Read the top 10 things to do in New Orleans. (Besides drunken debauchery on Bourbon Street.) Including visiting Jackson Square.

These historic Southern plantations are worth a visit on your next trip below the Mason-Dixon line

Explore Kilohana Plantation, home to Gaylord's Restaurant, the Koloa Rum Company, Kauai Plantation Railway, and Luau Kalamaku.

Plantations today bare their souls beautifully.

I've never been able to love the South. If for no other reason than that I grew up in the sixties, and I clearly remember scenes of the Civil Rights Movement on television. Children turned away from segregated schools, police turning fire-hoses on peaceful protesters, the hateful faces of Southern whites. I was very young, and when my parents explained it to me, told me about the history of slavery and the change that African Americans were trying to effect in the South, I knew that the vicious resistance of Southern whites was wrong. I knew it was wrong. And, perhaps childishly, I've never been able to forgive the South, never been able to hear a soft Southern accent without a cringe. Of course I understand that racial hatred in America has never been merely confined to the South. Our whole history has been steeped in racial hatred, in the submission and degradation of non-whites. But the smug Southern, bible-thumping, self-righteous racial prejudice I saw on the television, at such a young age, bred a mirror prejudice in me. Even though I can readily rationalize otherwise, even though I know it's wrong, even though I know my own prejudice has stayed put while the country has moved on, I'm not sure I'll ever entirely rid myself of the feeling that the South is a bad place. Parallel to this, even as a lover of beauty and of excess, as a lover of buildings, still some part of me has always shunned a closer understanding and appreciation of the great architecture of the South. Specifically plantation architecture. It isn't something I've given much conscious thought to but, certainly, it must stem from my horror at the idea that all that richesse was only made possible because of slave labor. The idea that such beauty was created under that system, at that particular cost, makes me want to turn away from it. (But then how many of our great buildings were realized under those conditions, the White House most prominently.) And yet... and yet.... Years ago, I came across a book called "Ghosts Along the Mississippi", by Clarence John Laughlin. Originally published in 1948, it was filled with images of lost or soon to be lost buildings of the Old South. (Some, happily, were later saved.) The title was apt, of course, as the photographs captured all the ghostly decomposition of those once brilliant structures. You could almost feel their shame at their present state - stripped, crumbling - collapsing with history and memory, as they closed in on themselves. But there was one, more than any of the others, that caught my imagination. One whose beautiful proportions and fine detail made its decay, its apparent loss, all the more distressing to me. I've never forgotten that beautiful house. Belle Grove. *** The mansion at Belle Grove Plantation was one of the greatest, largest and most beautiful residences ever built in the South. Adapted from Wikipedia: Belle Grove, also known as Belle Grove Plantation, was a plantation and elaborate Greek Revival and Italianate-style plantation mansion near White Castle in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. Completed in 1857, it was one of the largest mansions ever built in the South, surpassing even that of the neighboring Nottoway Plantation. The masonry structure stood 62 feet high and measured 122 feet wide by 119 feet deep, with seventy-five rooms spread over four floors. Belle Grove was owned by John Andrews, a wealthy sugar planter. Andrews owned over 7,000 acres spread over several plantations. By the 1850s, his more than 150 slaves were producing over half a million pounds of sugar each year. Andrews built the mansion from 1852 to 1857 at a cost of $80,000, not including the free (slave) labor or the plentiful cypress lumber and hand-made bricks produced on the plantation. The house was designed by New Orleans architect Henry Howard. Following the American Civil War and ensuing collapse of the plantation economy, Andrews sold the home and plantation in 1867 to James Ware, for the meager sum of $50,000. The Ware family continued to live and farm the plantation until the early 1920s. After several bad crop years, they were forced to sell the home. From 1925 onwards the house sat vacant. The post-War era at Belle Grove saw the finely crafted home rot away in Louisiana's harsh environment. Neglect allowed a leaky roof to expand and destroy one wing of the mansion. Several owners purchased the home, each with aspirations of restoration, but none had the means necessary in the lean years of the Great Depression and World War II to stop the onslaught of rapid decay. On March 17, 1952, a mysterious fire during the night destroyed what remained of the house. Many, if not most, of these photographs are the work of Walker Evans, taken in 1935. *** Viewing these images gives me the most conflicted feelings; pondering this house, I recognize compartments of emotion and thought that can never open into each other, can never resolve. So much of me feels wretched that such a beautiful thing is lost to the world. I feel so strongly - always - that beauty should be preserved, honored. The craftsmanship that was employed here was exemplary and irreplaceable. And then what of the enslaved people who helped to build this magnificent house, who worked there; this was their house, too. Their lives and work were in the wood and stone and brick of this house. But part of me, pained by the thought of the incredible evil of the system that made possible its birth, feels that in some way it "deserved" to die. Very possibly its dissolution and passing was just. I don't know....

The interior designer decorated the waterfront refuge with 18th-century antiques and traditional furnishings

You won't believe your eyes!

Le sureau est un bel arbuste à fleurs réputé pour ses fruits comestibles aux nombreuses utilisations. L'entretien, de la plantation à la taille du sureau.

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Oak Alley PlantationVacherie, Louisiana

Oak Alley Plantation Out of my entire trip to New Orleans, I enjoyed visiting Oak Alley plantation the best. I mean, have you seen these…

A Kip&Co classic, Native Plantation features native Australian flora in an all over print on an olive green base with plain khaki brown cotton reverse. This certified organic cotton range is available in a variety of bright and beautiful patterns and prints. Both bold and versatile our quilt covers can be mixed and matched with an endless selection of colours and prints, across all ongoing seasonal releases.

Certes, il en faut pour tous les goûts mais pour ce qui me concerne, les jardins au gazon tondu bien ras, troués de quelques arbres et les jardins à la Française en général, aussi beaux soient-ils, ne sont pas ma tasse de thé. Je préfère, et de loin, les jardins à l'Anglaise. Ukka Tales from Carmel Emilialua Indulgy The Star Flickr Three Dogs in a Garden Wander the Wood HGTV Pinicio Bo-hemia Everything Fabulous Picgard Garden Decoration Ideas Tuinen Struinen Villa Vanilla Fine Art America Better Homes and Gardens Flickr This Ivy House Linen House Design HGTV Enchanted England My Garden Diary 500px Wohnidee Wunderweib Occult Living Backroads Britain Better Homes and Gardens Facebook Moosey's Country Garden Garden Photos The Garden House Flickr One Kindesign Image à la Une : Jardin d'André Ève à Pithiviers. Photographe : Clive Nichols

Tout est allé si vite... Des insultes et de la haine a son égard, je me suis retrouvée en une fraction de secondes, nue, en train de me faire toucher... Je n'ai rien vu venir, ce moment que j'ai passé avec lui était... Agréable à ma grande surprise. Mes leçons commencent... (⚠Language et Scènes Matures )

Laura PlantationA Creole Plantation

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There’s a lot of folklore surrounding the first Thanksgiving, and plenty of lively debate. When did it actually occur? Was this meeting with the Wampanoags truly amicable? Did they really eat turkey? Despite, or perhaps because of, this murky history, we continue to be fascinated with the Pilgrims and life in 17th-century America. While we all learned about the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and that first Thanksgiving way back in elementary school, what do we really know about the day-to-day lives of these English settlers? Here are a few things that may surprise you about home life in early America.

Use a smartphone or GPS device to navigate to the provided coordinates. Look for a micro hidden container. When you find it, write your name and date in the logbook. If you take something from the container, leave something in exchange. The terrain is 1.5 and difficulty is 2.5 (out of 5).

View Charleston Magazine's photos from Barbados

If you are headed to Boston, be sure and include a day trip to Plimoth Plantation With Kids! This must-see, historical gem is ...

146 p. : ill., plans ; 30 cm., trade catalog

At plantations near New Orleans, you can learn about life on the antebellum sugar plantations from the perspectives of the landowners and the slaves who built them.

Saint Lucia Urlaub auf dem Hawaii unter den Karibik-Inseln. Alle Tipps, die schönsten Sehenswürdigkeiten, Strände und Ausflugsziele...

Raised up by a framework of slender steel supports, this wooden bungalow offer a vantage point over a Sri Lankan rubber plantation and the jungle beyond

St Kitts is top of its game when it comes to luxury island escapes. Let me introduce you to this little Caribbean island's sophisticated side.

Our look at a few of the most memorable exotic residences to appear in the pages of Architectural Digest

Today I am going to teach you how to grow ginger in your own home! Let me first tell you why you should grow ginger. Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on cells. It is also a good source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6. Ginger has anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. Gingerols, the active phytonutrients in ginger, kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion). How is that for an incentive? You can grow this right in your own kitchen. Your own personal pharmacy! "Ginger root is sold in a clump that’s often called a “hand.” You’ll want to choose a hand that’s fresh and firm with as many “fingers” as possible. To get as many plants as you can, cut or break the fingers off the main root. Each section with a growing tip will become a plant. Be sure to allow any cut surfaces to dry before planting them in moist soil. Planting is easy: Simply pick a pot that’s at least twice the diameter as the length of your root section. Fill it ¾ full with standard potting soil, and place the small root sections on top of the soil. Water it well. Your plant will survive dry spells, but to get the most consistent growth, keep it damp at all times. Place your ginger pot in a spot where it’ll stay warm. There’s no need to find a sunny spot on your windowsill. At this stage, your ginger actually grows better without direct sunshine. Before you know it, you’ll see sprouts. Studies say ginger’s peak flavor arrives at 265 days. (And if you start the ginger inside in late winter, that one root can produce four times that amount by fall!) But you’ll only get this long growing season by starting your ginger indoors as a houseplant early in the year and then transplanting it in your garden in late spring, once the weather’s warmed. When moving your ginger to your garden, choose a spot with rich, loose soil, and be sure to water it regularly. There aren’t many pests or diseases to worry about. And occasionally, you might get a nice surprise: Your ginger plant may produce yellowish flowers at the base of each stem. With proper care, your ginger can reach 2-4 feet tall. It’ll have narrow, glossy, green leaves that can be up to a foot long. Its roots can be harvested at any time, but you should let the plant grow for at least three to four months before harvesting. You’ll be able to see the ginger roots growing near the surface of the soil. To harvest them, just trim off small sections whenever you need them, while the rest of the plant continues to grow. The new roots that grow from the starter root will have the best flavor and texture. The old starter root should be tossed out at the end of the season." Learn 2 Grow is the source I used for planting and harvesting. See the full post, and their collection of photos here. Health benefit source is from WHFoods. See a complete nutritional guide on ginger here.

Explore this photo album by Jeremy Sorrells on Flickr!