Poche Plantation

The pool at Poche with RVs parked around it. Note the artwork on the walls. Mark Anderson, the park/plantation owner, had an artist approach him looking for a job. Mark said he didn't have one but the next morning the man showed up with his paints and brushes in hand . Turns out the man was very hard of hearing and converted Mark's "no" into a "yes". Today he's still hard at work (and still hard of hearing). As Poche's "artist in residence" he decorates the statuary, walls and grounds.

The building on the right has several suites for rent as part of Mark's bed-and-breakfast.

Back of the plantation house.

Waiting for the FREE tour.

Mark Anderson, guide par excellence.

Judge Poche, in case you haven't guessed.

Mark and his wife are auction hounds and filled the house with extraordinary furniture and artwork.

Interestingly, this simple lamp tucked into a corner is the most valuable piece in the house. It started out as a brass candlestick and was hidden away by a New Orleans family during the Civil War. Its value comes from the fact that it is one of few brass objects not confiscated and melted down for the making of munitions by the confederacy.

The kitchen. This is the oldest room at Poche and predates the manor house. There is an ancient Jenn-Aire stove at the left.

Mark tells a funny story about this chandelier (only a portion seen here). When he first bought it, this round hanging crystal went missing and Mark had a heck of a time "getting his ball back".

Like any authentic plantation, Poche has a resident ghost (seen here at the left). Awhile ago, guests spending the night upstairs called Mark in a panic and begged to move to other quarters. They heard spirits rumbling around downstairs and were scared out of their wits.

Turns out the "ghost" was nothing but a Roomba doing its thing. It was programmed to come on late at night to auto-vacuum the floors.

The main bedroom in the expansive upper floor at Poche. The suite of rooms is available for a nightly rate of around $200. RV sites with full hook-ups are $30.

The Tundra and Lance in Plantation Country.

Well, at long last, the fourth-or-fifth-to-the-last entry from our spring trip in the all-new-for-2010 Lance 2285 travel trailer with slider and 2004 Tundra with crew cab and matching snug top.

I want to wrap up these last entries because in two short weeks we'll be taking off again for a long summer drive through the grand western states and the Midwest.

But first, back to the spring trip. If you ever have a hankering to roll along Louisiana's River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, there is at least one stop that we highly recommend. A place that takes up most of the tiny town of Convent. Poche (poe-shay) Plantation is one of the region's smaller, more unassuming manor houses. Built by a Judge Poche after the Civil War, it had fallen into disrepair until it was snatched up at an auction by a guy named "Mark Anderson" about five or so years ago. Mark had made mega-bucks as a local newspaper publisher and being the son of a prominent sugar mill owner didn't hurt his bottom line either.

Like casino operators in Vegas, the auctioneers selling off Poche's treasures knew they could up the ante by serving lots of free mint juleps. Fueled by liquid courage, Mark was happy to oblige. He bought up old furniture, paintings and other household items. But he didn't stop there--he ended up buying the plantation itself.

He and his wife poured a ton of moola and sweat equity into the old property. They had been traveling the country full time in their big RV bus and came up with the brilliant idea of putting a first-class RV park right behind the plantation house. Just as the RV park was about to open, Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans. Hundreds of homeless Louisianans flooded the River Road. Mark took in more than 100 people, putting up bunk beds and essentially turning Poche into a no-charge deluxe refugee camp. It's only been a few months since the last of these folks moved out and tourists moved in.

For around $200 a night, Mark rents out the spacious two-bedroom upper floor of the plantation house. "Miss Pat", a woman who lived here when her own home flooded in New Orleans, has stayed on as the plantation manager and first-rate cook.

For RVers, Poche is another of those places where you keep extending your stay. We planned on one day but ended up with three. Mark made it all worthwhile. He has an amazing sense of humor and I honestly don't think I've ever laughed so much on any tour, anywhere.

Looking for something old but new and different on vacation? If so, set your sights south to Louisiana's Plantation Country on the Mississippi. Unaffected by the oil spill (so far), this part of the state will create one unforgettable vacation.