Live Oaks

Fontainbleu State Park; Mandeville, LA: A beautiful, sunny day. After lunch we hiked the little nature trail (1.5 mi.). About halfway on the trail there is a boardwalk that goes out into a wet area off the lake. The last time we were here there were LOTS of water snakes in and around the water. Today we only saw two—one on the boardwalk and one in the water. Then we walked around the sugar mill ruins. This whole park used to be owned by a Frenchman who built a plantation, brick kiln, and a sugar mill. He operated it from 1828 to about 1856. He owned most of what is now Mandeville. His main residence was in New Orleans, but he loved to spend the summers here by the cooling breezes of the lake. The plantation is long gone, but you can still see what used to be the drive up to the plantation which was lined with live oaks. They are now huge—hundreds of years old—and dripping with Spanish moss. Checked out the beach area and then came back. Made Mexican lasagna for dinner.