Cane River Creole National Historical Park — Attraction in Natchitoches

Closing at 3:54 = 4:00... My granddaughter is learning about National parks. On a recent trip from Kentucky to Texas she ask if they could stop so she could get stamps in her National Park Passport and coins at each one they found near their destination and on their way home. Today, they left Conroe, Tx on the way back home to Fort Knox, Ky. In looking at her passport her dad realized that Cane River National Park in La. was not exactly on the route home, but close enough he was will to go the distance so she could get another stamp in her passport. They drove for 5 hours to get there before closing so she could get her stamp. The park has a posted closing time of 4:00 pm on Sunday's.

They pulled up to the park at 3:54 as the attendant was walking towards the gate. The woman told them that they would have to turn around because she was closing. He said but it's not 4. She said, I'm sorry, you will have to come back tomorrow, I've already closed up. And he said, my daughter to obsessed with National parks, all she wants is a stamp in her passport and a coin, please. She said, no that would require her walking back across the parking lot and he said, I'll drive you and she said, no, you will have to come back tomorrow. He again explained that they were on their way home to Kentucky, and couldn't come back tomorrow... too bad so sad... she said no.

So, you want children to be involved and enjoy our national parks and this is the way you treat them... sad... so sad... my granddaughter was devastated. Not cool...

Never in my life have I felt more educated and enlightened-- The signs everywhere are super helpful and I love that everything is pretty well maintained. It feels pretty respectful to the history while keeping things very clean and pleasant to the eyes and mind. It's very wheelchair accessible too, even the shop! I'm truly impressed with how they managed to make that possible without damaging the integrity of the building, but they certainly did. Now, I simply cannot leave this next part unsaid. The lady who greeted us today was the lovely Miss Dee. She was extremely pleasant and offered a very informative and eye opening conversation. The conversation was incredibly engaging and it was a wonderful way to get everyone involved. My family is a bunch of chatter boxes, and she was sure to entertain us for as long as she could possibly allow before she had to (very politely) exit the conversation and get to her duties for the day. We very much intend to make a trip back here for the movie night and we are super excited to see more of what y'all have to offer. Any traveler must make a stop here for sure, and learn about the complex history of...

This review is for the Oakland Plantation. It's just down the road from Natchitoches, and the grounds are gorgeous. Just one family owned the plantation from the 1600s to the 1980s or so, so all of the buildings are full of stories. And not just the plantation owners, but also the slaves and later share-croppers that made the place work. I was amazed at the fact that the Park Service has done such a good job of maintaining relationships with all of the families that worked and lived there.

Only downside is the house is undergoing some renovations at the moment so you can't see inside it. The Park Ranger that was there did a great job of giving a tour, though, so it's still...