My visit to Boone Hall Plantation is one that I will never forget. It almost felt like I was walking onto a movie set. Surreal! Stepping back into time and entering a new space and era.
When Bill and I married (way back in 2001), we honeymooned in Hawaii. We spent a few days on Kauai and I remember making him drive up and down a tree-lined street about 50 times. He continued on repeat while I soaked in all that nature. I knew he was a keeper when he didn’t protest. I’d never seen anything so beautiful…
I’m from NYC and we don’t have a lot of greenery as you can imagine. Most of my vacations were spent in Malta – which is filled with limestone and rock. It was at that moment that I fell in love with trees.
I Was In Tree Heaven: My Visit To Boone Hall Plantation
You wouldn’t really know this unless you’ve been in my house, but my bedroom is actually filled with pictures of trees (not enough if you ask me). They are my absolute favorite things to look at – well, besides my children of course.
In fact, the reason why we started house hunting in my town was because of the tree-lined streets! That sealed the deal for me. Bill, on the other hand, was more concerned with schooling and taxes. LOL! That’s why we are a team.
Imagine what I felt as I entered Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina with Infiniti. Almost brought me to tears. If only I had gone with Bill! 🙂
I couldn’t help myself. I had to get my partner to snap a shot of me. I was the only blogger on the trip, so I felt funny asking. But I couldn’t walk away without a little documentation.
The Notebook Filmed On Location Here
If Boone Hall Plantation looks familiar, then you’re a fan of ‘The Notebook’. This is where that movie was filmed. I’ve never seen the film – YES I KNOW I SHOULD.
Every friend I have practically slaps me in the face when I tell them I have no desire to watch the movie. I just don’t see the point of willingly watching something that is guaranteed to make you cry so hard that you end up dry heaving in the corner. Call me crazy…
Slave Quarters At Boone Hall Plantation
Unfortunately, all this beauty has an ugly past. These little houses were the plantation’s slave quarters.
I was told at least 50 slaves would sleep in each. Only a few windows to help endure those South Carolina summers. How dreadful. Once these quarters were pointed out, most of the magic sort of slipped away.
Growing Cotton
I even had a chance to walk through a cotton field. This, again, held double meaning for me. I thought it was really cool to be able to see first hand where cotton comes from.
But this was also one of the many duties the slaves had to perform pre-Civil War. I felt like I was visiting a grave – paying homage to it, respecting it, finding beauty in it… and then walking away from it all a different person.
The Boone Hall Plantation was a historical wonder that was filled with beauty, sadness, and hope. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to visit the property because it reminded me how lucky we all are to live in today’s day and age. We have a long way to go … but look how far we have come.
It’s important to honor. It’s important to learn. It’s important to never forget. It’s also important to not pretend that it never happened. But it is our duty to learn from the past and grow as well.
lizzys
Saturday 24th of March 2012
looks like a good visit. thanks for the beautiful shots:)