Exploring, learning, experiencing, I love to travel. I love
to plan trips. I love anticipating trips. My birthday is in the winter and I
have been whining about that my entire life. The weather is nasty, airfares are
too high, boo hoo hoo! For my 50th birthday I wanted a trip planned
to commemorate the occasion. My husband bought me travel books for my 48th
birthday on Australia and Hong Kong so I would have time to plan and research
both locations before I chose our destination.
Instead I got cancer right before I turned 49.
I loved the books but knew a long flight and exotic
destinations were not going to work after my treatments ended. My energy was
depleted, as were my vacation days. Even though I thought we had great health
care insurance our bank account also was dwindling because we had a cap on our
prescription drug plan. As my health returned I still wanted a celebratory
trip, scaled down and after my 50th birthday but still a trip.
We planned on a trip to Southern LA, Louisiana that is. I planned
the weeklong trip right after Mardi Gras.
We flew into New Orleans, rented a car and headed out to see the sights
of the old South in LA. This was
pre-Katrina southern Louisiana. People were friendly, food was fried and
delicious and the living was easy.
We stayed in two Bed and Breakfasts formally old
plantations, homey B&B’s, a haunted B&B and a bayou cabin. The pace was
perfect for me, slow and genteel. If the United States was Europe, Louisiana
would be a separate country. The French, Creole and Cajun influences make it
like no place else.
This trip wasn’t the big Australian or Hong Kong adventure,
but it was equally foreign to me and just as exotic. The language was English
but the accents had me guessing. The menus were written in English and my restaurant
French is good, but still I was surprised with some of the local delicacies.
The trip was restorative medicine for my soul and my spirit.
This is a blog for a Generation Fabulous blog hop on transformative
travel.
18 comments:
I'm so glad you enjoyed your vacation in my back yard. (I live in Baton Rouge). Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Travel can be healing. A change of scene and relaxation. That is all that is really needed, no? Glad you can see the good in life's offerings. Sometimes I have difficulty but am encouraged by posts such as yours.
Thanks Connie!
Thanks Nancy. You are exactly right!
You were really smart to scale it down but still visit someplace exotic. I have never been there but my daughter just visited and loved it.Someday ...
Oh, I have never been to Louisiana. I have lived in 9 different states, and I have driven across I-80 and I-70 a lot, but I have yet to visit Alaska, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Louisiana (!), Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia (I don't count the Atlanta Airport) or Florida. How lovely you got to go. And hooray for being a cancer survivor. Thanks for the description of LA and the pics.
This is such a lovely reminder that we can be as enriched and restored by travels closer to home as we can by those dream trips. Thank you. I needed that today.
I have only been to Baton Rouge, so would love to visit other parts of LA. I hope your cancer is gone!
Thank sounds amazing. I am coming to fall in love with the whole idea of B & B's, rather than cookie-cutter hotels. Love the pictures and descriptions, and congratulations on kicking cancer's ass!
Hi Helene, Thanks for telling me I was smart! It is a great place to visit!
Hi Karen, Thanks for your kind comments. It looks like you could have a great road trip starting in GA and ending up in LA with a side trip to Mississippi. It would be a wonderful tour of the South!
Fadedginger, thanks for commenting and reading. I love visiting the different states. Like I said Louisiana would be a separate country, then some of the other Southern states, then the New england states and then some of the Mid West states and California and Texas would be separate states, and the Pacific NW which would take Alaska etc. based on cultural similarities, history and geography.
Thanks for reading and commentingAlexandraFunFit. You would find it fabulous and Fun and I know you would find a way to eat the yummy foods and stay fit!
Thanks Beverly, I love to be encouraged as an ass kicker! I do like B&B's. I have to have coffee in the morning and I really like breakfast and at a B&B it is so easy. My sister and I stayed in one recently and no TV or phones because it was a romantic place. We are big readers so it was fine and the food was great as was the location but note to self to check out the vibe!
You make me want to go.
I'm so glad your health was restored :-)
Thanks Lori. It is a very interesting and fun area.
Wow I lived next to Louisiana for years and never even knew places like this existed. It's now officially on my bucket list. Thanks Haralee!
Louisiana is a very interesting state. I can see why many people love it and Southern LA is exotic!
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