Come Take a River Cruise With Me
The Mississippi River Cruise aboard the American Queen was full of history all the way from New Orleans to Memphis. Along the way we stopped at St. Francisville, Natchez and Vicksburg. Today, I wanted to share my tour of Nottoway Plantation---the largest Antebellum Mansion. It was the first stop on our trip.
It was a bit cool that day with rain in the forecast so a raincoat was a must-have. So today, I'm featuring a fun rain-proof outfit that doesn't sacrifice on fun and color!
TL;DR
Come take a look at my river cruise with a look at the largest antebellum mansion.
I'm sharing a fun, colorful & rainproof outfit today perfect for Spring
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Tour The Largest Antebellum Mansion With Me
1. Kacie Slip-On Running Sneakers
(Ralph Lauren)
I brought along white denim this trip as it’s kind of spring but not really spring but I wanted a lighter color palette. Navy and cream with khaki was my color scheme for this trip but bright blue and white denim was just the pop of color I needed on a gloomy day.
A blue sweater (old, similar here and here) with yellow and white was the perfect choice. Comfortable walking shoes are a must when walking the grounds and touring the Nottoway mansion. These slip-on sneakers received so many compliments and are so comfy to wear.
High-Waist Straight Leg Jeans (Talbots) | Cable Knit Sweater (similar, Talbots) | Diagonal Cable-Knit Sweater (J.Crew) | Kacie Slip-On Running Sneakers (Ralph Lauren) | Balmacaan Rose Garden Raincoat (similar, Frances Valentine) | Joy Dot Raincoat (similar, Kate Spade) | Trench Coat (similar, Ann Taylor) | Both Ways Bucket Hat (similar, Lululemon) | Love Cap (similar, Tory Burch)
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2. High-Waist Straight-Leg Jeans
(Talbots)
Frances Valentine is a favorite brand of mine especially when it comes to accessories. This multi-colored blue raincoat (sold out similar here here, and here) was on sale so I decided to splurge as it’s a great spring transitional coat and I loved the color scheme. I love to wear a bucket hat (similar here and here) when it rains as it gives my hair and face protection from raindrops but also makes a fashion statement on its own.
High-Waist Straight Leg Jeans (Talbots) | Cable Knit Sweater (similar, Talbots) | Diagonal Cable-Knit Sweater (J.Crew) | Kacie Slip-On Running Sneakers (Ralph Lauren) | Balmacaan Rose Garden Raincoat (similar, Frances Valentine) | Joy Dot Raincoat (similar, Kate Spade) | Trench Coat (similar, Ann Taylor) | Both Ways Bucket Hat (similar, Lululemon) | Love Cap (similar, Tory Burch)
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3. Bonus Packing Tips
Packing for an extended vacation can be a bit of a challenge, especially when the temps on this trip ranged from the low 30s to the high 70s with rain interspersed. Talk about a packing challenge! But I have three hard and fast packing tips that always help me plan my wardrobe.
Pick a color palette. A neutral color scheme always works. Black and white, navy and white, camel and ivory to name a few. But having a color palette in place helps you mix and match the items in your suitcase to create endless combinations.
I. When I packed for this River Cruise I chose navy, cream, and khaki. It’s kind of spring but not really spring so I wanted to lighten and brighten my color palette without going overboard, because I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to ditch darker color schemes along with my cashmere sweaters and boots. I am more than ready to break up with old man winter this time of year.
II. Write down all of the activities on your vacation. Take this cruise for example. You have daytime excursions and evening activities. Plan for both. But it helps to write everything down on a piece of paper and you can fill in your outfits next to each category.
III. Check the weather forecast. Your weather will always dictate what you pack.
High-Waist Straight Leg Jeans (Talbots) | Cable Knit Sweater (similar, Talbots) | Diagonal Cable-Knit Sweater (J.Crew) | Kacie Slip-On Running Sneakers (Ralph Lauren) | Balmacaan Rose Garden Raincoat (similar, Frances Valentine) | Joy Dot Raincoat (similar, Kate Spade) | Trench Coat (similar, Ann Taylor) | Both Ways Bucket Hat (similar, Lululemon) | Love Cap (similar, Tory Burch)
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Alternative Stylings
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, I shared a first look at my river cruise. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Weekly Playlist
Beth,
Loved your pictures of Nottoway – some of the same ones I took when we were there. The river was high on our visit, so we weren’t able to dock there, and had to be bused in. As a Virginian, I was very interested to see Nottoway and learn its history. I’m so glad that you’ve had a wonderful time.
Gail
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide was so knowledgable and touched on so many aspects of pre and post-civil war. The good, bad, and ugly.
What a wonderful cruise! Thanks for sharing. The mansion is beautiful and the front looks straight out of the movies! Love you outfit; particularly the sweater. Don’t really like the bucket hat, but what else could you wear in the rain? Hats aren’t good on me, so I usually rely on a hood on a rain jacket.
Packing tips are always great! I like the color scheme you chose. I could definitely do that with the things I have. I always write down and plan out my outfits, then take the list with me. I also (if I’m not flying) pack my jewelry with each outfit in a packing cube. The alternative to that is put each outfit’s jewelry in a baggie, with a note in it as to what outfit it’s for, then all baggies go into a jewelry pouch which fits into a hotel safe. Works like a charm!
I have found rain hats to be very beneficial. Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give was my inspiration years ago to wear a bucket hat. But they’re not for everyone!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the post!
I always wanted to take one of these cruises. Thanks for sharing some pics as well as the clothing you wore.
If you love history, music, and good food, you will love this cruise!
Hi Beth! How funny, for a few years now I graduated from a written list of outfits to a laptop spreadsheet! The advantage is that it is easy to rework, and I update my spreadsheet from trip to trip. I have a running list attached to my spreadsheet for things I always need regardless of where we are traveling. Things like reading glasses I might forget. We are on our way to a big cruise this week, through the Panama Canal. This has been on our bucket list for a while. We also want to do a River cruise in the near future. Thanks for showing off your trip!
I’m impressed you have a spreadsheet! Well done! Keeping a record of travel outfits is so beneficial.
I grew up just a few miles from Nottoway. My sister worked there for a while, and we’ve had several events and receptions there. I’m so glad the new (not that new anymore!) owners invested so much into it.