Yes, you read that right.
We dared take our littles to New Orleans
the first week of August.
And we LOVED it.
We had a little Southwest credit to use up.
We heart Southwest.
Nola is a food town and we took full advantage.
We had only one bad meal while there.
(Interestingly it was at Emeril's. For shame!)
We enjoyed tasty fare at Cochon and Mulate's,
and even touristy places like
Crescent City Brewhouse.
But by far the family favorite
were the beignets at Cafe Du Monde!
I mean...
Funny thing is we accidentally skipped
the looooong line to get in.
We came in the other side
and just sat right down.
It wasn't until leaving that we saw
a line down the block!
Because we had the kids
we didn't get to experience much of the
night life and music scene or local color,
instead we just acted like what we were--a family of
tourists--and embraced it.
Pool time at the hotel was nice for the girls.
We stayed at the Spring Hill suites in the
warehouse district.
While the location was perfect,
We took a street car,
quickly discovering it to be more of a novelty
than a speedy way about town.
But you gotta do it.
If being packed in a super slow moving,
overcrowded with tourists,
historic means of transportation
isn't your thing, take a pedi cab!
That skinny little hipster
energetically pedaled
all four of us across town,
highlighting points of interest along the way.
Don't forget the sunscreen.
Did I mention it was HOT?
We did get to hear some great tunes
at the Satchmo Summerfest,
which honors Louis Armstrong.
The girls both decorated umbrellas inside
the Old U.S. Mint.
They used the umbrellas when we took part
in a children's second line parade at the fest.
The "snowballs" were a big hit.
FYI, they made adult versions too...
cherry snow cone with a shot of vodka, anyone?
Mila, who still loves all things
spooky and mysterious,
really took to the lure of the city.
We walked all around the French Quarter,
stepping in shops, buying street art from vendors
and pointing out creepy looking balconies
where vampires might be living.
where she had her fortune read by this machine.
He said she would be a great leader.
Clearly "St. Germaine" is totally real.
On the last day we checked out the
New Orleans Children's Museum,
and all agreed it was the best
children's museum we've ever visited.
So yes, New Orleans is a family friendly place.
We hope to return for more fun
(swamp tours, museums, Garden District)
when the girls are a bit older.
