Our next destination after New Mexico was Louisiana! However, we just so happened to be be lucky enough to be passing through Texas while my mom was flying in for business. We met her in Huston for a night and got to see the training facility at Honeywell where she works. It was really cool to finally see it after only hearing about it for so long! We went out for a nice dinner and drinks after that and all had a great time!
The next day we hit the road for New Orleans! As there aren't many good places to park the van in the city that would allow us to walk around to all the great areas, we got a hotel downtown within walking distance from everything! (Big thank you to my mom for the help on getting the room with her Honeywell discount; You are the best! )
After checking in and getting settled, we went for a walk to a bar close by the hotel. We didn't want to be out too late as we had to get up early for a swamp tour in the Louisiana baiju!
While at the bar, we met these really cool people. They invited us to sit with them at their table and even got us some drinks. Southern hospitality is alive as well. After a great night of drinking and laughing we walked back to the hotel for a good nights sleep
We woke up bright and early, had the complimentary breakfast, and headed a half hour down to the swamp! We used the Cajun Encounters tour company. (You can check out their site here) They have the best rates and provided an all around great experience. We took a boat into the swamp an got to experience an array of wildlife. It was so beautiful there. We saw snakes, alligators, wild boar("Big Swole"), raccoons, spiders, and an array of birds. I was also lucky enough to feed an alligator from the boat! Even when we weren't dealing with wildlife, simply being in the moss dripped trees of the baiju was a comforting picturesque experience for me!
That afternoon, we got back to the hotel, took a nap and prepared for a night out in the city!
We had a great dinner on Bourbon St on a balcony overlooking the craziness that passed by down on the street. Once we got our fill, it was time to drink ! We explored the area and took advantage of the amazing drink deals that were offered. While hanging out on a balcony at one bar, we met these really cool brothers that were there drinking as well. We all enjoyed the "people watching" as well as the bead throwing! Haha
While walking around we came across some painters and bought some really great artwork by W.L. Griffin. (Check out his site here). He does work in restoring homes in New Orleans and uses salvaged wood from the Hurricane Katrina disaster to make the frames for his paintings! It's like owning a little piece of history.
It was a wild night in New Orleans. I will certainly miss this city. We had some great times, met great people, and made great memories. I hope to one day return to this wonderful culture rich city for another crazy adventure!
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