USA: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FRENCH EXPLORERS   

Visiting the United States is a great adventure and this continent never ceases to amaze us with all there is to discover also offers the chance to explore the fascinating history of French explorers which began more than 400 years ago.

Bordered to the west and north by the Canadian province of Quebec , to the northeast by New Brunswick, and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean , the state of Maine is the largest territory of the states that make up New England

where traces of it can be found in many areas of the earlier French presence as with the first French establishment

created in 1604 on the island of Sainte Croix by Pierre Duga de Mons or from the Fort Pentagouet created in 1625 by

Charles Saint Etienne De La Tour in order to protect the population against the British invasion in parallel the state of

Maine is renowned for its radiant and enchanting landscapes, its rugged and jagged coastlines, its mountains low and

hilly and with its immense forests that adorn themselves with multiple pastel colors from the first signs of autumn and

this majestic territory rich in its diversity is pleasant to visit, whether in its northern part bordering Canada where one can ski in season in spacious and well-equipped resorts and also meeting Americans of French and Acadian descent

particularly ine the city of MADAWASKA located near the Canadian border and further south down as in PORTLAND

KENNEBUNKPORT and BANGOR you'll discover sun-drenched green landscapes bordering a rugged coastline with

great beaches with fine sands and typical fishing ports where brightly colored boats are moored, bringing back to their

lobster pots before visiting Vermont, the smallest state on the American continent and a neighbor of both states of

Maine , Connecticut , New Hampshire , and Massachusetts which was conquered in 1609 by the explorer Frenchman

Samuel de Champlain within the framework of what was then New France before its cession to Kingdom of Great

Britain after its defeat in the Hundred Years' War in 1763, and this typical state is delightful particularly by exploring

its administrative and political capital, MONTPELIER,which in addition to its original French name,retains traces of the French presence in its architecture and way of life and in the same way like Maine,Vermont also has a large forest area

and more than fifty state parks state, including the Green Mountain National Forest, in addition to carrying out some

numerous protection actions the environment and going further north , it is very interesting to discover BURLINGTON

a separate city from Canada by Lake Champlain and which offers magnificent views allowing walks or mountain bike rides along the lake and these states which form what is called New England have the particularity of being welcoming integrating landscapes and natural spaces expressing all that nature has to offer in its noblest form.

From Louisiana to the Great Lakes Region

For lovers of French history , what could be better than a trip through the bayous of Louisiana , a southern U.S. state

in the United States on the Gulf of Mexico, where traces of 340 years of French presence can be found beginning with

Robert Cavellier De La Salle, an explorer from New France, who explored the Mississippi basin to its mouth and named

this territory of Louisiana in honor of KING LOUIS XIV of FRANCE and what could be better than exploring the Bayous

bayous around the towns of Saint Martinville and Lafayette, in the western part of the state, about 250 kilometers from New Orleans, where the word “bayou” was adopted by the French from “Bayuk,” a Choctaw word for rivers and creeks    

describing sluggish waterways and creeks , eventually becoming synonymous with the vast marshlands of the southern   

Louisiana. It is also a paradise for birdwatchers and home to alligators whether you are interested by photography , by

boat rides or hunting, the change of scenery is remarkable, and the adrenaline rushes are guaranteed before strolling

through the streets of LAFAYETTE, founded in 1821 by Acadian Jean Mouton and originally named Vermilionville it was

Lafayette in 1884 in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the American War of Independence , and is a vibrant

city with bilingual streets signs . SAINT LOUIS is a major port on the MISSISSIPI River in the state of Missouri and its

second-largest city in the American Midwest after Kansas City. SAINT LOUIS was officially founded in 1764 by French

merchants Gilbert Antoine De Saint Maxent and his partner Pierre Laclède together with his young assistant and son in

law Auguste Chouteau. It is a vibrant city with typical Midwestern architecture, attractive streets, broad boulevards and lively gathering places, well worth exploring before admiring “The Gateway Arch,” an original structure consisting of a

stainless-steel-clad arch, part of Gateway Arch National Park and since 1965 the emblem of Saint Louis.Located in the

Northen United States near Canada, in the state of Michigan , the city of Detroit , at the heart of the Great Lakes region

was founded in 1701 by the Frenchman Antoine De Lamothe Cadillac and for many years was the world’s automobile

capital earning it the nickname “The Motor City” or “Motown” in the early 20th century. It is also a culturally vibrant city with a unique architectural heritage. The United States is distinguished by its diversity, which can be found in the Deep

South as well as in the Midwestern states and New England, and this trip through America gave me a different view of

the country wich is also a welcoming place where culture and history meet wide-open natural spaces.

Report : Gabriel PAGE

Photos Credit : Gabriel PAGE / Getty Images