It is sobering to know the horrors that went on during slavery days. We learn from our history, to never repeat atrocities like this again.
Another beautiful live oak tree.
Our last evening of the conference, we all headed to the Lafon Performing Arts Center for a concert with a wonderful soul singer.
I actually heard Cece Teneal on a Celebrity cruise last year and so I knew what a treat it was to hear her. She sang for 2 hours and it was fantastic. We were all singing along to the old soul and R&B hits from Divas of Soul. That was right down my alley!
As we finished up the last morning of the conference, the performing arts center was set up in a round robin style where we all sat and met with each CVB host as they told us about their city and we chatted about a possible visit. I made a few connections and hope to see some of these destinations in the coming months. This was Eva from Visit Alabama Beaches. This type conference is a great way to explore new destinations and see if there is a fit between writers and cities.
We also learned some history of the bonfires on the levee that have been happening on Christmas Eve for decades. A family and friends started doing these for their own families and it has grown to an event every year, where people show up on Christmas Eve to see the art created for the bonfire each year and then it all goes up in flames, welcoming in Papa Noel.
It was fascinating to hear the history of the bonfires and how passionate these local boys are about their artwork. I can see why! That’s something to be proud of and will be passed down to future generations. These structures are all made out of wood and they sure do get creative!
The bonfires are in Garyville if you want to look them up and possibly visit one Christmas Eve. They begin planning months in advance and then start putting their creations together a few weeks before Christmas. The structure he is demonstrating was how they were constructed in the beginning. Now they are complete works of art as you can see above.
After the conference, Lauren picked me up and I headed with them to my sister’s house for Sunday afternoon and we had a great time hanging out by the pool. That’s 12 year old Parker, if you an believe how big she is now. She’s not quite a teen yet, but sure acts like one!
I stayed with Lauren for 4 days and enjoyed hanging out with the family. They have a new addition, Peaches, and she was a hoot. She and I bonded right away. She has such expressive eyes and she hung out with me a lot. I sat out by their pool everyday enjoying the breezes and warm weather. Spring is here!
Lauren and I went downtown to the French Quarter one day and since I was down there, I tried a treat that I’ve heard about. Muffalattas from Central Grocery.
I ordered a half and it was so good! I love this sandwich and like to get one every time I go down there.
Of course, there’s another treat I love too and that’s beignets. We went out to City Park to Cafe DuMonde two days to get them.
I love those things!
It’s a pretty place, so vintage in feel and it wasn’t crowded at all, since all the kids are back in school.
I sure enjoyed mine so much!
Peaches is a big part of the family and she makes herself at home.
She stayed with me outside all afternoon by the pool and the weather was outstanding.
We ate dinner one night and met up with Lauren’s inlaws, Karen and Glen. It’s always great to see them and this restaurant is a fave, not far from their house, the Blue Crab.
As the sun was setting, we enjoyed the views.
And I ended my visit in New Orleans with another dish I love, wedge salad with grilled shrimp and blue cheese ice cream. It is one yummy dish! Thanks for stopping by today and seeing what a travel conference is all about. It was a very fun time and I’m so glad I went! I hope to do more travel writing and working with destinations in the future, as Mark and I are determined to travel as much as we can the next 10 years. I’m game!
I picked up a River Road map about 20 years ago at a tourist stop; my husband and I visited every plantation on the map over the next couple of years. We live in Houston so we would plan an area and take 3-4 day weekends to look, eat, and learn history. We also went to St. Francisville, Natchitoches, and to the Natchez Pilgrimage. I bought a plantation history book at one of the gift shops and made notes about each one. It was one of the best times of our life—unhurried, no reservations, just easy and fun.
That sounds like a great way to see the plantations and other areas of LA. It really is such an interesting state.
Loved seeing Oak Alley again. Went there probably 15 years ago on a tour and we had lunch there. Also brought back coffee from Du Monde. I have a friend that visits yearly so she always brings me a can of their coffee.
Enjoyed your pictures and I would have loved to spend time with Peaches!
Peaches was adorable, she and I had a lot of fun together. I always enjoy my visits down there, especially the food!