Vacation dreaming: A roadtrip through the Historic South

Ever since I studied in New Orleans, I’ve lost a piece of my heart to that incredible city. I can’t really describe what it is about that place, but I’ve been wanting to go back pretty much since I set foot on the plane that took me back home. New Orleans is warm, it’s fun, it’s music and long, hot nights. It’s cocktails and coffee, jambalaya and jazz. It’s the waitress at the café calling you “baby”. It’s the piano bar at Pat O’Brien’s - as clichée as the one song I remember most from there (Don’t Stop Believing). It’s the first cool breeze of fall that relieves the summer heat and humidity. I’m getting homesick for New Orleans as I’m typing these lines. There are many wonderful articles and blog posts about The Big Easy, but this one from Local Milk almost had me in tears, and this love letter couldn’t be more accurate.

It’s no secret that I met my boyfriend over there, where he was studying for the semester. And he’s no different - he loves the States and New Orleans, and we’ve been planning to go back for the past 3 years. Originally, we wanted to go this summer, but then things happened, jobs changed, backs got injured, and we had to postpone. Our idea is a road trip through the South, ending in New Orleans. We haven’t completely planned out the routes, but I have an ever-growing Pinterest board with inspiration for the journey. I even found the perfect car: Blacktop Candy’s rents out beautifully restored classic American cars, and I’ve got my eyes set on this amazing ’67 Camaro. Wouldn’t you just love to take it for a ride?

 

Here are a couple of places that are on my must-see list:

We all know them from the song (“Country Roads”), but the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains are supposedly one of the most amazing scenic routes in the United States, especially in the fall, when the leaves begin to change.

My plan would include a one- or two.day drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, spending the night in a cozy mountain lodge, sitting in front of the fireplace with a hot chocolate…

Depending on the weather, we might want to take a stop at Myrtle Beach and enjoy some time at the sea.

Of course, we’ll have to put a couple of days aside for Charleston! I can’t wait to explore that city, I’ve seen so many great pictures, and I really want to go!

 

Further down the coast, Savannah, Georgia, awaits, with all its Southern charm.

On the trip, I also want to make sure to visit some of the wonderful restored plantations, such as Magnolia Plantation near Charleston, or Houmas House Plantation, or Oak Alley Plantation, both in Louisiana.

I have many other places on my list, but would love any suggestions or secret tips you might have on what to see, where to stay, which charming little towns are worth a visit, where to eat the best Georgia peach pie or crawfish, … I can’t wait for late summer/ early fall next year!