The river boat pulled up to the famous Nottoway resort on this day where we remained for the entire day. It was our only stop of the day and the resort is located just a ten-minute walk from the boat. The temperatures were about 90 degrees and somewhat humid, making it uncomfortable to stay out in the sun for very long.

We took a 45-minute tour of the Nottoway Resort, the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion situated on 31 acres of majestic oak trees. This stunning historical plantation built in 1859 at a cost of $80,000, lies between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and offers a view of a truly grand plantation. The 53,000 square foot mansion flaunts three floors, 64 rooms, and displays an incredible 22 white square columns which contribute to its nickname, the “White Castle of Louisiana.”
The home enjoyed 19th Century novelties like a bathroom on each floor with flushing toilets and hot and cold water, gas lighting throughout the home and a complex servant call-bell system. The most popular room among guests is the White Ballroom, which is painted entirely in white and displays elaborate gold décor throughout. Rooms are trimmed in custom plaster frieze made from Spanish moss, clay, plaster and mud and are all original to the house. And as if that weren’t enough, this immaculate mansion was constructed with 365 openings (165 doors and 200 windows), one for each day of the year. We also enjoyed a stroll through the grounds and gardens.

The home has been owned by a gentleman from Australia since 1984 who uses the property as a hotel or bed and breakfast. They have built many modern cottages on the property to supplement the number of rooms as well as a restaurant and business center.

Even after investing $14,000,000 in the property since 2008, the property needs many upgrades and maintenance to make it shine. Any property of this scale would require an extraordinary amount of money to maintain. Hopefully this unusual property will be able to stand the test of time and will be here for many more years.

Late in the afternoon there was a very short and sweet champagne toast with the captain and some of the crew in the theater. It was a way of saying thank you from the crew to the guests and from the guests to the crew.

The evening’s entertainment was a show by Michaelyn Oby who performed the tribute show to Diana Ross earlier in the cruise. She was back with a show titled “Feeling Good” featuring jazz, blues and soul music.