Life was getting too busy with work and other activities with kids, and I knew it was time to take a break and relax. Lot of people think about going to beaches or mountains, but I decided, it’s time to hit the road and go to New Orleans. Even though a long drive is physically tiring, a good drive tends to relax me mentally. I said WHY NOT! My kids frowned… daddy not again and that too such a long drive… but I promised we would take a break. So, we started charting our plan… for such a long drive what will we need? 🤔 Snacks and fruits for the car, a good playlist of songs which suits everyone’s taste, movies downloaded on the iPad so that kids can watch and then OfCourse other secondary things like clothes etc…
Now there’s a lot you can do when you start your drive from North Carolina to New Orleans. We have been to South Carolina multiple times (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Foley Beach, Fort Sumter etc. are some amazing places to visit) and few places in Georgia (Savannah, Jekyll Island, Tybee Island, Atlanta – few must visit places) so we decided we will just stop in these states for rest stops, coffee, or food. So, wheels started turning and our journey began with an argument – Was I going to listen to Bollywood Songs (Kishore Kumar), or would my kids listen to their songs (BTS – Jungkook is my younger one’s favorite, Taylor Swift – my elder one’s favorite). Of course, my kids won, and we started with BTS.
Montgomery Alabama
Our first stop was Montgomery, Alabama where we could be staying overnight at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. The location of this hotel is perfect with restaurants and historical sites within walking distance (a mile or at the most mile and half). Right across the hotel is the Riverfront area with a lot of fun activities. We visited during Thanksgiving so not a lot of people were around, but I am assuming this place would be very lively in Summer.
We reached the hotel by around 7:00 PM. Weather was a bit on the cooler side. There were some decent food options around, some restaurants were closed and the ones that were open were packed with some wait time. We went to a serious Italian restaurant Sa Za. It was a bit chilly that night for a post dinner walk and as we were tired, we decided to call it for and go to bed.
Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama with a lot of significance in the nation’s history. It is nationally known for its many historic/cultural landmarks such as the Alabama State Capitol, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church, Civil Rights Memorial, Memorial for Peace and Justice, First White House of the Confederacy, Rosa Parks Museum, and many more. We couldn’t visit the Civil Rights Memorial or Rosa Parks Museum as they were closed.
MEMORIAL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
The visit to the Memorial for Peace and Justice was heart wrenching and shook us up to the core. Enslaved African men and women in a sculpture by the Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo at the site is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
As you walk through, the pavilion is filled with more than 800 steel-like, 6-foot-tall, rusted steel mini-monuments, some standing upright, others suspended. Each is inscribed with the name of a state and a county within that state (most are in the South), along with names (sometimes “Unknown”) of African Americans lynched in that county.
I believe one should surely visit this site as it shines a light on the history of racial injustice and mass atrocities and abuse. We left there with a powerful message (see image gallery above) that “Hopelessness is the Enemy of Justice, Peace requires Bravery, we need to be persistent because Justice is a constant struggle, but with Faith we shall overcome these challenges”.
MOBILE, ALABAMA
Our next stop after Montgomery was after a two- and half-hour drive in Mobile Alabama. We decided to visit the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. This memorial park is home to USS Alabama Battleship and USS Drum, one of the oldest submarines that did its adventures during World War II. We spent a couple of hours at the park and then got back on the road so that we could get back in time to New Orleans. Due to the limited vacation days we had to skip our plans to visit the gulf city of Biloxi, Mississippi that is famous for its casinos, the light house and beach.
New Orleans
It took a little over 2 hours for us to reach New Orleans where we stayed in Courtyard Marriot at the French Quarters. We booked this place at this was right in the heart of all the attractions, tasty food and close to the famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We checked in freshened up and head back on the streets for our dinner. We walked briefly down Bourbon Street where you are bound to hear music on every corner which would want to make you dance.
After spending some time on Bourbon Street, we went straight for dinner at GW Fins. The Atlantic Seabass with Shrimp Risotto and White Chocolate & Caramel Bread Pudding is amazing. One thing I noticed in New Orleans was that masks were very scarcely used but lot of the food joints there want to verify your vaccine card – so ensure you carry it with you or carry a digital copy on your phone.
The next day we went looking for breakfast restaurants and to our surprise there were crazy lines across all the breakfast places that were open. There was a minimum of 40 mins wait wherever you went. We decided to wait at Mena’s Palace, but the wait was worth it.
The goal after breakfast was to walk for the entire day and so we started. Our first stop was Jackson Square a historic park in the French Quarters in New Orleans. It was declared as National Historic Landmark in 1960, for its vital role in the city’s history, and as the site where in 1803 Louisiana was made United States territory pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase.
We walked up and down Canal Street – went to the mall on the waterfront, stopped by Amorino’s Gelato shop for some delicious gelato and macarons. It was time well spent. Now that we had our fair share of walk in the city and our legs were tired, we decided to take the Streetcar on Canal Street and head to City Park. The park is a beautiful 1300 acres site with a small lake where you can rent Swan boats, Bikes and have fun… Now this rental was closed because of Thanksgiving, but this park is a beautiful place to spend an entire afternoon/evening and have fun with family and friends. The Museum of Modern art (which was also closed) is in the city park. After a couple of hours spent at the park we decided to head back to the hotel and change and walk to the restaurant for dinner. We ate at Landry’s Seafood which is remarkably close to the waterfront. Their Seafood and their cheesecake were amazing. After dinner we walked back and hit the bed off to sleep.
Next morning was the most anticipated breakfast we had waited the past couple of days. The most famous Cafe Du monde. Each of us had our own share of nice and warm beignets and Chicory black coffee… YUM!
PS: Cafe is CASH ONLY!!!
After enjoying our fair share of black chicory coffee and beignets, we bid farewell to New Orleans on our journey back home.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
On our way back home, we stopped in Atlanta Georgia. Other than meeting some family, which was the main highlight, we did a few things which I thought was worth mentioning.
VICKERY CREEK FALLS, ROSWELL
Vickery Creek Falls is one of Roswell’s most visited and most photographed locations. Created as Vickery Creek Dam to help power the Roswell Mill, this now-famous waterfall is surrounded by hiking trails and years of history. The hike was beautiful, and the scenery was awesome. I would recommend a hike here.
RAMEN TIME
I added this section as a highlight because I just wanted to share this. We went to a restaurant called JINYA, a ramen restaurant in Atlanta. I loved the food. One thing unique about this place is that when the host walks the customers to their tables they yell (and so does the other restaurant staff) “IRASHAI” which means “Welcome”. They follow the Japanese culture of welcoming the guests into their place of business… How Cool!
We completed our Atlanta leg and drove back home. It was long at times tiring but an amazing road trip. The route takes you through some of the best places in the southern states of the USA. Plan your road trip properly, use this post as a guide and create amazing and lifetime memories with your family and friends. And as always please provide your comments and feedback on this post!!!
