New Orleans, Louisiana

We arrived in New Orleans in the morning and immediately headed to Cafe Du Monde for our first beignets. The kids were initially disappointed that they didn't look like regular "donuts" which is how I described them, but they did enjoy them. We ate while enjoying the sounds of the city. The rumblings of a line of people waiting to get in Cafe De Monde, street performers, tour guides speaking to their groups left us feeling wonderfully immersed in the city.

Then we made our way to the French Market where the kids picked out their own beaded necklaces. Asher

debated between a shark and alligator, and finally chose the later. Journey chose a (rather creepy) cat necklace.

Comparing and sharing their lollipops.

After walking much of the city, we decided to take the streetcar to the Louisiana 

Children's Museum. A storm was coming and we figured we'd wait it out there.

Turns out we were about 10 minutes late because by the time our streetcar reached our stop, the rain was pouring down. We had about six blocks to walk to get there! We leapfrogged from one cover to another until we arrived, slightly soggy and grateful for restroom hand dryers!

A pitching cage displayed their throwing speed. 

I was really impressed with this area. It was a great way to talk to my kids about calling 911. When they dial it, they hear it ring then, a recording says, "911, what's your emergency?" A great way to practice! Next they move to the other side and can play the part of the dispatcher. This is what Grandpa does, so it was fun to walk them thru this and explain it all. Next time we're in Ohio they should be old enough to see the real 911 dispatchers in action.

After a bit, the rain had stopped so it was time to head back out to see more of the city. Here they are on Canal Street.

"Try the boiled crawfish" was one of the reoccurring suggestions when researching what to do in the city. We found a fun outdoor restaurant and ordered a pound. I wasn't sure if the kids would be up for this, but it turns out they LOVE crawfish. They even thought it was fun to suck the juice from the head. (It's not as gross as it sounds.) Turns out they also love gumbo, which I realized when I went for my second spoonful and it was empty!

"sucking the head"

* A week later while driving thru southeast Texas, we noticed some water-filled fields. I looked them up and it turns out those are crawfish farms. Interesting!