New Orleans

Just got back from New Orleans, Louisiana and wowzers did we have a great time!  Everything from the company, sites, and of course the food was just amazing.

DAY 1


We left at the butt crack of dawn on Tuesday morning (not kidding-we were out the door by 3:30 am) and took two flights, reaching New Orleans around 3 in the afternoon.  After our gracious hosts picked us up from the airport, we hit the ground runnin' and didn't stop until 2 in the morning!

Poor Eric was the only guy whose suit didn't work out.  Hard to see but the pants were WAY too short.  On the plus side, Erin and I got to help a nice old guy pick out ties for his new suits while we waited.

This was the first place we went to eat, Mulate's.  Erin's family made a reservation for all the folks in town for the wedding and this was just the place for getting to know everyone.  They had tons of Cajun food and live music. 

This is a muffaletta which is kinda like a Cuban sandwich.  If you're interested in checking it out, here's Mulate's website.  It was a fun place to be with a group of friends and families with small kiddos.

This was quite refreshing ;0)

Up next, Erin graciously invited me to come along to her bachelorette party on Bourbon Street, which was walkable from our hotel.  I had a blast hanging out with her sisters, cousins, mom, and even grandma!

The bull wasn't very kind to Erin but she held on like a champ!

She totally had it until they shot her with a fire extinguisher.

Fancy meeting them out and about!  I'm so sad this is dark because it would have been great!  That's my husband waving and having a blast with the boy King/Soligo clan.

Erin and her bridesmaids up on a balcony.  Aren't the shirts adorable?  (Eric passed later and made me throw him some beads. LOL.)

I'm pretty sure these guys were babies (young, that is) but they were from Scotland and LOVED Erin.

Our last stop of the evening was a gay bar hosting a male booty contest.  Can't say I've ever seen anything like that before!  The host(ess) brought Erin up on stage and even acknowledged her grandma.

DAY 2

I think everyone dragged themselves to breakfast at the last minute because we saw EVERYONE there.

 

We were craving some history (and beignets!) so we set out for some site-seeing.

The day began down by the River Walk.  (I felt the need to see the Mississippi in a different light-ha!)

Next Eric felt the need to show me a little shop that had tons of airplane and old-time stuff.  I saw this and knew that my future baby needs this, even if it is a couple years in the making.

I also thought, "I bet my Aunt Kay could make this!"  especially if it needs to say "fly girl" instead.

It was borderline creepy how much the little boy looks like Eric as
a child. Just change it to airplanes and I'd swear it was!

More river.  Next time we go to New Orleans, I think I might like to try a steam boat cruise.  They were very reasonable when we checked into it, only $38 per person for 2 hours including lunch.

Next up was the French Quarter, starting with Cafe du Monde.  Priorities people!

I dreamt of beignets for days before this trip and they didn't disappoint!

 

I also got a cafe au lait. Mmmmm it was good.  Poor Brett, I don't think he felt so good that morning.

Jackson Square.  New Orleans loves Andrew Jackson.  The statue is there in remembrance of the Battle of New Orleans (which we later found out later on our tour should never technically have happened.)

The beautiful St. Louis Cathedral.  It's just as breathtaking on the inside as out.

Up next was the French Market.  They had tons of fresh vegetables, Cajun cuisine, and little trinkets to buy.

 

 

 

Still creeped out from Eric's mask.

In the afternoon hours, we took a carriage ride tour of the French Quarter (based on the recommendations of our family-GREAT choice!)

 

Charlie the tour guide was formerly a chef, so our tour was heavy on culinary history and great restaurants to visit in New Orleans, which was definitely OK by me!


Our mule was Herman and he did a great job because it was HOT!

Here's Chris with Herman's cousin, possibly Wilbur?

Our carriage ride crew!

New Orleans is such a charming city and I credit it largely to all the balconies with lush greenery.  We learned on our tour that the balconies with poles underneath are influenced by Spanish architecture.  Balconies without the poles are French and actually called galleries.

It does exist! Shrimp grits, shrimp salad, shrimp....

Here's one of Emeril's restaurants! Sorry for the blur, Herman must have been in a hurry!

Apparently, Lafitte's was never actually a blacksmith shop.  These people were pirates, but much like Robin Hood, they stole from the rich to give to the poor and helped Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. 

This is also the oldest bar still in service in the United States.  They have delicious hurricanes!

Eric even liked them!

Chris liked this.  Back in the day, a doctor from Kentucky built his homesick wife (who was from Iowa) a house with a cornstalk gate to remind her of home.

 



Back to the hotel for the rehearsal dinner!

Boys with their new flasks, compliments of Shane.  The food at the rehearsal was awesome with lots of New Orleans specialties like red beans and rice, sausage and chicken gumbo, etc. 

That evening we went back out for a much tamer Bourbon Street experience.

DAY 3-Wedding Day!


We spent the morning and early afternoon with the groom and friends that went to college with Eric for a little more site seeing and a little oyster eating.

This is at Deanie's Seafood Restaurant.  Most of us didn't think we could handle the raw variety so we opted for charbroiled.  I'd never eaten oysters so Eric (and Dave) chronicled my tasting.

Not bad (even though it looks like I hated it!)

Always the funny guy.

Group shot!

And then it was wedding time!

Our hotel was the perfect backdrop for some pre-wedding, southern, dude pictures.  Isn't the little guy in the hat cute?!  Proud to say I staged and took these!

My handsome date.

Poor Eric, always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  Ha ha.

WARNING! You are about to see wedding photos that will make you wish you got a wedding do-over.  It was hands down the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to and chock full of Southern charm! 

The wedding took place at Southern Oaks Plantation.  (Make sure you watch the intro video.  It's way better at painting the picture than my pictures could ever be.)

Doesn't she look just like a Southern Belle?!

My favorite part of weddings-the "I Do's." *Tear*

Like I said, a total fairy tale wedding!

From the minute we stepped in the doors for the reception, waiters were constantly coming up to us with trays of craw fish beignets, cheese quiches, seafood gumbo, shrimp and grits, jambalaya, shrimp and corn chowder, catfish/shrimp po'boys, fried oysters...you name the New Orleans fare and they had it! I'm still having dreams about the food.

And trust me, it was just as beautiful inside as it was outside!

They also took part in a New Orleans (Louisiana? Southern?) custom of parading around with umbrellas and masks.  Such a neat memory to have!

The wedding and trip were so much fun!  I have loads of great memories and met some wonderful people along the way.  Cheers to Erin and Shane!  Have fun in Costa Rica!