The turkey and pumpkin pie of Thanksgiving are already a memory, the holiday season is in full swing and it’s hard to believe November has come to a close. November is a time for gratitude and I’ve had quite a bit to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my amazing friends and family, both those nearby and those I don’t see nearly often enough. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve gotten to know through my own little corner of the internet (that’s you guys!). I’m thankful for the adventures and experiences around the world that I’ve been extremely fortunate to have. Most of all, I’m thankful that I have Steve by my side for all of it.
I started November with a trip to Louisiana with Travel Mindset, going beyond New Orleans to explore Baton Rouge and Plantation Country. My trip start off a bit rocky when the rental car agency I booked with was out of cars (yes, you read that correctly, they had not a single vehicle available, glad I made that reservation). I promptly walked to the next desk over, got lined up with a Ford Focus and was on my merry way.
I spent the next few days eating m way across Baton Rouge (the rabbit dumplings and boudin balls at City Pork along with the scrumptious pies at Elsie’s Plate & Pie are reason enough to visit) as well as exploring Baton Rouge‘s downtown. Art can be found both inside (the interiors of both the Old and New State Capitol buildings are gorgeous) and outside in Baton Rouge’s blossoming street art scene.
An hour south of Baton Rouge in Plantation Country the setting was a bit different. Intensely green sugarcane fields go on for miles interrupted only by the occasional plantation house and of course the mighty Mississippi River. I spent the night on the grounds of Oak Alley Plantation and the cottages here are super cozy and the perfect base for exploring the area.
Back home the rest of November was fairly quiet for me. I spent a lot of time making technical updates to the site and didn’t get a whole lot of posts out this month (I’d love to hear how you guys like the new layout!). But most of all I was happy to have a great Thanksgiving Day with my family and a few close friends.
What I’m Loving
‘Tis the season for giving, and in that spirit I’d like to highlight a few charities that I feel are doing great work.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides support to people and caregivers affected by Azheimer’s Disease now and funds research in hopes of curing Alzheimer’s in the future.
The American Cancer Society provides aid to people dealing with cancer, including rides to treatments and free hotel stays near hospitals during treatment. The American Cancer Society has contributed nearly $5 billion to cancer research.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation works to clean and preserve the Chesapeake Bay for future generations to enjoy and for a diverse array of wildlife to thrive.
Chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen works to provide food to communities in need as well as provide meals during natural disasters like the wildfires in California.
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