Hey all! So I have been planning / brain storming my road trip across North America which I hope to do within the next couple years. I am projecting my dates in the winter months as it makes little sense to visit hot weathered places in summer (like Death Valley) only to come back to the Canadian prairies for a -40 C winter...

Anyways on my list is all sorts of awesome places like The west coast (San Francisco and San Diego <3 ) as well as Arizona NM and so on. I plan to spend more significant amounts of my travel on the states of California, Massachusetts and south like Virginia and such. However, on my list is going to the Deep deep South. I know many would say Florida but I want to think outside the box and avoid the "tourist" places during tourist times for my own peace of mind. So I instead thought of Louisiana or Georgia to spend most of this extended time in the region. My question is which one do you prefer if ya have been? And which do you think a trans person may be more protected? I don't want this to be turned into a political bash but I am curious which one is more open minded about trans rights? I would assume Georgia as a whole would be more progressive then Louisiana (that being not including New Orleans), however assumptions aside i heard that All of Georgia can get rather cold even in winter whereas Louisiana is still rather warm to hotish during that time. My dad also mentioned something about us having long lost family possibly in Louisiana too. Granted is Georgia isn't cold during winter like a couple people said I see they have nicer beaches then Louisiana. Still it would basically come down to New Orleans vs Atlanta or Savannah. Babbling aside here's what I wonder which is better for a winter trip for:

Trans rights/ public acceptance:

Weather:

General friendlyness:

Affordability:

Food:

Nightlife:

It strongly depends on exactly where you go. I live in Atlanta, and it's very accepting. If I recall, it's actually the second most LGBT friendly city in the US, after San Francisco, according to some study. I'll admit I'm biased, but I think it's a great place to visit.

But NOLA is great, too. Honestly, outside of the big cities, both states are mostly rednecks and the likes. I believe that Georgia has better nature stuff and whatnot, though. Louisiana is all marshy, but we have a good bit of just about everything but desert.

Hey thanks for the reply! Yeah I'm still trying to figure out which one be better, I'm leaning NOLA but Atlanta seems really cool tho

I live in Georgia and agree that Atlanta is very LBGT friendly.  However, for a tourist I think that New Orleans should be on your list for a day or two just to see it.  If you're driving I can make some recommendations as I've driven that southern route between California and Georgia many times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: Deborah on April 28, 2018, 03:43:52 PM
I live in Georgia and agree that Atlanta is very LBGT friendly.  However, for a tourist I think that New Orleans should be on your list for a day or two just to see it.  If you're driving I can make some recommendations as I've driven that southern route between California and Georgia many times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh please do!!

Quote from: Deborah on April 28, 2018, 03:43:52 PMHowever, for a tourist I think that New Orleans should be on your list for a day or two just to see it.

I agree.  I have visited New Orleans once, and it was fun.  It's the only place in the South I've been, and that was pre-transition (by several decades), so I can't answer your other questions.

First off, Florida is not 'the South', it's infested with retired and snow-bird Yankees!

Second, if ya come Atlanta can take ya to Erin's 'group', might even have a room for ya, if don't mind sleeping with 'grandbabies"! Many gay/trans bars exist but can't help there, am a stay-at-home type but there's the Zoo, Aquarium two 'Six-Flags', one for riding one for getting wet and hiking goes for miles . . .

Besides, if 'going West' Louisiana & "NOLA' would be next stop on itinerary, assuming I-20 thru Texas! (Actually think that's I-10 past Georgia's beaches)

My town is redneck central, even has a cafe' named same, the KKK and fascists are our friends (yea right! see this post) but don't let that discourage you!

Ashley,
   I lived in Savannah a few years and would recommend avoiding it. The beach is rock hard sand and very uncomfortable to lay on. The racial, LGBTQIA attitudes there are questionable, last time I visited anyway. I hated it there. Atlanta is  much more accepting. My gay nephew lives there and fits in fine. I can't speak to New Orleans, but I hear people who really like it. A place I really liked was Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It's a touristy place in the middle of the mountains but there is a lot to do there. It is close to Pigeon Forge as well. Do you like river rafting? They have music, moonshine tasting, and zip lining. I think because it is so touristy the climate is better for folks like us to be safe. All in the middle of the beautiful mountains!
Moni
Might be kind of shut down in the middle of winter. Toward fall or spring might be better here.

Quote from: SailorMars1994 on April 29, 2018, 08:22:08 AM
Oh please do!!

I've lived in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia.  There are two ways to get across the Southern USA, highway 10 and highway 20.  Highway 10 is the way to go; highway 20 is just long and boring.  I've driven and lived along most of the length of highway 10 so I'll list the places that I always enjoyed visiting.  Some of them are a little off the highway though.

In Arizona the Grand Canyon near Flagstaff is magnificent.  You could spend anything from a few hours to a few days there.  Going east on hwy 40, near Winslow is the meteor crater from a big meteor strike 50,000 years ago.

In New Mexico my number 1 is Carlsbad Caverns.  It's a huge cave with a restaurant 900 feet underground.  I used to take my family camping there.  If you're driving from the Grand Canyon then another place that's kind of on the way is Lincoln, NM where Billy the Kid lived and was involved in the Lincoln County War in 1878.  I really like history and found that place interesting.  Other nature places I liked in NM were White Sands National Monument (I lived close to there) and the Carrizozo lava fields on the way to Lincoln from White Sands.  There are also some really old Indian sites with mysterious rock carvings around there.

From Carlsbad, NM you can go south to get on Hwy 10 to San Antonio, TX.  San Antonio is a great town.  My number 1 there is the Alamo and Riverwalk which are next to each other.  There is also a Sea World, Six Flags Theme Park, and a bunch of really old Spanish Missions. 

From there New Orleans is only 600 miles further down the road, LOL.  I always liked getting Cajun food too in any number of restaurants in Louisiana.

If you like Casinos then there are a bunch in Biloxi, Mississippi right off Hwy 10.  From there you just continue on HWY 10 to Mobile (there is a WWII battleship there if you like that sort of thing), then north on Hwy 65 to Montgomery, then Hwy 85 to Atlanta.

One note.  The rednecks, especially in the Southeast, get a really bad reputation in the press.  Most of that is way exaggerated.  People here regardless of race get along very well and most everyone is polite to each other.  One time a skinhead tried his best to pick up my daughter and she's half Asian and looks mostly Asian.  I told her that the guy needed to go back and check up on his white supremacy ideology.  I personally live on the Alabama border and while I wouldn't label this area LGBT friendly I've also never heard of any incidents around here against LGBT people.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Austin, TX!

Quote from: Deborah on April 29, 2018, 11:05:07 AM
In Arizona the Grand Canyon near Flagstaff is magnificent. 

Don't forget South out of Flag is Sedona and Lake Havasu City, home of the London Bridge and California's Colorado River playground . . . and if heading North toward Vegas there's Laughlin Dam (more casinos) and an out of the way donkey town, where they still have "high noon" gun-fights, called "Oatman".

A couple of months ago I went on a road trip. Fredericksburg, VA > Savannah, GA > Tampa Bay > Mobile, AL > New Orlean > Houston > Amarillo, TX was my route through the southern portion of my trip.

I didn't have a single problem throughout my whole trip. The cashier at a gas station somewhere between Houston and Amarillo mean mugged me after I came out of the women's restroom, but that was it. That was the worst thing that happened to me. Still, kept pepper spray in hand any time I was outside of my car in a non urban area just in case.

My biggest piece of advice is pick a few places and stay there longer rather than trying to see as many places as possible.  I put too many destinations on the itinerary, so I didn't get to explore much. I personally loved New Orleans the best. It's colorful and grimy and I loved it! The gulf coast has the best food if you like spices, and New Orleans is no exception.

I ate the best breakfast I've ever had in Mobile at a restaurant called Spot of Tea. I ordered the Eggs Cathedral (crab cake benedict with cajun hollandaise) and a side of deadly potatoes. My Airbnb host told me that Mobile County has some of the strictest hate crime laws in the country. Apparently it's illegal to block someone from using the restroom.

People in Savannah were really nice, though I was staying 20 minutes away on Tybee Island. Ate well, didn't stay up late enough to check the nightlife unfortunately.

Mobile county as in mobile Alabama still? Interesting! Much like when I plan to travel acorss Europe (that's way later, so much later I haven't put any pen to paper plans yet) I want my travel across the US to take me to some cool places! I would love to travel and see the obvious (Boston, San Fran) but inalsonwould like to see areas that are in "red" states, as many of those states have nice attractions and the such. However as much as I don't want to be paranoid about a possible hate crime I don't want to be aware of my surroundings before I go that way

Thank you everyone for the replies. It has given me some real good for thought!

Quote from: Kiera on April 29, 2018, 09:38:45 AM
First off, Florida is not 'the South', it's infested with retired and snow-bird Yankees!

Lol i guess the south is subjective. I've heard of people say Florida is notnort of the "south" and some even say Texas isn't either, due to a more western imagine. Granted the most southern state in geography is... Hawaii o.o

Quote from: SailorMars1994 on May 01, 2018, 12:18:02 PM
Lol i guess the south is subjective. I've heard of people say Florida is notnort of the "south" and some even say Texas isn't either, due to a more western imagine. Granted the most southern state in geography is... Hawaii o.o

North Florida is the South.  South Florida, below Orlando, is the North.  There are two distinct cultures in that state.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I loved my time in Savannah Georgia, but to be honest it was so far before transition that I can't say much more than just a night out on the town was fun.  I was there when they filmed the movie "Midnight in the garden of good and evil", so the mid 90's.  I didn't go to any beaches.  I couldn't tell you anything about how LGBTQ things are going.  If you do go, let me know, I can try to coordinate with you and we can meet there and travel to New Orleans after.  I so want to go to New Orleans, going with a friend would make it more enjoyable.

Savannah is pretty nice, but I think the beaches in Beaufort, SC are some of the best around. (Especially if you're like me and you like watching the crabs. There are millions there, but very few around Savannah.)

Also, Florida is far from "not the south" if you ask me. The panhandle, especially, is like Alabama times 10.