#28-It was bound to happen-The Big Easy was a BIG Disappointment, but Georgia has been "Peachy!"

The Big Easy! The Big Disappointment!

Not every place can be awesome…We both had such high hopes for our time in New Orleans. We both had been here many years ago and we were excited to spend a few days exploring the area and experiencing the French Quarter and the Garden District. We even allotted three nights for this special place. What a disappointment! We knew we didn’t want to stay right in the heart of the French Quarter, so we selected an RV Park about 5 miles outside of downtown. The place was clean and the owners were very nice, but I must admit, it was the first time on our entire trip that I did not feel safe (perhaps it was the locked gate at night, the persistent gun shots in the distance or the constant stream of prostitutes walking in front of the RV Park). I definitely had an uneasy feeling while at the RV site and walking through the French Quarter definitely made me quite nervous. It was even more sleazy than I remember.

All that being said…we did have some nice moments and we are glad that New Orleans was on our itinerary. We pigged out on Beignets at Cafe de Monde, had a nice lunch at the Rum House in the Garden District and The Bourbon House on Bourbon Street had great food, made a perfect Sazerac and introduced us to Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch (aka The Bourbon Milkshake)! No doubt these milkshakes will be served around the pool at Herons’ House this next summer!

Hot Tip #1 Be Aware of your Surroundings

I suppose that most big cities have an element of uneasiness as you walk the streets. We certainly hear the horror stories of San Francisco and Los Angeles; and we are reminded of the crime as we visit so many European cities, so I should not have been surprised by New Orleans. I guess the important part is to listen to your gut. Don’t go anywhere that you don’t feel safe and be alert and aware at all times.

Making our way to Georgia

We spent a night in Montgomery, Alabama at Gunter Hill Campground as we traveled from Louisiana to Georgia. This campground is part of the US Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds. These campgrounds have a rich history and provide beautiful campsites at very reasonable prices and are always near a waterway. This will not be our last time staying at one of these hidden gems. The campground was lovely-Lots of trees and a beautiful lake. Charlie and I took some great walks and Peder and I enjoyed the trails on our bikes. A nice respite from the hustle and bustle of city life in New Orleans.

We made a side trip to Tuskegee, Alabama to visit the Tuskegee Airmen Museum and Airfield. WOW!

If you have never watched the movie The Tuskegee Airmen, a true story about the first African American combat pilots in the US Army Air Corps, that fought in World War II, I highly encourage you to do so. (Of course Peder and I went back and rewatched the movie after visiting the museum.) So fun!! What an inspiring movie!

Georgia is “Peachy!”

We stayed at the best Harvest Host on the way to Savannah-Lane Southern Orchards-A Peach Orchard-of course! It was beautiful with acres of peach and pecan trees and open space for Charlie to run around. A welcome reprieve from our “Behind the Wire” RV Park in New Orleans, where we didn’t dare walk outside of the gates.

We arrived in Savannah on Thursday and we are so happy with Red Gate Farms RV Resort. The property is huge (440 acres) and so peaceful. There are lakes, walking/biking trails, an equestrian center, farm animals, a swimming pool and so much more. The Hop On Hop Off Trolley picks you up right on site and takes you 6 miles into the heart of downtown Savannah. So convenient. And I should mention that the staff here is so representative of that Southern Hospitality that you hear so much about! Savannah will definitely be one of our favorite memories of our adventure!

We had a great day in Savannah on Friday. The Hop On Hop Off Trolley was so informative and we learned so much about this very historic place. Enjoyed a delicious brunch at The Ordinary Pub and loved walking around the various squares of Savannah. And yes, I made sure to stop by and see Paula Deen's, famous Lady and Sons Restaurant. Saturday, we toured The Prohibition Museum (culminating with a drink at their Speakeasy)! I learned a lot about that time in our country’s history. Prohibition is something that of course I know about, but I never really spent much time thinking about it or the effects of it on our country and our history. Really quite fascinating! Dinner was supposed to be at The Common Restaurant (a sister restaurant to The Ordinary Pub where we ate the day before) in downtown Savannah, but we changed our minds and went back to The Ordinary Pub for dinner-such a great choice! Logan waited on us again and the whole experience was terrific and far from ordinary!

Prohibition Museum and the not so Ordinary...Bacon Old Fashioned with Pork Belly Donut Sliders from The Ordinary Pub

Lady and Sons; One of the many beautiful squares in Savannah; and Peder's best imitation of Forrest Gump on a bench in Savannah (The actual bench from the movie is now located in a museum.)

Hot Tip #2 For Your Reading and Viewing Pleasure

One of the things that we have loved doing on this adventure is watching movies and reading books about places that we are visiting. It is so fun to see a movie set in a specific place and then to visit that place and recreate the scenes or sit in the famous places that were in the movie or book. Savannah was no exception. Whether it was Paula Deen’s place from the Food Network, Chippewa Square from Forrest Gump where he sits and compares life to a box of chocolates or the many places referenced in the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s just cool to experience the places for yourself!

Lesson Learned: Not every place can be magical! I must admit that it would be a bit unrealistic to think that every place we visited on this trip would be awesome…But we have had pretty good luck so far! New Orleans was really the first place to disappoint. That’s not bad, considering we are towards the end of our year-long journey! In spite of our disappointment, I’m still glad we went and we do have some good memories from our visit.

Bummer of the Week: Feeling unsafe for the first time on our trip. I didn’t like it, but it did give me pause to think about the many people who live in areas where they don’t feel safe. I can’t imagine living with that feeling day in and day out. It would be stifling. It is hard to thrive when you are just trying to survive. I have been so blessed throughout my life to live in communities that were welcoming, safe, and inspiring.

Highlight of the Week: Cruising through the heart of Savannah and getting to see all of the different squares and appreciating each one for their history and their beauty. The large oak trees with the Spanish moss hanging down is like something out of a movie. Of course it helps that the weather has been absolutely perfect! I would love to come back and stay in the downtown area and just walk the streets and spend time enjoying each square.

Next Week: The Carolinas, Virginia and our most northern stop on this leg of trip-Gettysburg, Pennsylvania! Loving our great adventure and loving all that “The South” has to offer!