Our Third Day

So, I can't believe it's Thursday!! I've tried every day to post again and obviously it hasn't worked. Monday we traveled half-way across the state in a snow storm on iced roads so the older three boys could shoot in a state archery tournament. The drive took 2 1/2 hrs getting there, because we pushed it all the way. The drive home was 3 hrs because we didn't have a time to be home and the storm was still going strong, but the roads weren't quite as bad, a lot less ice, but still snowy. It was a very long day and I got dinner in the kids and we went to bed!



Tuesday, I was trying to catch up on different things, like laundry, chores, paperwork and keeping up with Max!! I also had a doctor's appointment, just my yearly exam, no worries, and then we went to the library. By the time we got home, I again just got dinner and we went to bed!



Wed. is our day in GB, so we spent the morning getting chores done and getting ready for a trip into town. Then we did that trip into town......Max melted down about 3/4s of the trip, so I was exhausted by the time we got home. Amanda was sick and I was soooo tired and frustrated with Max.....so I hardly even got the kids fed. Once Brent got home from work, I turned Max over to him and went to bed.



So now I'm typing this while I wait for Amanda to get out of her morning class before school, so I can take her to schoool. I'm sitting in our local library's parking lot, using their wireless connection. :) Today I think we're staying home......I think......Tonight I'm probably headed into GB for a Mom's Night Out with my HS group, to show off my pictures of our trip to the White House.



But for now I'll continue the story of our trip here........



We stayed at a hotel Tuesday night, we stopped around 10:30pm. We got on the road around 5:30 in the morning. We pushed pretty hard and arrived in New Orleans around 11:30am. Courtney had told me to call when we got around 90 to 60 miles out, so she could jump in her car and meet us at the rental return place. We timed it so well that I pulled in behind her at the airport!



From the rental place we headed to the French Quarter in New Orleans. I've never visited Louisiana, so I was excited to see New Orleans and the area! Courtney lived in NO for a year or so,(she moved before Katrina) so she was very familiar with the area and gave us a great tour!


We started by walking on the walkway by the river. Oh and did I mention we came in the day after Mardi Grai!! So there was still lots of green and purple all around. Here is Collin standing on the riverwalk in front of a paddle boat, that you can take tours on. This aprox. 24 hrs after he left the hospital. He was feeling great and had no problems walking around the French Quarter.


Here is a statue in the Quarter that has beads thrown on it, the horse has some on it's ears and the rider has some on his helmet. Don't forget that you can double click on the pictures and they'll reload as single, very large pictures. But be sure to use the back arrow on your browser to return to this page, don't exit out of the page with the large picture on it.

Just a general picture of one of the streets.

This is part of the open air market in the Quarter, there were hundreds of booths here, selling anything and everything, including alligator heads!! I was tempted to bring one home, but wasn't sure I could handle a grinning alligator in my house permantly. This structure is brand new and in fact part of it is still under construction, as it was destroyed by the aftermath of Katrina.

Here is a sign telling you that you're at the French Market Place, and notice the No Stopping sign, on the bottom part it has a bumper sticker afixed in a such a way that it says "To Mardi Grai Zone Anytime." Again you can click to see the picture bigger. A balcony with Mardi Grai decorations.
Street Players, there was music everywhere.
I loved the balconies on the streets!! I would love to stay in an apartment off one of these and just watch the world go by, although Courtney and I agreed it would only be fun for so long....
We ate beniegts at Cafe Du Monde, a place mentioned in the travel mags and tourist books! They are pastries covered in powedered sugar, so yummy!!
Here Collin shows off his new, cool shades we had to get to be able to see in the bright sunshine there!! Even their winter light was bright for us!! I got some shades also, mine have teeny, tiny alligators on the arm pieces.

Just a general picture of a Jaskson Square by the Quarter, I can't remember what the building was, but my guess is a church..... Notice the carriages in the foreground....
They are all pulled by mules....Courtney was told that the mules handle the heat/humidty better than horses would...which I can believe. There is a history of using mules in Louisiana, mostly because of their strength and heat tolerance. I found a document on it, but it wouldn't let me cut and paste. But the most interesting part was the labeling of the mules, "sugar" mules were bigger and stronger, while "cotton" mules were smaller and used for lighter loads. They were used for plantation work, and in the city for garbage wagons, peddlers, and pulling trolleys. Eventually they were replaced by machines, but obviously are still used for tours.

This is lookin back towards where we were just walking. The Cafe is just behind the tree on the right, on the left is the street with the long balcony and just to the front of that is the beginning of Jackson Square.
Here Collin and I pose for one last picture on our way back to the car. The river is in the background.

I had a really great time and have it on my list for Brent and I to visit someday together. We'll have tons of fun!!

A brief word on Katrina. You can still see houses tarped over, boarded up and buildings/apartment complexes who have entire banks of windows broken out. It is very moving to drive around. You can see people are still struggling to overcome the disaster and you can see the evidence of the massive amounts of destruction in all the new construction, which really sticks out. It sticks out because everything is so very old in this city, and then you have the construction that is a year to a few months old and it's very noticable. To drive around the downtown area and realize what was underwater and how people survived for days on end is overwhelming at times. It really has an impact on you. And it's been 2 and a half years..........

Having visited there and seen the city and people, I realized all over again, that there are no easy answers and that people will always follow human nature, despite the knowledge that mother nature will destroy their homes, time and time again.

After the walk around the Quarter, we headed to Courtney's home. We had to cross the causeway, which is really just one unending bridge, in my opinion, and Courtney's. Once home we had a yummy dinner that Courtney had cooked up in the crock pot and headed to bed, we were TIRED!!