New Orleans

So a few weeks ago Brandon and I took a little trip together to New Orleans...minus the babe. :( This was my first time leaving him and I missed him so much! But I must say it would have been way too hard to take him there. I was going for a trip for work (pharmaceutical research meeting) and so we bought Brandon a ticket too so that we could see the city. We loved it and could not believe there was so much to do there! We flew there Thursday and after checking into the hotel immediately walked to Bourbon Street to a seafood restaurant that had been recommended to us. We were starving and it was delicious - shrimp and alligator sausage gumbo, jambalaya, and shrimp and crab creole. Everyone there was so nice...that night we met this guy while waiting to be seated who bought us our appetizer and told us all of the places we needed to go. That night we walked around Bourbon Street some (which if you ever go you can skip...at least at night). Vegas has NOTHING on this place.

Friday morning we walked over to Cafe Du Monde for beignets. These are super yummy French donuts with powdered sugar which they are famous for. Yum! We had to rush back to our hotel to catch a ride, but loved the French Quarter and all of the incredible shops with French Antiques on the way to and from. If only I had a million dollars! Then we went on a swamp tour which took up most of the day. It was fun but a bit of a disappointment. Apparently the alligators stay at the bottom when it is cold, which everyone failed to tell us prior. GRRRR! That was like the whole point! But it was fun anyway.

>When we got back to the city we went to Drago's at the Hilton known for their charbroiled oysters. We had not had lunch so we got some oysters and crab cakes...delish! Then I wanted to go shopping on Magazine Street. Of course there was then a torrential downpour like never before with winds you wouldn't believe. Umbrellas turned inside out. Eventually the winds died down so we were able to continue walking in the rain. We ended up taking a street car down to St. Charles St. and saw some of the most beautiful homes ever. I love old houses. They have such character. But the French architecture was incredible. We got kind of lost so never quite found the shopping district, but oh well. That night I had a dinner at the hotel so Brandon went to Mother's for a po boy.

After my dinner we headed back to Bourbon to a jazz club we were told about. The music was great and we had a good time...although I am pretty sure we are the only people in the city who don't drink! Everyone looked at us like we were aliens or something.

Saturday while I was at my meeting, Brandon went to the WWII museum which I guess was fabulous. He said he could have spent several more hours there. I ditched out of my meeting a little early so we could go on a riverboat tour on the Mississippi. It was F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G. I do not recall being that cold in my life...the chill from the wind goes right through you. We were not expecting this cold streak and did not bring super warm clothes. We did some more walking in the French Market...had some more fabulous seafood for dinner, and I think made it back to the hotel by about 7pm. We felt this was a sin to go home so early on our last night there...but the cold was more than I could bear any longer. Even Brandon, who always thinks I am a wuss, was cold.
We definitely could have stayed for a whole week because there were so many other things we wanted to do...plantation tours, Katrina tours (9th ward), cemetery tours (must all be buried above the ground), more shopping, etc. It was a fun little get-away but I was so glad to get home to our little Ty. We are so fortunate that my mom watched him for us so that we could do this and hope to go back one day. Oh yeah, and everything was decorated for Mardi Gras and the Saints. Who dat?!