Southeast
Louisiana
New Orleans is the crown jewel of Louisiana. Here you can find the iconic French Quarter where past and present clash to make a chaotically vibrant and alluring scene full of music, great energy and beautiful scenes of southern character. I truly enjoyed walking and exploring through the French Quarter as I saw scenes of Louisiana‘s best street entertainers, the passerby’s enjoying the show, and the beautiful historic buildings all throughout full of stories from a past still well remembered.
Walking through the French Quarter’s spaciously tight streets, I felt truly immersed in its noise and chaos.
Many scenes of strangers just having fun and living life to the fullest can be often seen.
St. Louis Cathedral forms a very iconic and distinguishable out line in the background of every picture; especially those taken by Jackson’s Square.
In the midst of its noise, there are plenty of spots in the French Quarter full of tranquil peaceful stillness.
Another favourite part of my trip down to Louisiana is surprisingly not any particular destination. It was actually the highway that I enjoyed the most. The views from the highways ( I think I took the I10 for the most part of it) was a pleasant surprise. I was absolutely enamored while I was driving; the road in many parts is elevated way above the ground. Actually, there is mostly no ground as I drove through and above many bayous, swamps, and wet lands. I passed through countless mangrove trees and hundreds of rivers. To the local native Louisiana resident, this may seem normal as they’ve driven through it many times. But to me who has never seen anything like it, it was an absolute beauty and a memory I would never forget.
Florida
Florida was a bit of a mixed bag for me during my visit. Its beautiful beaches with its perfect tropical temperature waters was an incredible thing to experience. It was also the first time in my whole van-life trip I had experienced and seen racism in broad daylight. So I guess Florida wins some and loses some.
West Palm Beach was where I had spent a majority of my time; a long time dear friend of mine lives here and we hung out quite a bit. Here I saw some of the lesser known areas of Florida. Here I saw what driving for uber foods is like at night, where Trump lived, what some of gated communities are like, the ugly ducks, where drug deals go down, what Kava is, and much much more.
Cocoa Beach is where the surfing culture in Florida really thrives. This is Kelly Slater‘s town and you could even see a statue of him in the center. Some iconic Surf shops are here and I was even able to surf some of their waves here. Its a pretty good surf spot and the beaches endlessly line the coast. A very pretty spot to visit and I’d highly recommend.
West Palm
The city itself is very nice, especially downtown. Here you could see where the happenings are at. Its a bit busy at times but overall, there’s a few nice, peaceful, quiet spots you could find by the waterfront.
District of Columbia – My time in Washington D.C. was a great one. I was able to park and sleep in my van in a parking lot right by the subway station, for FREE. Then I was able to hop on their great, clean, and safe transit system with little trouble for a seamless arrival right down in the middle of things. As I walked around, I was able to see iconic statues and monuments like the Washington monument, the Abe Lincoln monument, the WWII memorial and so much much more. The parks around was also great and buzzed with life. I then took some time to visit the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery and walk by the Capitol Building and The White House. All of this for FREE. That’s the key word of Washington D.C. for me. FREE and amazing quality full of beauty and class.
I’d highly recommend visiting if you are in the area or if you’re feeling extra “Amurican”.
I guess the beautiful architecture and buildings are also a big bonus
Gallery
Here’s a very limited collection and examples of what you could see for FREE in some of these galleries
If you’re feeling famished after a full day of FREE. Well, feel FREE to SPEND and BUY some delicious food from the many choices around. I personally went for the food truck.
Georgia – Savannah‘s Forsyth Park was one of my favourite stops in this state. The park itself is huge and you can explore all of it has to offer. Its covered with beautiful willow trees and historic statues litter the area. Better yet, it seems to be a popular spot to hang out in whether its just the daily dog walking or a full on game of sport on one of its fields or courts. The energy is great and being surrounded by the willow trees is a true treat.
Make your way down the River Street and see what all the shops and restaurants has to offer. If you’re not looking to spend, you could also just enjoy the great vibes and great views by the river. Nevertheless, Savannah has got a very unique and great relaxed vibe alongside its proud heritage.
Travellers Pursuits 