Nawlins

Last week we were lucky enough to spend a couple days in The Big Easy. While there are abundant tour companies happy to take your money for a ‘Katrina Tour’ or ‘Swamp Tour,’ we were happy just to walk around town and see the sights. And we did a lot of walking… and eating.

The food in this city is pretty amazing.  Menu items often include frog legs, alligator, and ingredients like ‘debris.’ We ate well, but no fried gator.

The Big Easy is one of the only towns we know of where it’s perfectly normal to see someone walking down the street carrying a tuba.

Day Two began with a trolley ride around town and a visit to the aquarium. It’s expensive but it was one of the better fish houses I’ve seen. We got to pet a nurse shark and a sting ray. Unfortunately, the rays weren’t coming to the surface much (where Bode’s little arms could reach.) Then a school group came to the tank and the workers were a little quick to rush us along.

Lunch was a po’boy at the recommended Mother’s Restaurant. They claim to have the world’s best baked ham. I’m not a ham lover, but it was great.

Despite Bode’s food allergies, he got to sample the beignets from Cafe du Monde.  I just couldn’t say no. They are covered in powdered sugar and after they put your order into a bag, they dump another cup of sugar on them in the bag. You can’t eat them without being completely covered.

Of course, there are street performers on every corner. Bode helped earn tips for one particular puppeteer. He had quite a crowd gathered.

I can’t decide if New Orleans is more beautiful in the daylight or at night.

Both Jason and I have been to New Orleans a few times. We both went as children, and walking down Bourbon Street at night with a child brought back Jason’s memory of doing the same with his parents. He was 8 and really excited because he saw boobs.  He didn’t see any this night.

A few months after we started dating, we drove with a van full of friends to Mardi Gras. We stayed with someone’s brother and  slept on the floor of an efficiency apartment with 12 others.  That was a good time, but  nothing like this trip.  Traveling with a kid puts a whole new perspective on everything, and I love it.

With the early sunset, evening walks were pretty exciting with Bode. The old buildings and voodoo shops gave a fun and eerie feel. Live music blared from the bars and street corners. Bode loved New Orleans; and this was my favorite trip there yet.