Braithwaite Manor and the Black Morass

Twelve Oaks Plantation & Jean Lafitte National Historical Park🌾 Twelve Oaks Plantation is the real-life inspiration for Braithwaite Manor in Red Dead Redemption. Its defining feature is the twelve oak trees at the entrance—and I’m sure anyone who’s played the game has saved people or set fires here… 🌻🌻 ☘️This spot also appeared in movies like Forrest Gump, Django Unchained, and Gone with the Wind. Most of the plantation’s outdoor areas are free to visit, except for the fenced-off sections under renovation. Indoor guided tours run every 15 minutes and cost $25; no photos are allowed inside was taken through a window.When you reach the second-floor balcony door, the guide will let you take photos or videos. 🐊 The moment you open the door and see the two rows of oak trees stretching ahead (I recorded this—will post a separate clip for it) is truly breathtaking. Besides that, there’s a huge oak tree at the 4 o’clock position facing the main house (it’s the one on the cover)—definitely worth checking out. Two hours is more than enough to explore the entire plantation.🌳🌳 Next, we headed southeast to Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve—specifically, a private area within it. 🐊 This is the real-world counterpart of the Black Morass from the game, teeming with birds and 🐊 alligators ("swamp puppies," as some call them). There are two tour options: large boats and small boats. Large boats have a roof, carry more people, and move slowly. 🧁 I chose a small motorboat—it had fewer people, went faster, and could navigate deeper into the waterways, making the experience more thrilling. But 🌹watch out for sunburn —I got badly sunburned after just a few hours, so don’t make the same mistake!❄️ As we cruised into the swamp, our boatman (a Black guy) skillfully lured alligators out to feed. He’d stop occasionally to explain the area’s history and answer our questions. He was so comfortable around both adult and baby alligators that even when one got close to climbing on board, I didn’t feel scared. 😱😱 At the end, he brought out his 8-month-old pet alligator James for us to interact with —it was surprisingly docile☀️☀️ After the tour, we took a shuttle back to a restaurant. I didn’t dare try alligator meat, so I went with a classic old spot called Mr. B’s Bistro.⛄ I ordered BBQ Shrimp, a Creole dish—and it was surprisingly delicious, fresh and juicy! It’s definitely a dish I’d go back for. Shoutout to our server Brett—he was amazing 👍! Okay, next time we’ll head north to Saint Denis/New Orleans to explore the French Quarter and Garden District. To be continued… #NewOrleans #ForrestGump #RedDeadRedemption #GoneWithTheWind #Louisiana #Plantation