Hi friends.
Something crazy has occurred to Travis and I recently. We are over halfway done with our van life journey. It’s insane how fast time has gone by. Since coming back on the road after the break for the holidays, it seems like it’s been going by faster than ever before. Maybe this is because we have more guideposts along our way this year. We know where we want to stop and get to each month. It’s been great for keeping us on track, especially since we still have most of the west we need to get through. At this point of time, our plan is to stop at the end of August/Early September in New England.
I know I was teasing it before, but here’s the official announcement for those who don’t know: we are planning on settling down in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, specifically – Marquette. It’s where Travis and I visited twice last year and have spent the most time in one spot since being on the road (outside of the holidays at my parent’s house).
We have absolutely fallen in love with it there, and are excited to experience life in a place with a generally cooler climate. There is also tons of space for outdoor recreation. Marquette embodies the place Travis and I created in our minds years ago. It combines his love of the mountains with my love of being near water & forests, with a small city to tie it all together. Of course we didn’t know if a place like that existed and more importantly if it would be an affordable place to live. Now, we know it does and we are so excited about that next chapter in our lives.
The Panhandle of Florida
So, to recap these last two weeks. We spent one week in the panhandle of Florida and another week getting to and exploring southeastern Louisiana. Florida was a really special part of the trip for us. It was a week where we got to spend time with family, some that we didn’t even know existed. Let me explain. (Names omitted for privacy sake).
A few years ago, Travis had an ancestry.com membership to learn more about his background and where his family was from. It was really cool to see, but what we both weren’t expecting was to learn of other family members that not only existed, but wanted to connect with him. Halfway through 2020, Travis got an email from an older gentleman that lived in Tallahassee, Florida. They talked on the phone, and we learned that this man and Travis’s dad are first cousins. Travis grew up knowing that his grandfather was one of many kids, but that was about the extent of it. He didn’t really know of the distant family members. Fast forward to two weeks ago, and we were traveling through Tallahassee.
Travis called the man up out of the blue to see if he would be interested in meeting in person and if there were any other family members in the area that were available and wanted to meet up. Later that night, we met up for dinner with him and his wife, one of their four kids (a daughter), as well as three out of four of her kids along with their partners. Suddenly, Travis and I were surrounded by cousins that he didn’t know existed 24 hours earlier. Everyone was super kind, outgoing, and friendly and it truly became an emotional experience getting to meet extended family, with the blood related members having some similar features to Travis and his brothers. It was honestly incredible and such a cool experience to have and we are excited to keep in touch with all of them.
After Tallahassee, we made our way to Miramar Beach to meet up with other family members I haven’t seen in years. My great aunt and uncle moved there a while ago, and while we’ve kept in touch here and there online, it was awesome getting to visit with them in person and spend some time with them. They got to meet both Travis and PepperJack for the first time ever. We went out to a nice dinner with them, took a walk near the beach, and made some homemade pizza the following night. It was so great getting to visit and have a few days taking it easy.
On our way out of Florida, we did a great 6-mile hike outside of Pensacola at a state park.
Recommendations
Midtown Caboose – A burger joint in Tallahassee that had so many amazing burger combinations. Come here and definitely get the sweet potato fries, you won’t regret it.
Bijoux – This place was absolutely beautiful and has a menu that describes itself as coastal with a New Orleans flair. We got some delicious seafood and crab beignets and it was chefs kiss.
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park – A really pretty place to go exploring – it’s flat and easy to walk around, but you can definitely get some mileage on their trails!
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is such a fun place to be, and one of my favorite “foodie” cities. The people and the energy of the city is just unparalleled.
We spent the first few nights on the outskirts of the city. Travis visited with an old bike shop he used to have as a customer when working at CSG, and the three guys that own it are literally the nicest guys I’ve ever met. They gave us some great recommendations for places to go to get some delicious local food.
After our work days were over, we would try out a new place to eat. Of course we visited Bourbon street and were amazed at just how well Pepper Jack was able to handle all of the noise and people. We walked the French Quarter during the day, and drove around the Garden District that afternoon. New Orleans has a distinct French influence when it comes to architecture. It really came through when touring the city. The homes in the Garden District aren’t massive, but they’re visually stunning.
If you’re going to New Orleans anytime soon, plan on bringing your vaccine card. Almost every place we stopped at asked for us to show proof of vaccination or a negative test within a few days before we could enter the establishment.
Recommendations
Morning Call – This was a recommendation we got by a local, when we mentioned wanting beignets. We tried them and they were heavenly – super light and fluffy. That, coupled with the fact that there was no line, makes this place a better option for beignets than Cafe Du Monde.
Parkway Bakery & Tavern – We stumbled upon this place when we were looking for po’ boys to enjoy. Travis went in and asked for whatever two po’ boys they would recommend. We got two small sandwiches (which trust me – small is plenty).
Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House – We were recommended this place for their creole gumbo. It was absolutely delicious. We saw jambalaya and Louisiana crawfish bread also on the menu and we had to try. Everything was amazing, but the crawfish bread was by far the best.
Faubourg Brewing Co. – We ended up staying here over night as part of Harvest Host. They have a large outdoor space and beer garden. The beer is tasty and people were friendly. Also they host some fun events there during the weekend.
Broussard’s – This restaurant has a nice courtyard to sit outside that is dog friendly. We came here when we wanted the line for Cafe Du Monde to calm down. Well, we ended up being here for two hours having an excellent time. We drank bottomless mimosas, eating plate after plate of delicious food, and was serenaded by the in-house jazz combo featuring saxophone, upright bass and a banjo. 10/10 experience.
Let’s Discuss! Comment Below:
If you’ve been to New Orleans or The Panhandle – tell me your favorite spots!
If you could eat one thing from the food photos above – what would you choose?
What do you prefer: Jambalaya or Gumbo?
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