Tuesday, March 12, 2013

New Orleans Trip

There is so much fun at the Kuhlman house on a daily basis, and we are definitely a busy group.  Mommy and Daddy decided to take a little vacation to the Big Easy to get away!  Nana and Pops were here to take care of the boys, so we jetted off to New Orleans for a few days of food and fun!  
Luckily our hotel elevator had a mirror that provided lots of "selfie" picture fun!  I'm not sure Kev was always excited to pose for these endless shots.  We had so much planned and headed down to the streets for lots of fun.
Our first stop was for lunch at Acme Oyster Company, and it didn't disappoint.  It's on everyone's "must" list, and I'm so glad we waited in the block-long line for a yummy lunch.  The shrimp poboys and gumbo were spectacular! 
We walked around the French Quarter for quite a while, shopped a bit and saw so many amazing things.  A visit to Cafe Du Monde was on our list, and we stumbled upon it just in time for an afternoon snack.  It was more than delicious!!!  I may never go back to plain (decaf) coffee, as I've ordered a cafe au lait (decalf/skim) everywhere since then.   
There were so many beautiful buildings in the French Quarter, and we loved walking around just looking at the amazing surroundings.  I think we loved everything about the French Quarter expect Bourbon Street . . . it was crazy, loud and smelly!!!  When I saw a 'local' dig a half consumed daiquiri out of a street trash can and take a giant drink, I decided we were probably ready to find a new place to explore!  We walked along the Mississippi and enjoyed the views.  The waters were peaceful (yet brown!), and a few tug boats and river boats made their way past.  The breeze was strong, and we met a few characters as we walked.  Kevin  got his shoes shined by a crafty fellow, and we listened to resident musicians along the way.
Dinner was at the world-famous Dragos, and it was fabulous.  We both had shrimp dishes, and Kevin even ventured out and tried the grilled oysters.  Sneaking by the kitchen provided me with a few pictures of the grilling process, and it definitely got hot on the grill!
Our brunch stop was Mother's Diner, and it came highly recommended.  Another block-long line to wait in, but it was worth it.  We hopped on the street car for a trip to the Garden District to check out some amazing homes. Such old southern charm!  It was so convenient to take the street cars instead of cabs, and we got to see a lot of local flavor!
After a bit more shopping and walking (and a break for blister care), we tried out The Napoleon House for dinner.  Legend says that the house was built for Napoleon to escape to before his untimely demise!  It is now a restaurant serving some of the best food in town!  I had the jambalaya, and Kevin had the roast beef poboy.  This may have been our tastiest meal of all!
We tried to hit everything on our list but also stay relaxed, and we succeeded on both.  It was so nice to visit a new place and see all we wanted without being in a hurry or worrying about timing and schedules.  The people in New Orleans were so nice, and everyone was really welcoming.  I bought a few cute souvenirs for the boys, and they loved them!!  They haven't let go of their new decorated cups, and Lincoln has memorized every page of the New Orleans book I found.  While we were off having fun, the boys were having plenty of fun of their own!  Nana and Pops were great babysitters, and they did lots of playing, reading, painting, eating, shopping, snacking and laughing.
We were welcomed home with great big hugs, and we quickly got back to the routine of things in Dallas.  Our first stop was Mi Cocina, of course!!  As if we hadn't eaten enough over the last few days, we had to get our Mexican fix.  I missed my little guys, but it was a wonderful weekend away.

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