Haunted hotel, mansions and the mystery woman
New Orleans Journal day 4: 7/7
New Orleans French Quarter 9:30 AM
This day we woke up really early and all went out to breakfast at Cafe Envie on Decatur. Cafe Envie
We walked in and a lovely older woman in all black greeted us. She said of "Ohh, here you can sit here". She moved over a booth and I sat down next to her at a smaller table in the corner by the door. She asked me if I had ever been there before? I replied no. She said "ohh you have to order up there and then they bring you the food". I was thinking-- okay, New Orleans make up your mind. Either I should wait or line or not, ha. She then proceeded to get up and walk over and grab menus and laughingly said "Don't worry I'll grab the menus for you, I'll be the host today". We all laughed since she didn't really work there. I looked over the menu and decided on the Prosciutto & Asparagus Omelet . My husband got up and ordered us our food selections and coffee.
While I sat chatting with the nice mystery woman. I never asked her name but wish I would have. If I had to describe her she reminded me of a more gypsy/hippy version of Jessica Lange in AHC Coven, but a real life version of here. Down to the full black outfit and sunglasses. She had on many rings and a few crystals necklaces. I could tell right away she was an old school version witch. She said she was only merely waiting for someone or something, and we chatted for over 45 mins throughout our breakfast about politics, life, the differences in Austin and NOLA culture and socioeconomics. Geology was her major in college too. She told me she was a pacifist and against the war. We had a brief conversation about the Egyptians and how the Pharaohs were like super human beings. She was really deep into that concept. She looked at Ella and said wow you are so lucky my parents would never bring me to NOLA, they weren't cool enough. I wasn't sure how long she had lived there but it seemed awhile, she was originally from Alabama. She loved cats, and that really solidified the deal. So I've met my first NOLA witch, ha. I was hoping she could tell me about why my gifts had gone wonky , but never got the chance.
She was such a lovely woman, if only I had gotten her name so I could see her again in the future. She apologized for interrupting our whole breakfast as she put it , and left. I was sad to see her go, and it certainly didn't seem like she was interrupting at all. I told her she was no trouble at all. It all felt really natural which is strange because usually I don't have such an easy time talking to strangers.
Breakfast was really good but we had plans and had to stay on track. We quickly made our way to the shops we wanted to get souvenirs' from and promptly went back to the hotel and packed the dogs and our bags and headed out toward the country 45 mins into the bayou to go stay at another hotel the last night.
Thibodaux 2:00 PM
I made sure that our last night in the hotel was more luxurious then the last hotel. We needed more room to spread out, and the dogs were really miserable by this point in a smaller room. So we got a suite this time at Carmel Inn and Suites.
By the time we got back to the new hotel and checked in , the weather went from really hot to pouring again. I was really sad because we had plans to go up to Vacherie and go to Oak Alley Plantation and this was going to have to be our last day no matter what. We just piled in the truck and bought umbrellas at Walgreens and headed over to Oak Alley. By the time we reached the plantation it had stopped but there was still the low roll of thunder off to distance.
Vacherie- Oak Alley Plantation 3:00 PM
When we reached the plantation I was overwhelmed. So happy to be there. There are other sets of oaks just before the main house that over 100 years old but they are babies compared to the 28 that sit in front of the house. We purchased tickets and got our maps of the grounds. I was surprised to hear that it actually rained almost every day here even in the summer. We made our way through the slave quarters soaking up all the history, that was so making me sick to my stomach. The conditions.
We had to quickly make our way up to the main house for one of the last tours. The yard of the main house is cut in tear drop shaped pattern in the front with walking paths surrounding it. I had left my phone at the hotel, and my husband's was at 3 % and dying. That left us down to using Alexander's phone for pics, and his phone has the worst camera ever.
As soon as I stepped foot into the entrance of the main house I felt a 'shift'. It didn't quite hit me yet, like trying to sort through cobwebs, and I felt a faint tickling in my stomach. The was a 'disturbance in the force'. We had a lovely tour guide who spoke fluent French. We started off the parlor and learned about the original house residents. I sensed the tour guide sensing me, and I could tell that he was a sensitive. He gave me a look and said come on with it. Which is was look that could have said " Just wait until you see what we got here". What's so funny is when you run into one who knows that you know, that they know .and you both know , and then nod at each other in silence in this 'all knowing acknowledgement' that need not be spoken, ha.
We then made our way to the dining room . The famous dining room . I can say it didn't really look to much like it, and I tried to picture how it was set in the film but I was not really seeing it. Besides by the time I made my way into the dining room , it all hit me and I was about to faint. I began to fan myself with my hand and the tour guide asked me to sit down.
He could see I was beginning to get overwhelmed. I won't bother telling you too much of the history of the plantation as not to spoil it for you if you ever visit. We then made it upstairs to which I was having the clairtangency on the handrail. Someone has fallen down the stairs before.
Spirit just hit me and came flooding back like it never left. So it was still there, and apparently it was only New Orleans that I was 'broken'. So I made my way to the lovely lavender colored room . That is where she was, the concentration. I was almost having to leave. I didn't want to leave the tour though. We then made our way to the Veranda I was happy to see it had the haint paint which I had learned about in the garden district tour.
There it was the iconic view ,that we wanted to the view from the Veranda. Apparently back when the mansion was built that brick path lead down the Mississippi and you could see the steamboats passing. Yet today there is a levee which blocks your view. We learned the trees had been there much longer then the house and they have no record of who first planted them but they are some of the oldest oaks around 400 years old.
We then made our way back down and finished the tour. We then walked the gardens and grounds and visited the family cemetery by the mansion where the original owners were buried. I rarely go to cemeteries but this one didn't seem to bother me. She wasn't there anyhow, she was up in the room still enjoying the house. If you go visit one day and take the tour you'll see know whom I'm talking about.
We made our way to the gift shop and purchased a black and white photo of the mansion. I figured since we really couldn't get any pics. I also picked up a hand dipped candle. we left and drove back to hotel and it was raining again now.
Thibodaux 7:00 PM
We arrived at the hotel and picked up some fast food for dinner. First time I've had a burger from a fast food place in almost 3 years. It tasted so good. I'm looking through the history of the hotel and see that the hotel is a site of what used to be a Carmelite nun convent. At one point the convent was also a hospital and housed wounded soldiers during the civil war. It was later then with permission and signature of the pope turned into a hotel. In our room,, was a picture above the bed of the original hotel called 'strangers hotel'. Great so I left New Orleans and checked into a haunted hotel. It was like a sick joke spirit was playing on me. First take it away then through me right in the thick of it as soon as I'm getting my bearings back. I was already a bit creeped out, but nothing felt bad or harmful to me. As I laid down to go to bed I got confirmation of it being haunted because I saw a shadow person run by the bed against the wall out of the corner of my eye. No one else saw it but me so I brushed it off. Then around 9 pm when we were watching TV my husband , Alexander and I all saw the same shadow run right past my husband's face on the bed. We finally all saw it this time. But I wasn't scared and didn't really feel all that nervous. I just rolled over and passed out because I was tired. I was really ready to head home the next morning, and that is what we did. We drove back home on Saturday morning and got here around 5 pm.
All in all it was a great trip, and I enjoyed spending a day doing something different and getting to see more of the countryside in Louisana. It is actually beautiful. I did have moments out there in sugar cane where I felt very, very far from home indeed. I'm sure I'm skipping some stuff, maybe I'll add more to it one day. Hope you all enjoyed reading about my family vacation. Tonight as I finish off this story I'm feeling a bit of the creeps in my room, like there is something here tonight and it's weird. The brouchure about the history http://issuu.com/carmelinn/docs/directory_final4.docx._243874c4e63fe4
My pics from this day:
Picture in our room
Oak Alley Plantation
~Roses
New Orleans French Quarter 9:30 AM
This day we woke up really early and all went out to breakfast at Cafe Envie on Decatur. Cafe Envie
We walked in and a lovely older woman in all black greeted us. She said of "Ohh, here you can sit here". She moved over a booth and I sat down next to her at a smaller table in the corner by the door. She asked me if I had ever been there before? I replied no. She said "ohh you have to order up there and then they bring you the food". I was thinking-- okay, New Orleans make up your mind. Either I should wait or line or not, ha. She then proceeded to get up and walk over and grab menus and laughingly said "Don't worry I'll grab the menus for you, I'll be the host today". We all laughed since she didn't really work there. I looked over the menu and decided on the Prosciutto & Asparagus Omelet . My husband got up and ordered us our food selections and coffee.
While I sat chatting with the nice mystery woman. I never asked her name but wish I would have. If I had to describe her she reminded me of a more gypsy/hippy version of Jessica Lange in AHC Coven, but a real life version of here. Down to the full black outfit and sunglasses. She had on many rings and a few crystals necklaces. I could tell right away she was an old school version witch. She said she was only merely waiting for someone or something, and we chatted for over 45 mins throughout our breakfast about politics, life, the differences in Austin and NOLA culture and socioeconomics. Geology was her major in college too. She told me she was a pacifist and against the war. We had a brief conversation about the Egyptians and how the Pharaohs were like super human beings. She was really deep into that concept. She looked at Ella and said wow you are so lucky my parents would never bring me to NOLA, they weren't cool enough. I wasn't sure how long she had lived there but it seemed awhile, she was originally from Alabama. She loved cats, and that really solidified the deal. So I've met my first NOLA witch, ha. I was hoping she could tell me about why my gifts had gone wonky , but never got the chance.
She was such a lovely woman, if only I had gotten her name so I could see her again in the future. She apologized for interrupting our whole breakfast as she put it , and left. I was sad to see her go, and it certainly didn't seem like she was interrupting at all. I told her she was no trouble at all. It all felt really natural which is strange because usually I don't have such an easy time talking to strangers.
Breakfast was really good but we had plans and had to stay on track. We quickly made our way to the shops we wanted to get souvenirs' from and promptly went back to the hotel and packed the dogs and our bags and headed out toward the country 45 mins into the bayou to go stay at another hotel the last night.
Thibodaux 2:00 PM
I made sure that our last night in the hotel was more luxurious then the last hotel. We needed more room to spread out, and the dogs were really miserable by this point in a smaller room. So we got a suite this time at Carmel Inn and Suites.
By the time we got back to the new hotel and checked in , the weather went from really hot to pouring again. I was really sad because we had plans to go up to Vacherie and go to Oak Alley Plantation and this was going to have to be our last day no matter what. We just piled in the truck and bought umbrellas at Walgreens and headed over to Oak Alley. By the time we reached the plantation it had stopped but there was still the low roll of thunder off to distance.
Vacherie- Oak Alley Plantation 3:00 PM
When we reached the plantation I was overwhelmed. So happy to be there. There are other sets of oaks just before the main house that over 100 years old but they are babies compared to the 28 that sit in front of the house. We purchased tickets and got our maps of the grounds. I was surprised to hear that it actually rained almost every day here even in the summer. We made our way through the slave quarters soaking up all the history, that was so making me sick to my stomach. The conditions.
We had to quickly make our way up to the main house for one of the last tours. The yard of the main house is cut in tear drop shaped pattern in the front with walking paths surrounding it. I had left my phone at the hotel, and my husband's was at 3 % and dying. That left us down to using Alexander's phone for pics, and his phone has the worst camera ever.
As soon as I stepped foot into the entrance of the main house I felt a 'shift'. It didn't quite hit me yet, like trying to sort through cobwebs, and I felt a faint tickling in my stomach. The was a 'disturbance in the force'. We had a lovely tour guide who spoke fluent French. We started off the parlor and learned about the original house residents. I sensed the tour guide sensing me, and I could tell that he was a sensitive. He gave me a look and said come on with it. Which is was look that could have said " Just wait until you see what we got here". What's so funny is when you run into one who knows that you know, that they know .and you both know , and then nod at each other in silence in this 'all knowing acknowledgement' that need not be spoken, ha.
We then made our way to the dining room . The famous dining room . I can say it didn't really look to much like it, and I tried to picture how it was set in the film but I was not really seeing it. Besides by the time I made my way into the dining room , it all hit me and I was about to faint. I began to fan myself with my hand and the tour guide asked me to sit down.
He could see I was beginning to get overwhelmed. I won't bother telling you too much of the history of the plantation as not to spoil it for you if you ever visit. We then made it upstairs to which I was having the clairtangency on the handrail. Someone has fallen down the stairs before.
Spirit just hit me and came flooding back like it never left. So it was still there, and apparently it was only New Orleans that I was 'broken'. So I made my way to the lovely lavender colored room . That is where she was, the concentration. I was almost having to leave. I didn't want to leave the tour though. We then made our way to the Veranda I was happy to see it had the haint paint which I had learned about in the garden district tour.
There it was the iconic view ,that we wanted to the view from the Veranda. Apparently back when the mansion was built that brick path lead down the Mississippi and you could see the steamboats passing. Yet today there is a levee which blocks your view. We learned the trees had been there much longer then the house and they have no record of who first planted them but they are some of the oldest oaks around 400 years old.
We then made our way back down and finished the tour. We then walked the gardens and grounds and visited the family cemetery by the mansion where the original owners were buried. I rarely go to cemeteries but this one didn't seem to bother me. She wasn't there anyhow, she was up in the room still enjoying the house. If you go visit one day and take the tour you'll see know whom I'm talking about.
We made our way to the gift shop and purchased a black and white photo of the mansion. I figured since we really couldn't get any pics. I also picked up a hand dipped candle. we left and drove back to hotel and it was raining again now.
Thibodaux 7:00 PM
We arrived at the hotel and picked up some fast food for dinner. First time I've had a burger from a fast food place in almost 3 years. It tasted so good. I'm looking through the history of the hotel and see that the hotel is a site of what used to be a Carmelite nun convent. At one point the convent was also a hospital and housed wounded soldiers during the civil war. It was later then with permission and signature of the pope turned into a hotel. In our room,, was a picture above the bed of the original hotel called 'strangers hotel'. Great so I left New Orleans and checked into a haunted hotel. It was like a sick joke spirit was playing on me. First take it away then through me right in the thick of it as soon as I'm getting my bearings back. I was already a bit creeped out, but nothing felt bad or harmful to me. As I laid down to go to bed I got confirmation of it being haunted because I saw a shadow person run by the bed against the wall out of the corner of my eye. No one else saw it but me so I brushed it off. Then around 9 pm when we were watching TV my husband , Alexander and I all saw the same shadow run right past my husband's face on the bed. We finally all saw it this time. But I wasn't scared and didn't really feel all that nervous. I just rolled over and passed out because I was tired. I was really ready to head home the next morning, and that is what we did. We drove back home on Saturday morning and got here around 5 pm.
All in all it was a great trip, and I enjoyed spending a day doing something different and getting to see more of the countryside in Louisana. It is actually beautiful. I did have moments out there in sugar cane where I felt very, very far from home indeed. I'm sure I'm skipping some stuff, maybe I'll add more to it one day. Hope you all enjoyed reading about my family vacation. Tonight as I finish off this story I'm feeling a bit of the creeps in my room, like there is something here tonight and it's weird. The brouchure about the history http://issuu.com/carmelinn/docs/directory_final4.docx._243874c4e63fe4
My pics from this day:
Picture in our room
Oak Alley Plantation
~Roses