Into the Folsom Woods

My seventeen-year-old daughter, Cecilia, started riding and showing horses as a jumper when she was five. She is skilled and devoted to this terrifying sport, her greatest passion; and significant portions of her life, my magnanimity, and our family’s pocketbook are devoted to the care and training of her horse, Spyboy. But here’s the thing: Cecilia is a lovely person and a hard-working honor student any parent would be proud to claim, and by this time next year my baby will have flown the coop for college. This makes every existing moment between now and the end of next summer precious to me.

Determined to wrestle every nanosecond from the remainder of my daughter’s time under my governance, I recently determined to share in her exuberance and enjoy myself the next time we traveled to a horse show. Being the sap that I am, I was seeking a transcendent, Hallmark-esque bonding experience. So instead of booking accommodations at the usual Fred’s Beds/Super 8/random-place-to-crash when we attended a September show in Folsom, I decided to book us into someplace special, memorable.

My choice did not disappoint.

AMID THE STARS

It was a dark Wednesday night, and hours later than I expected to arrive when Cecilia jumped out of the car to open the rustic wooden gates marking the entrance to Little River Bluffs Nature Preserve & Retreat. We passed a tranquil waterfall glowing in the moonlight as we drove along a densely wooded path to The Lodge House close to the water’s edge along the fifty-acre retreat. Had it not been for a discreet wooden sign and a glowing lamp within, I would have missed the house altogether, so unobtrusively was it crafted to blend into its environment. As I was parking the car under a tree, my mobile phone rang. It was David Campbell, the gracious and elegant owner and proprietor of Little River Bluffs. “Are you here yet? I’ve been worried. I don’t rest until all of my little chickadees are accounted for. Good, good. I’ve left you a loaf of my freshly baked tea bread and some fruit preserves. Enjoy.” 

David, an Arkansas native and certified yoga teacher, explained that he had fallen in love with the wild nature of this land in the late 1960s while working as an attorney with a prestigious New Orleans firm. He bought the land, pitched a tent, and spent years leading a double life: that of an urban lawyer and architectural preservationist with historic property interests in the city’s Warehouse District during the week, and that of a rugged, no-frills nature conservationist and tent-dweller every weekend.

After seven years spent living in a series of tents, he was inspired to build an open-sided gazebo to facilitate cooking. He then erected a one-room cabin at the site, which ultimately evolved into the showplace the Lodge is today. He kept it as his private home until just a few years ago when he relocated to his current home adjacent to the entry gates at the front of the property. 

With 3,400 square feet, the Lodge is the largest of the property’s four secluded guest cottages. Historical lithographs line the walls, along with photography and other works of art, many by local artists. On the evening of our arrival, an abundance of natural wood, stone, and floor-to-ceiling windows created a seamless balance between the golden glow of ambient light within and the dark woods outside. Design buffs, Cecilia and I delighted to discover Van der Rohe and Eames chairs among the furnishings.

Before each of us claimed one of the two spacious upstairs bedrooms, we spent twenty minutes opening all of the curtains and lifting all of the blinds as far as they would go. The display of evening stars was mesmerizing.

DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT

Our bedtime preparations were well worth the effort; with every moment, as the sun inched further into the morning sky, the stunning view of the lush woods and the artesian-fed Tchefuncte River beyond came more vividly to life. Invisible the night before, a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired stained glass window glowed on the landing of the wide, oak staircase; and expansive levels of decks and balconies and shaded gazebos beckoned us outdoors for a breakfast of David’s tea bread and the Canadian bacon, juice, fresh eggs, and coffee we found in the well appointed, galley-style kitchen. The refrigerator also held a pitcher of the sweet, fresh well water from the property.

It was early autumn and we walked some of the trails David and his friends, attempting to preserve the native plants, had reverently hand-cleared through the woods. We discovered delicate clusters of French mulberry, fragrant honeysuckle, cheerful sunflowers, and both golden and purple Asters among the foliage. A few yellow and faint-orange leaves hinted at the riot of full-on autumn color that would soon arrive. When the leaves fall from the trees, violets, Carolina moonseed, and black cherry will enliven the winter landscape. Rare, silky camellias and azaleas are abundant around the property, particularly just off the main deck at the rear of the Lodge. The spring must surely offer a dazzling display of color when the forest is fully abloom.

The show grounds are located just four miles away, which made for an easy retreat back to the splendor and tranquility of Little River Bluffs after a day with the horses. Upon our return one evening we encountered The Welcoming Committee: Billy, Spot, and Eliza Jane Doolittle, a tiny canine with an uncanny resemblance to a Furby. David’s trio of friendly dogs shares the property with an abundance of wild brethren, including beavers, river otters, both red and gray foxes, minks, armadillos, raccoons, deer, opossums, coyotes, skunks, shrews, moles, rabbits, squirrels, and a rainbow of birds from owls to giant blue herons.

That same evening we strolled around the stocked pond to discover a collection of impressive sculptures including “The Visual Ohm” by Michael Heck, featuring undulating eight-foot tentacles fashioned from tubular welded steel; a swiveling chair in the form of a large, splayed-open hand entitled “Let Me Take You on a Ride” by Eric Sarbach; and “Global Directions” by Trey Bryant, featuring three figures of concrete plaster over wire net and heads and feet of iron.

TREASURE HUNT

Cecilia’s friend Claire joined us on Saturday afternoon, and we made good use of the kayaks we found at the river’s edge. Suffice it to say we are not natural-born boaters, and we exhausted ourselves laughing and fighting our way back into the slender crafts we repeatedly capsized into the clear, cool water.

David had told us there was a gazebo to the rear of the Lodge with a spacious hot tub, and Cecilia and Claire determined that a soak within was the ticket to our restoration. One problem: we couldn’t find the gazebo. Like the Lodge, all of the structures on the property are configured to be minimally invasive to the natural habitat. We found a gardening shed and a structure used for storing firewood before we finally found the fabled gazebo with the hot tub. It was fifteen feet from where my car was parked, more or less invisible until we were right on top of it.

Like the Lodge House, each of the other guest cottages at Little River Bluffs has its own private access to the river as well as a screened porch, swing, hammock, kitchen, barbecue grill, air conditioning, ceiling fans, Wi-Fi, fireplace, washer and dryer, pillows, linens, towels, and bath amenities. Each cottage offers these creature comforts, yet each has its own distinct vibe.

Because of its location adjacent to a forested crescent, The River Chalet offers the most extensive views of the river and the woods to be enjoyed through its twenty-five-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows or from its open, cantilevered deck. I could enjoy a freezing-cold day here, with a warm blaze roaring in the stunning soapstone fireplace.

The Meadow Cabin, located near the stocked pond and a wildflower meadow, has an interior crafted entirely of native Louisiana cypress, while The Tree House, available only by the week, is situated high among the pines and magnolias. River access is provided via a rope to aid the slide down to a sandy bluff. Across the river from The Tree House is a beaver slide down to the water.

David has created an enchanted place; we’ll be back.

OTHER EXCURSIONS

If you feel inclined to do something other than simply veg out, float in the river, or fish in the pond during a stay at Little River Bluffs, the Global Wildlife Center is located about fifteen minutes away. It should be noted that the wooded retreat offers the closest accommodations to the popular safari attraction. An extended family or group of friends could book a retreat in the woods with a one-day outing to the wildlife park where giraffes, antelope, camels, and zebras literally eat from their hands.

Historic, serene, and beautiful, St. Joseph Seminary and Abbey is located in the opposite direction and is also within fifteen miles or so from the retreat.

SUSTENANCE

Gene’s Grocery is located about two miles away. In addition to milk, bread, and other staples, Gene’s also stocks specialty items from Poche’s Market and boucherie in Breaux Bridge. Look for shrimp- or crawfish-stuffed, deboned chickens to toss in the oven for an easy, delicious dinner; andouille sausage for the grill; and cracklins to munch in the car on the way back to the retreat.

Gus’s Restaurant is about ten miles away and for decades locals have gathered here for breakfast and lunch. It’s a humble place where you stand in line at the counter eyeballing the regular menu on the wall behind the cashier then check out the daily specials scribbled out on a dry-erase board. For under $10, you can eat like royalty, enjoying comforting favorites like tender pot roast with carrots, chicken Parmesan, stuffed bell peppers, or meatloaf and mashed potatoes. There are plenty of poboys to choose from, too.

Located adjacent to Gus’s, Hot Tamale Mama sells a selection of house-made tamales in traditional as well as unexpected varieties such as beet and portabella mushroom, lentil and sweet peppers, and artichoke and roasted garlic as well as lasagna, quiche, and an array of soups.

Year-round, rain or shine, area farmers and food vendors gather at the Covington Farmers Market to offer beautiful local produce, fresh garden flowers, and prepared regional specialties. A Saturday market is open from 8 am–noon in historic downtown; a Wednesday market is open from 10 am–2 pm.

Every Saturday from 9 am–1 pm, the Folsom Community Farmers Market springs up on Railroad Avenue from Rosa Cryer Street to Garfield Street. Look for fresh produce, prepared foods, plants, crafts, and live entertainment, plus the Back-to-Basics Series with local “do-it-yourself” experts.

Details. Details. Details.

Little River Bluffs

11082 Garden Lane, Folsom

(985) 796-5257 • littleriverbluffs.com

Global Wildlife Center

26389 Highway 40, Folsom

(985) 796-3585 • globalwildlife.com

St. Joseph Seminary and Abbey

75376 River Road, St. Benedict

(985) 867-2232 • saintjosephabbey.com

Gene’s Grocery

1052 Highway 1078, Folsom

(985) 796-3664

Gus’s Restaurant

82343 Highway 25, Folsom

(985) 796-0230

Hot Tamale Mama

82343 Highway 25, Folsom

(985) 796-1992 • hottamalemama.com

Covington Farmers Market

Saturday: 609 North Columbia Street on the side lawn of City Hall

Wednesday: 419 North New Hampshire Street

(985) 892-1873 • covingtonfarmersmarket.org

Folsom Community Farmers Market

(985) 796-5607 • historicfolsom.org