New Orleans...Ready or Not Here we come!

This year we decided to go on a mini-vacation. We wanted to get away but didn't have the time to go too far. So we decided Labor Day weekend to take a trip to the Big Easy (New Orleans, LA). Max and I hadn't been since before Maddox was born. When we were in college we used to go on a pretty regular basis. There are lots of places there we love to visit. So we set off, Mommy, Daddy, Maddox and Granny for a weekend getaway.
We first stopped and dropped Milo off for a weekend vacation of his own with Auntie Una and her dogs...Mosey, Pi, and Elvis. He was in doggy heaven having other to sniff and play with.
We arrived in New Orleans pretty early and set off right away. We went to Jax Brewery and shops to check out their restroom facilities. Then we mosied on down to the French Market. We stopped in Jackson square to check out the sights along the way. We passed through rows and rows of goodies at the French Market. We grabbed the trolley for about a block so we could get tickets for a ride on the river boat. We caught a nice wet ride on the Natchez up and down the Mississippi. We saw barges, tug boats, lots of sea faring vessels, plantation homes, Ike damage, a military instillation and a sugar manufacturer to name a few. It was a wonderful ride except for the rain. We then headed to one of Mommy and Daddy's favorite places to grab a muffelleta, Maspero's. Then it was time to check in to the hotel. We had an awesome room with a spectacular view. As Maddox said "You can see the whole world from here!" After settling in a taking a nap we headed out for a walk and dinner. Max wanted some cajun sushi (raw oysters) so we ended up at the great restaurant. Right now the name escapes me but I am sure when I finish writing this it will come to me. I had the most amazing meal. I had BBQ shrimp that was really messy, but wonderful. After some searching the web I found it. The Bourbon House. Max had Gulf Fish on the Halfshell. Maddox had chicken tenders and Granny had the fried catfish. She was a little disappointed it wasn't as good as the block cod fish from Picadilly but she choked it down. It was a great evening. We then headed back to the hotel with our bellies full. While Maddox and Granny got ready for bed Max and I checked out the view from the roof.

Day two of our awesome adventure started at Cafe Du Monde. Maddox was upset that we weren't going to get donuts... that is until the plate of fried goodies with tons of confectioners sugar arrived at the table. He was all smiles and sugar from that point on. We walked around the square and took lots of pictures in from of St. Louis Cathedral. A gorgeous church. We once went to a wedding there. Next we headed back to the river to the Aquarium of the Americas. We checked out a white alligator, lots of penguins, sharks, some crazy seahorses and a ton of fish. While we were there Maddox got to pet a shark. We then ran over for a 3D undersea adventure movie. Maddox fell asleep half way through. After the show we were off to find lunch... we travelled down to the Riverwalk mall for some food in food court. After lunch we parted ways with Granny and headed off in search of bugs...the Insectarium that is. Where we saw roaches, beetles, moths, bees and butterflies. The two best parts were the interactive bug movie and the butterfly garden. After all the bugs we could take we headed back to the hotel for a nap. After a wild and crazy evening of trying to decide what to do we ended up having a gourmet meal of McDonalds, that we had to drive half way across the city to get.
The next morning we searched for pancakes only to end up once again eating at McDonald's. But by the time we had them they were yummy. On the way home Max got fitted for a tux and we all fell asleep. Except for the driver of course. And that was our outstanding New Orleans Mini-Vacation.