ST. FRANCISVILLE B&B’S GIVE THE GIFT OF SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY TO LA. DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES HEROES. by Anne Butler In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the Bed & Breakfast owners of the little Mississippi River town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, wanted so much to help, but wondered what contribution they could possibly make. After much soul-searching, they hit on the perfect solution. What they did best, they decided, was offer southern hospitality, and so they provided one eternally grateful young NYC firefighter and his wife with a free vacation in this scenic and historic area. For 200 years this little town has known how to dispense hospitality and generosity, and the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 brought out that same spirit once more. This time, the first-responders who caught the attention of St. Francisville’s B&B owners were the more than 300 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries personnel who were directly involved in search-and-rescue efforts in the flooded communities where they worked. As designated first-responders working under the umbrella oversight of the state Office of Emergency Preparedness, LDWF staff were among the first search-and-rescue teams to arrive in areas ravaged by both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Using small watercraft for mobility in both shallow water and debris-clogged deep-water flood situations, LDWF enforcement agents, along with staff biologists, technicians and specialists, conducted thousands of rescue missions. In the greater New Orleans area, many of those missions to bring victims to safety included patient evacuations from hospitals and medical centers that had lost power and depleted supplies in the aftermath of the disaster. In all, more than 21,000 storm victims were saved by LDWF-coordinated small-boat rescue missions following the two devastating hurricanes. Some of the LDWF staff members involved in rescues lost their own homes and belongings in these same flooded communities. Certainly their untiring efforts provided a shining example of public servants meeting a challenge of historic proportions, and the members of the B&B organization called St. Francisville Overnight decided to recognize their heroic efforts by offering overnight packages including one meal provided by local restaurants. Eight deserving LDWF first-responders will be receiving the gift certificates donated by St. Francisville Overnight. The members of St. Francisville Overnight all give generously to civic and charitable fundraisers. For years they’ve been involved in a number of preservation and recreational activities in the area, and in fact were instrumental in starting such special events as the Civil War re-enactment program called The Day The War Stopped and the popular Audubon Country Birdfest. As lodgings, they provide an enormously diverse range of accommodation, and for the LDWF program, each has paired with one of the fine local restaurants to include a meal along with the overnight stay. Three of the participating B&Bs are located right in the midst of St. Francisville’s National Register-listed Historic District, within easy walking distance of all the attractions in town. The well-established Barrow House Inn on Royal Street has rooms in two historic structures, both beautifully appointed with fine antiques. Nearby Shadetree is perched atop a steep hill overlooking the Mississippi River, a pleasingly eclectic blend of rustic and elegant. The St. Francisville Inn is a European-style country inn right in the center of town, with overnight rooms overlooking a landscaped courtyard complete with fountain and swimming pool. Paired with these three B&Bs are the upscale Oxbow Restaurant and Varnadoes Carriage House Restaurant as well as the casual Cypress Grill. Five of the participating restaurants are in the countryside surrounding St. Francisville, including some of the area’s most interesting antebellum plantation homes. The Myrtles has elaborately furnished guest rooms in main house and outbuildings, but no guarantee regarding the appearance of the resident spirits in what is billed as “America’s most haunted house.” Butler Greenwood Plantation has charming well-equipped B&B cottages scattered across extensive oak-shaded grounds, some along the pond banks and other perched at the edge of steep wooded ravines. The Cottage Plantation, which hosted Andrew Jackson on his way home from the Battle of New Orleans, offers stays in the historic main house, attached wing and pond-side private cottage. All of these plantations date from the 1790’s and provide guests with an unsurpassed experience of early life in the Felicianas. Restaurants offering complimentary meals for these plantation B&B guests include East Dragon serving authentic Oriental dishes, casual but wonderful Magnolia Café, and South of the Border with its extensive menu of southern fare. The other two participating B&Bs are Greenwood Plantation, grand 1830’s Greek Revival manor that burned in the sixties and has been rebuilt in exact duplicate, with overnight facilities in a two-story structure across the reflecting pond from the main house, and the Lake Rosemound Inn overlooking a lovely large lake, where guests have access to fishing and a sandy beach as well as a help-yourself ice cream parlor. Restaurants pairing with these B&Bs are Que Pasa Mexican grill and cantina near the Mississippi River, and Lola Blue’s with its Sunday blues brunch. Extras at some of these lodgings include on-site restaurants, swimming pools, recreational lakes for fishing, functional fireplaces and hot tubs, full plantation breakfasts or in-room kitchens, nature trails and guided bird walks, and either the conviviality of sharing experiences with other guests at joint meals in common rooms or the complete peace and privacy of individual cottages sheltered by overhanging live oaks with only the birds for company. With St. Francisville now one of Louisiana’s favorite getaways, the recipients of the B&B gift certificates will be able to do as much…or as little…as they wish while visiting. There are resplendent antebellum plantation homes and gardens for touring, unspoiled woodlands for hiking and birding in the Tunica Hills, and fine small shops. For guests wanting an active experience, there is golf at The Bluffs or the new and most unusual course at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. There is challenging hiking to the waterfalls at Clark Creek Natural Area or the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area in the rugged foothills of the Appalachians or not-so-strenuous hiking at the Nature Conservancy’s Mary Ann Brown Preserve. Cross Creek Stables provides gaited horses for three-hour rides on trails through beautiful unspoiled wilderness. There is excellent birding in this area where artist-naturalist John James Audubon painted a large percentage of his Birds of America series in the 1820’s; huge populations of both resident and migratory birds remain to be enjoyed, and Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge along this unleveed stretch of the Mississippi River provides a unique and often flooded habitat. Spring and summer birding opportunities for experts and beginners alike are presented by the Audubon Birdfest and Hummingbird festivals, with guided field trips to remote reaches led by knowledgeable ornithologists. Overtaxed muscles appreciate the services of the local massage therapist, who makes house calls that are immensely popular with B&B guests wishing to be pampered. Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist destination, with six historic plantations-Rosedown and Audubon State Historic Sites, Butler Greenwood, the Myrtles, the Cottage and Greenwood-open for daily tours, while Catalpa Plantation and Afton Villa Gardens are open periodically. For online coverage of tourist facilities and attractions in the St. Francisville area, see www.StFrancisville.us, www.StFrancisville.net, or www.StFrancisvilleOvernight.com; or telephone (225) 635-3873 or 635-4224.  High resolution photos for media use, email Patrick Walsh pat@bluegoosemedia.com