Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Magnolia Plantation. {365 - Day 255}

We hit the beach this morning, but quickly realized the nice breeze we felt on the deck was a strong wind on the other side of the dunes.  After 20 minutes of being sandblasted, we retreated to house and decided to go on a field trip.

The destination was Magnolia Plantation.  We have always wanted to visit one of the old plantations around here, but never made it to one.  We read up on a few and decided on Magnolia since it offered a petting zoo that would interest Sarah Beth. 

The big draw (other than friendly peacocks and mini-horses) was the gardens.  The plantation is situated right on the river, and the landscaping is beautiful.  Huge oak trees decorated with Spanish moss.  Formal gardens and informal foliage to explore.  I love the sense of history and the slight creepiness of the old statues watching us walk by.

Day 255 {Canon 5D Mark III + Photoshop}



Sarah Beth relaxing on the plantation porch after a walk through the gardens.

 


Swoon!  She is sitting on a wood plank that was stuck between these two huge trees who knows how many hundreds of years ago.  The trees have grown around the plank to form a bench.

The petting zoo was wild.  A cross between Dr Dolittle and a Disney movie.  All the animals were roaming free.  A doe walked up to great us, nuzzling our hands.  Turkeys, geese, roosters, goats and peacocks milled around, making such a cacophony that you couldn't help but laugh at the craziness.


Pretty white peacock.

Friendly deer.

There was so much more to do at Magnolia Plantation.  We did not do the house tour, tram or boat tours or see the slave quarters.  You could spend more than a day here.  Fortunately, your admission is good for a second visit in the same week.


There was even a swamp tour offered.  We'll have to go back one of these days when Sarah Beth is a little older and is better at keeping hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times.  There are hungry gators out there, after all.


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