Mint Julep Time

By Jyl Benson

In the most charming of states, Louisiana, stands one of the most inviting bed-and-breakfasts, the Madewood Plantation House on the Bayou Lafourche in Napoleonville, just 75 miles from New Orleans. The second largest plantation house in the state, Madewood was built by a sugar-cane planter, Colonel Thomas Pugh, 15 years before the Civil War began. The house is now owned by Keith Marshall, whose parents so expertly rebuilt and restored Madewood 26 years ago that it has come to represent the quintessential plantation home in several movies, including A Woman Called Moses.

Cane fields still surround the plantation, and Madewood guests might easily imagine that they are members of an old-time Southern house party. All eight bedrooms boast fine canopied beds and spacious bathrooms. Guests may also stay in the three-bedroom Charlet House. At night everyone gathers around a huge dining table for a candlelight repast of gumbo or other Louisiana dishes. They may then move on to the formal parlor for coffee or gather on the veranda for a chat.

After a peaceful night's rest, the pleasure begins again with a breakfast that includes what some say are the best grits in the South. Guests may stroll majestic grounds that encompass moss-draped live oaks and verdant gardens. Or they may tour other nearby plantations, hunt for antiques or enjoy boat trips down the Mississippi or through bayous www.madewood.com 800-375-7151).

--By Jyl Benson