Our trip to Montego Bay at the Riu resort is all booked. I’m so excited to finally see Jamaica!

Please donate to help the victims of the earthquake disaster. It’s as simple as sending a text message.

Text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross or Text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele Haiti.

Power in numbers. Power in people. Please give what you can and help.

Thank you.

New Orleans is filled with a grandiose spirit, a mystical warm ambiance which seems to fill the streets. The architecture is wonderful and more than I had expected from the French Quarter. Flowers hung boldly from wrought iron balconies and above the narrow block style streets.

I was excited to go to New Orleans – for me the city has always held some undying mystique and culture. Of course, we did not account for the Giants / Saints game and the BBQ Festival which made getting a hotel room very difficult.

We spent the afternoon walking around the French Quarter on a chilly fall day taking a walking tour that is outlined in the Lonely Planet Guide. Even though it was only noon people were already walking around the city with their “hand grenades” and other various beverages of an alcoholic sort. Bourbon Street to me was kind of lame and is the French Quarter’s answer to making frat boys happy – a macabre red light district, if you will. The other streets which surround the area are filled with adorable homes, dimly lit bars, and boutique shops. I fell in love with some antique chandeliers and furniture… one day.

After our walking tour we took a seat on some steps to enjoy street entertainment which was absolutely hilarious. The gentleman walked down steps on their hands and even did flips over some audience members, all while having a good time and making jokes about the passerby’s.

We celebrated our one year anniversary in New Orleans and time has seemed to really fly by. We dined at an African restaurant and later found a cozy bar where we sipped on wine and whisky. Many weddings were going on that evening and they paraded around the streets with their respective wedding parties sipping champagne and following a small marching band. The evening was filled with great romanticism.

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Our cab driver that evening talked to us about Katrina and the aftermath. His family lived in St. Bernards Parish which was the hardest hit. All 500 square miles of the parish were submerged in water ranging from 4′ deep to 20′ deep. While some of the parish has been rebuilt most of the residents have re-located to areas which are at higher ground. It’s very disheartening to know how the United States Government ignored these people and their pets and are still working on finding a solution for the levys. The Army Corps of Engineers still hasn’t finished their levy rebuilding project and if hit by another strong storm surge the parish will be devastated, yet again. Please see the following websites to learn how you can help donate or volunteer to aid these residents and their pets:

The American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund

Animal Rescue New Orleans

Habitat For Humanity New Orleans

Brad Pitt’s Project to Rebuild Eco Friendly Homes in the Lower 9th Ward

Please view our entire NoLa collection here.

We are about a month into the trip and it truly has been a wonderful experience — but before you go jump in your car and start caravanning behind us, I thought I’d mention some of the obstacles we’ve faced.

First of all, we have been in each other’s company almost constantly throughout the trip. The vast landscapes up north keep us together as we are either in the car or on a hike. We are both pretty stubborn (I have Priscilla’s permission to say that about her) so we often butt heads. For some reason it usually involves breaking down the tent. I think it will be easier to find some time to ourselves once we reach the Pacific Coast. Until then I always keep some chocolate close by to feed to Priscilla and she makes sure I get enough sleep.

Another obstacle has been the weather. After experiencing 100 degree days in The Badlands at the end of the first week, we ran into freezing temperatures in Yellowstone and a good amount of ran through Canada. We want to tent camp as much as possible not only for the experience but also to save money. However, it’s difficult to set up camp and cook in the rain so we’ve spent some nights in hotels. It’s also nice to take a shower without sandals on!

Food has also become an adventure. We’ve done a great job preparing some interesting meals but there are plenty of days when we have oatmeal for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly for lunch, and something with rice for dinner. Suggestions/donations/food care packages welcome.

Finally, there is the car. Gas has really added up, especially in Canada and Alaska. It’s crazy that Alaska, with all the oil the oil companies are pumping through the pipeline, has gas prices over $3 a gallon. As Priscilla has been saying, it’s rather insulting to the people of Alaska. We also have a tire pressure warning light that won’t turn off. It started on the road construction throughout Yellowstone, then went off on the smooth roads around Calgary before lighting up again on the bumps on the Alaska Highway. We constantly monitor the tire pressure and hope it goes off again soon. Since we rented the car from Hertz, it’s nice that they cover the maintenance (including having the car checked out to make sure the warning light wasn’t anything serious).

That’s about it. We have settled into a decent routine and are learning a lot about ourselves and each other. I think these above points are the nuances that make the trip interesting and help us grow individually and in our relationship. Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

I started tearing apart my apartment today and putting it in boxes. Also, I am trying to use up as many food products as possible. The result – I made hummus and banana bread today. I think both are pretty tasty. Tomorrow will be more of the same but Priscilla will be over to help. That will be nice.