While in Louisiana researching a novel-in-progress, I was lucky enough to enjoy the peace, comfort, and charm of Bonne Terre Cottage for three weeks. The soulful wood cottage, with its soaring ceiling, wide porches, and sleeping loft, perfectly fit my desire for a peaceful retreat in nature balanced with a vibrant nearby social scene that included Cafe Des Ami and its Zydeco breakfasts Saturday mornings. (Can you say Fun?) Folks, the place is magical: fireflies sparkling in tree tops, cicadas signaling evening, and in the morning, the red streak of cardinals’ flight across a pond to a wall of roses, just to give a hint of what you can expect.

The host offers the right mix of southern hospitality and respectful privacy. For breakfast I ate eggs fresh from the owners’ hens, and dinners became feasts enhanced with herbs and veggies picked from the garden that day. Each evening, I looked forward to sitting on the wide porch writing in my notebooks and watching my hosts feed their horses and pygmy goats adjacent to my fenced yard. One evening, I went along to feed the cow, Matilda. I volunteered to feed the goldfish in a small pond with a fountain outside my door. A lovely five-acre pond is at the end of the road, and I walked there after dinner to watch the turtles, ducks, and pet my favorite neighborhood dog, Jade.

As for the cottage itself, the photos do a great job of showing you its sweet, lovingly built space. The dressing room and its big mirror, book shelves, dresser and wardrobe are a bonus. I made some wonderful meals in the kitchen, got some of my best rest in the cozy nest-like bedroom, and practiced my zydeco dance moves in the livingroom. Writing this review makes me feel “homesick” for a place (and its people!) that held me with grace as I ventured into completely new territory, arriving alone and having never before visited Louisiana. If you, too, are lucky enough to stay at Bonne Terre Cottage, please let me know the highlights of your stay in this special place. I do plan to return, possibly this fall.