I wrote about The Excelsior House last June when we last stayed there. The hotel was built by riverboat captain William Perry in the 1850s and it has been in continuous operation ever since. We first stayed there in 2011 and this weekend makes our fourth time to stay there.
Our favorite room is number 104: the Diamond Bess room. I love it for the lovely private sun porch adjoining the room. Both the sun room and the bed room have been redecorated since our last stay.
I love the old furniture; check out that marble topped dresser! (Remember, click on the pictures to enlarge).
When we checked in we went straight to the sun room to watch the rest of the marathon, 18-inning Texas Rangers game (they lost).
The room is white with turquoise accents.
Lots of places to sit...
On that baker's rack you'll see books; you're welcome to take and leave a book as you wish when you stay.
I suspect the decorate furnished that Martha Stewart cookbook on the top shelf because it matches the color scheme of the room. I was intrigued with the Caesar biography on the bottom shelf.
The bowl of books on this shelf held a copy of Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father which looked interesting.
All in all, it's a very relaxing spot to curl up and read, visit with friends, or take a nap!
We spent the evening at Auntie Skinner's listening to the fabulous Soulfish Blues Band.
We had a grand time and shut the place down.
This morning I explored the courtyard right outside our room at the hotel.
The fountain is filled with koi and turtle, both tiny and quite large. Those windows are on another sun porch where you can sit and have breakfast (not usually an option on Sunday, sadly).
I love this salmon begonia growing in a planter outside my door; I'm on a mission now to find some that color:
All of the landscaping is pretty, actually...
I like it because it's a little wild and untended in a way.
There are plenty of nooks where you can sit and visit:
And the sound of the fountain is relaxing.
Now this spot gets a little tricky to sit in during the later part of the summer; that's a big ol' fig tree and when those figs get ripe there are wasps and bees buzzing all about.
There are figs on the tree now but they aren't ripe yet.
We checked out of the hotel, found some breakfast, and hit a couple of shops before heading home. I love The Walnut Street Market because they have the coolest architectural salvage stuff.
How about a pink porcelain sink?
One of my goals this summer is to take down my storm door and put up an old fashioned screen door. This one is close, but not quite it:
Need a scoreboard?
Tons of knobs, glass pulls, hinges, heater radiants, and back plates to dig through...
And outside there are multiple sections of cypress picket fencing. Excellent!
How about a concrete chicken?
We poked around for a while, bought some fudge and chocolates from The Old Store, and headed home as rain was moving in.
We took a new route home, always back roads for us, via Karnack and Highway 9, and ended up on South Lakeshore Drive when the rain got so hard we couldn't see anything. Since we were five minutes from The American Legion we just pulled in there and had a drink and a visit with friends while the storm passed. Can you see the heron on the end of the pier?
See him now?
I guess he was waiting out the storm, too.
Now it's time to do laundry and unpack the little treasures I bought.
The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:
Take a Trip to the 2012 Natchitoches Christmas Festival
Take a Trip to the 2012 Grand Cane Pioneer Day and Christmas Parade
Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFBTake a Trip to the 2012 Grand Cane Pioneer Day and Christmas Parade
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to the Fourth Annual Barksdale AFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to the Third Annual BAFB Oktoberfest
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation
Take a Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Oktoberfest at BAFB
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