Trip to New Orleans

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Went headed to New Orleans for a long weekend with our friends, the Walters. David was coming to town for a conference and since it is just a short drive for us we figured we would meet them for some fun. The Walters got out there on Saturday morning. It was pouring! I mean buckets of rain! We decided to brave the weather and walk down to the restaurant Mother's that is famous for their ham and sandwiches which have something called "debris" on it. You may have seen the place featured on Food Network's show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, that is where we all saw it. Anyway we waited out in the rain under some umbrellas and all got soaked but it was worth it. The "debris" as they call it, is the stuff that is in the bottom of the pan after the ham is done baking. I can describe the sandwich in one word "wonderful."

After changing out of our soaked clothes, we headed to Bourbon Street (relax people it was only 12 noon). We got some hurricanes to go from Pat O'Brien's and got the kids some virgin slushies from one of those Daiquiri places. We looked in the shops, bought beads, tried on silly hats, tried Pralines and took a carriage ride all in the pouring rain. We even were able to see some of a parade where the boys collected so many beads (I think like 50 each). Don't worry no flashing anything except their cuteness! We finished the evening with another wonderful meal where I had the best French Onion Soup I had ever tasted. One funny story to share; at the restaurant sitting next to us was a family with a little girl who was adopted from China. She must have been 5 or 6 and really cute. She had no beads so Aiden decided to give her some of his. I guess he was smitten with her because he was all nervous and stuttering and went up to her and looked back at us and whispered very loudly "what should I say?" It was so cute.

The next day the weather man, whose last name was of all thing Smiley, said that it would not be a wash out just take your umbrellas when you head out in case of a lite passing shower. We headed out and the sun was actually out so we went down to the River Walk and decided to get something to eat. After sitting through the longest lunch I have ever had (very slow service). It started to pour again. This was not a lite passing shower people it was pouring buckets! We took the kids on the street car and headed towards the garden district to see all the pretty houses. It poured the whole time.

David headed to his conference and we walked back to the French Market in the rain. One thing about New Orleans is the best way to see it and experience it is on foot but in the pouring rain this was just miserable. The boys were troopers though and we made it to the market just to find that everything was closed. We ducked into the first restaurant we saw to get out of the rain. I guess we should have researched this part a little better. Here we are in the city with some of the best tasting food ever and we end up picking one of the worst restaurants ever. The service was so slow and the boys were starting to get restless. Just when we were about to leave the waiter came over, was super nice and gave some sort of wonderful tasting punch and we thought okay maybe this won't be as bad as we thought. We finally ordered our food and while gone on a bathroom trip with Aiden, the waiter came back and told Eric that they had run out of what I had ordered. Eric told him that I would be right back and could he check back with us in a few minutes. Finally after everyone was half finished with their food, the waiter returned to take my order - seriously? I went with the special which was fried chicken figuring this would be fast since it was the special. It came quickly thank goodness, but it was more the size of a pigeon than I chicken I mean tiny! After leaving the restaurant starving we headed to Cafe DuMonde which was wonderful as always. The boys especially liked the powdered sugar. As you can see from the pictures they went a little crazy with it. After that we walked back to the hotel by the way of Royal Street which was much better for the boys as Bourbon Street was beginning to get crazy. After a major Aiden melt down we decided to turn in - hungry.

The next day we headed to Daisy Duke's for breakfast. A little dive place the hotel recommended. We then said goodbye to our friends and headed to the River Walk to take the Street Car down to the French Market. Guess what? Even though the weather man, Smiley, said it would be a beautiful day - it was raining again! Not drizzling but raining sideways - ugh! I looked at Eric after getting soaked again from our morning walk to the street car and said, "I want to go home."

When we got back from New Orleans some friends of ours left us a message asking if we wanted to take a trip with them for a long weekend in April to you guessed it - New Orleans! Eric and I just looked at each other and were like "we'll pass!" I still love the city but it is just no fun in the rain! I am sure we will go back but I need some time to dry out.