From Florida to California and Back: 6,169 Miles of Adventure in Our Jeep Gladiator There is something special about packing up the Jeep, pointing it west, and watching America unfold mile by mile through the windshield. What started as a road trip from Florida to…
Lunch at Catches Waterfront Grille in Port Richey, Florida If you’re looking for a casual waterfront restaurant in Pasco County, Catches Waterfront Grille in Port Richey, Florida, is a great place to enjoy lunch while taking in the laid-back atmosphere of…
Our time in New Orleans was coming to an end Before we loaded up the Jeep Gladiator and continued the long drive back to Florida, I decided to head out on my own one more time. I wanted to pick up a few souvenirs and take some last-minute photos of the French…
Exploring One of New Orleans’ Most Historic Landmarks As our time in New Orleans was coming to an end, I headed out on my own for one more walk through the French Quarter. I wanted to pick up a few souvenirs and take some last-minute photos before we continued our…
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1: Exploring One of New Orleans’ Most Historic Cemeteries Stop 5 on the New Orleans Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour During our New Orleans hop-on, hop-off bus tour, we decided to get off at Stop 5, Basin Street Station, to visit one of the…
After 15 days, 6,169 miles, and countless stops along the way, our California road trip eventually came to an end. We had seen beaches, historic towns, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, California, Route 66, and plenty of places in between.
Of course, no road trip would be complete without bringing a few souvenirs home. During our journey from Florida to California and back, we picked up a collection of souvenirs that now remind us of the places we visited. Some were practical, some were decorative, and a few were simply things we couldn’t resist.
Looking back at everything we brought home, it’s interesting to see how many different places are represented. There are souvenirs from New Orleans, Las Vegas, Gallup, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Groom, Texas, and Route 66. Together, they make a pretty good snapshot of our trip.
One of my favorites is the New Orleans ornament featuring the colorful buildings of the French Quarter. We also brought home a New Orleans cathedral ornament, along with a few other items celebrating our time in the city.
Our collection also includes reminders of some of the most memorable stops along the way. The Grand Canyon ornament brings back memories of standing along the South Rim and taking in one of the most incredible sights of the entire trip. The Hoover Dam ornament reminds us of another major highlight, while the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ ornament takes us back to our stop in Groom, Texas. We also picked up Route 66 souvenirs in Gallup, New Mexico, including items connected with the historic El Rancho Hotel. Those little souvenirs may not seem like much individually, but each one brings back a specific memory from the trip.
We didn’t stop with ornaments. We also brought home several hats and coffee mugs from different places we visited. The mugs include Biloxi Beach, Texas, Hotel El Rancho in Gallup, and St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, while the hats represent places including Gallup, Biloxi Beach, and New Orleans.
One thing I like about souvenirs like these is that they actually become part of everyday life. A coffee mug sitting in the kitchen or a hat hanging in the closet can bring back a memory of a particular day on the road.
New Orleans may have been one of our final stops, but it certainly wasn’t forgotten. We brought home several New Orleans souvenirs, including shirts, ornaments, and other items celebrating the French Quarter and the city. The blue New Orleans shirt with 1718 on it is a reminder of the city’s founding, while the other shirts connect us to some of the places that stood out during our visit.
After spending several days exploring New Orleans, it was nice to bring a few reminders of the city home with us.
When we first started this trip, I don’t think I realized how much we would end up seeing. We drove more than 6,000 miles, crossed numerous states, visited major landmarks, explored cities and small towns, and experienced everything from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Coast and back again. Now, looking at these souvenirs, each one tells a little part of that story.
One of the best things about taking a long road trip is that the memories don’t end when you pull back into your driveway. Every time we see one of these souvenirs, we can remember where we bought it, what we saw that day, and the miles we traveled to get there. After 15 days and 6,169 miles in our Jeep Gladiator, we had accumulated quite a collection of memories—and a few things to put on the shelf. Our California road trip may have ended, but these souvenirs make sure that a little piece of the adventure is still with us. And there was still one more part of our New Orleans experience I wanted to share—the beautiful interior of St. Louis Cathedral, which deserves a post of its own.
