Follow-up on, "What would you do?"

[DutchmenSport]

As a follow up to the What would you do? post I made a few weeks ago, here’s an update.

We left Anderson, Indiana on December 26 and stayed at a small private campground in Gilbertsville, KY for the night.

Our next stop of the night of December 27 at Cosar State Park in Mississippi.

The next night, December 28 we stayed at Lake Lincoln State Park in Mississippi and remained until the morning of December 31 (Sunday).

Sunday afternoon we arrived at the Audubon State Historic Site in Louisiana, near St. Francisville. I met with the park manager and he directed us to the “campsite” where we will be sitting through March 31.

After, basically, just unhitching and getting the slides out, my wife and I met with the manager and he started giving us information we needed immediately …. like the code to the main gain and when we would meet again.

Although January 1 (Monday) was a holiday, the park had a Viking Riverboat Cruise coming in and my wife and I followed along this group and went through the entire tour. There was a real skeleton crew, but enough people to do a really, really nice tour.

The tour started with an 11 minute video about this history of the Plantation and then moved on to the Oakley Plantation house itself (which is what I’ll be doing). It then went outside and to the kitchen, and the weaving room. From there, past the black smith hut (which was fired up and someone working the exhibit live) and then ended with a talk and a walk through the enslaved houses.

After everything was over, the place went dark, gate secured, everyone gone! It was awesome! 100 acres of State Park to “play” in. We took the rest of the evening to finish setting up the camper and exploring the park. It was solitary, really, really dark at night, except for a couple street lights in the parking lot.

The next morning, I set up the sewer hose lines. That took a bit of engineering, but with the available materials laying around, I was able to create a support that flowed down hill to a high sewer outlet.

I met with my supervisor again (Tuesday) and really wasn’t given much direction. He was going on vacation for the next few days, and all he really asked of me to fix an electrical problem in one of the museum light displays. And, as I felt, shadow whoever is doing the house tours. So I did.

Since then, I’ve been shadowing all the tours. There are 4 or 5 people who does the tours and it’s interesting listening to each one throw a slightly different emphasis on the history and the way they present it. I have not figured out my own “style” yet. As I started getting more comfortable, I started piggy backing the main guide and we’d start sharing information. I’m working my way up to actually doing my first room of the house completely by myself, then an entire floor, and finally, the entire house. I’m glad no one is pushing me to “perform” (yet).

The area here is interesting. Louisiana drivers seems to be a little more aggressive than I’m use to. Fuel prices are about the equivalent of what’s happening in Indiana, but the drive down, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, was all cheaper.

I did find out that I am only the second “camp hose” position they’ve ever had at Audubon. The first took the trails maintenance position. He was here over a year ago. There are only 8 people total running this place. Cleaning staff and maintenance is supplied at the State Park “state” level out of Baton Rouge. So they come into the park only a couple times a week. (interesting).

Two of the 8 “workers” are volunteers also. But they live locally, like within 5 minutes of the park. And this place is screaming for help.

My wife and I can’t figure out for the life of us, why they can’t get more volunteers as “camp hosts” for these 2 positions, except maybe, folks don’t want to give a commitment for 3 months. Still, if anyone is interested in a really, really sweet “gig”, free campsite in exchange for 3 days of work a week (that’s all they require), well…… this is the place! 100 acres in the woods, locked in, all to yourself to play in! It’s fabulous here.

Our campsite:



Sewer hook-up:



New friends:



The slave cemetery:



The Oakley House – Outside:







The Oakley House – some photes from Inside:

Original kitchen before the outside kitchen was built, and John James Audubon’s room when he stayed there in 1821:


The “library” by day and the “man parlor” / aka – man-cave by night! Gambling, drinking… smoking cigars, drinking… talking politics, drinking… talking business, drinking!



Third floor, Master bedroom, “hat tub”, 4 post “nursing bed”. It was made low to the ground and wide so kids could crawl in bed with their parents.