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Monmouth Plantation is very worth the trip
Though Mississippi is two states away, the trip is a short one
By Elisabeth A. Doehring Splash! Magazine
 | | Nestled among other lovely homes in the town of Natchez, Mississippi is Monmouth, showpiece and most secluded spot for any romantic getaway. |
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Poor Rhett and Scarlett. Two "Gone With the Wind" lovebirds caught in the wrong time and place. If only they had Monmouth for their Lover's getaway.
Nestled among other lovely homes in the town of Natchez, Mississippi is the south's most whispered showpiece and the most secluded spot for any romantic getaway.
Recommended by the LA Times, New York Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure, Gourmet Magazine, Zagat Survey, Architectural Digest, and Victorian Homes, Monmouth is a place unto itself.
The original home was built in 1818 and later settled by General John Quitman, hero of the Mexican-American War and later a Governor and United States Senator from Mississippi.
Two young southern California lovebirds, Lani and Ronnie Riches, went on a pilgrimage to Natchez in 1977. They immediately fell in love with Monmouth and on Valentine's Day, the Riches purchased the antebellum home. What they first envisioned twenty-nine years ago is the modern day Monmouth Plantation.
Historic awards pour in for Monmouth year in and year out. In 1979 it was added to the prestigious National Pilgrimage Corporation and then in 1988 came the highest of honors of being designated a National Historic Landmark.
The magnificent Greek revival estate is situated on 26 landscaped acres. Mallards grace the grounds. Crickets serenade lovers and the aromatic fragrance of master gardener Larry Stewart's roses and draped wisteria beckon to the senses.
Mornings at Monmouth are a full Southern feast. Guests sip coffee and eat homemade foods in the centuries-old bricked modern dining room, known today as the Marguerite Guercio Breakfast Room. Pure and simple, Mary Green Bell Taylor oversees the kitchen. A sixth-generation Mississippian, Miss Mary's parents were sharecroppers in nearby Fayette. Everything that touches the plates at Monmouth is first inspected by Mary's careful eye and hands. Silky smooth grits are her trademark. "I use a wire beater to mix my grits. Keeps 'em creamy," explains Taylor. The twenty-year kitchen director is a perfectionist. Most cooks have forgotten the art of an old-fashioned cupboard and toil. Not Miss Mary. A perfectionist, she sifts her flour twelve times to make the fluffiest breads and breakfast desserts in the Magnolia State. "We had our own gristmill and we raised everything we atefrom vegetables to meatgrowing up," she says.
Taylor's demeanor with her guests is contagious. When not running the kitchen, "I am running my mouth with the guests," she smiles. This special Monmouth warmth extends to the front reception desk, bellmen, groundskeepers, evening dining room servers, housekeeping, and entire management staff.
Evenings are pure southern charm. No need for hooped skirts or plantation hats at this Plantation. The dress code is smart casual. Guests from all walks of life congregate and are treated to complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Sipping on Roosevelt Owens' straight Kentucky bourbon mint juleps is a Monmouth must. The first sip to the last taste is pure heaven. Roosevelt grows his own spearmint right on the grounds. As an honorary Kentucky Colonel, I myself have had many a mint julep. Owens' are smooth and outdistance any that I have been served at Churchill Downs or at the Bluegrass Stakes. No visit to Monmouth is complete without meeting up with and conversing with this effervescent bartender.
Dinners at Monmouth literally dazzle. Under Baccarat crystal chandeliers, nights sparkle under candlelight as five course meals are served in the main mansion. Chef Lanny Brasher's specialty dishes include fresh grilled Louisiana redfish topped with lump crabmeat and lemon buerre blanc and filet mignon topped with mushrooms and marchand di vin. Brasher incorporates fresh herbs from the Monmouth garden in many of his epicurean offerings. Wine lists are a compilation of French and select California vintages.
Every modern creature comfort has been provided in the elegantly-appointed thirty rooms and suites. Many of the rooms feature fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs. Each room is furnished with early 1800's antiques which have handselected by both owner Lani Riches and her friend and New Orleans antique dealer and interior designer, Buzz Harper. Lush window treatments, the creation of local Natchez designer Barbara Holland, give each room and suite an added ambiance. Other amenities include complimentary breakfast, daily morning tour of the grounds, a croquet lawn, and a nature trail.
Proposals of marriage are made among the gardens. Story book weddings of two to receptions of several hundred are held on the premises several times a month. Walking around Monmouth's pebbled pathways is an experience in southern romance. Couples hold hands and can be spotted lazing away in a hammock by the pond. Anniversaries are celebrated and many babies have been conceived among these mossdraped grounds. Couples often return with their children and grandchildren for family celebrations. Monmouth is also a favorite spot for marriage retreats.
Dignitaries, heads of state, Hollywood directors and producers, as well as Academy Award winning actors have stayed at Monmouth. Feature films, such as the civil rights epic "Ghosts of Mississippi" have been filmed on the grounds. Yet, to hear Lani Riches talk of her guests, you would hear a different story. "It's the couple who saves for two years to come here that really touches me. These people are more important to me than anyone else. We want Monmouth to be a beautiful experience for these special people."
"Romance is always in mind here," says Riches. "Our place is an experience in love-from our staff to our wonderful guests. It is like coming home. This place is a labor of pure love."
The Riches' nearly three decades of heartfelt efforts show. Rhett and Scarlett should have been so lucky. Monmouth is a modern day plantation that will indeed take your breath away.
Elisabeth A. Doehring is a travel writer for SPLASH magazine. Her features appear in major magazines and newspapers throughout the Southeast.
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