The oldest town in the Florida Parishes of Louisiana, St. Francisville, has a population of less than 1,800.  It doesn’t take long to see the charming and quaint town; however, we thoroughly enjoyed two highlights:  The Myrtles Plantation, which was a stop on our hop on-hop off bus tour, and the picturesque cemetery of Grace Episcopal Church.

The Myrtles Plantation dates back to 1796 and is surrounded by beautiful Spanish moss-covered live oak trees.  We were given a guided tour of the mansion that currently serves as a bed-and breakfast and features beautiful furnishings, as well as a 125-foot verandah with ornate ironwork.  Photography wasn’t permitted indoors, however, photos of the rooms can be found on their website.  Following the tour, we wandered around the property that includes bed-and-breakfast cottages situated around a lovely pond.

Back in town, we strolled through the historic grave sites at the church cemetery:

There were some attractive boutiques in town, including Grandmother’s Buttons. Located in a former 1905-era bank building, the boutique features a button museum in the former bank vault.

Located just 35 miles from St. Francisville, we cruised down river in the early evening arriving in Baton Rouge in time to enjoy the beautiful sunset and see the lights of the downtown skyline.

Coming up next:  BUSY IN BATON ROUGE