We pointed our car to N'awlins (New Orleans) and left Texas. Texas is obviously a gigantic state but I feel like we broke up our time really well with driving so it never felt that huge to us. I can't imagine trying to do the drive all at one time! We rolled into New Orleans around dinner time and spent a long time trying to find a hotel. We figured that it wouldn't be that crowded due to the effects of Katrina and lost tourism. But most of the hotels in the French Quarter were booked. Frustrated, we kept searching until we found a La Quinta Inn for a very reasonable price and a great location just blocks from Bourbon Street. We did the customary unloading of ou
r stuff, relaxed on the beds for a bit, and then headed into the French Quarter. Bourbon Street was jammed with people as it was a Saturday night. We gawked at the people who came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of sobriety. The overwhelming theme I noticed was one of positivity. Everyone was there to have a good time and whether they were locals, tourists, or fit into some other category, there was a smile on most faces. We wanted to experience some authentic southern food so we browsed some restaurants before finding one that seemed to fit the bill. I enjoyed some delicious crawfish pies which
consisted of crawfish folded inside some doughy shells, yummmmmm! After dinner, we watched some live blues taking place outside next to the restaurant and then navigated our way down Bourbon Street. Emily and Monica took an interest to the many stores selling tons and tons of Mardi Gras beads of all colors, size, shape and theme. Red Sox, cows, ducks, mermaids, golf balls, and much much more were available. Well they sifted through mountains of beads, I stood outside and took in the sites. Businessmen were standing up on the balconies throwing down beads to young women they deemed pretty enough, families on vacation were cautiously walking down the street not sure what they had gotten themselves into (why in the world would you bring a young child to this place!!) , many tourists and foreigners were strolling ,curiously, taking in the sites, as well as some of the local poor doing whatever they could to transfer the tourist's dollars into their pockets. It was sad to see young African-American boy
s competing with each other tap-dancing to gain the attention of the white passersby. It reminded me of minstrel shows of the past. The flavor in the air was one that seemed authentic. The Riverwalk of San Antonio seemed very touristy and almost manufactured. In N'awlins I felt like the experience was real and felt welcomed and charitable spending my money to help revitalize this great city, which was absolutely crushed by Katrina. We found our way to a bar to listen to some more live music. We listened to a lively group playing with such instruments as a wearable washboard, accordion, and traditional guitar/drums. When the band went on a break we headed back to Bourbon Street and spe
nt the rest of the evening walking up and down the street, listening to more music, and ignoring the occasional whiffs of vomit which were inevitable in this town. Overall, we all agreed that we felt very welcomed by the locals, loved the energy and vibrancy of the area, and the relaxed nature. The next day as we drove through the outskirts of town we saw more of the depressing aftereffects of Katrina and a failed government response. Many buildings were still uninhabited and condemned and I am certain we were not even near the worst hit areas which I hoped we would not be places that we accidentally found.
r stuff, relaxed on the beds for a bit, and then headed into the French Quarter. Bourbon Street was jammed with people as it was a Saturday night. We gawked at the people who came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of sobriety. The overwhelming theme I noticed was one of positivity. Everyone was there to have a good time and whether they were locals, tourists, or fit into some other category, there was a smile on most faces. We wanted to experience some authentic southern food so we browsed some restaurants before finding one that seemed to fit the bill. I enjoyed some delicious crawfish pies which 
consisted of crawfish folded inside some doughy shells, yummmmmm! After dinner, we watched some live blues taking place outside next to the restaurant and then navigated our way down Bourbon Street. Emily and Monica took an interest to the many stores selling tons and tons of Mardi Gras beads of all colors, size, shape and theme. Red Sox, cows, ducks, mermaids, golf balls, and much much more were available. Well they sifted through mountains of beads, I stood outside and took in the sites. Businessmen were standing up on the balconies throwing down beads to young women they deemed pretty enough, families on vacation were cautiously walking down the street not sure what they had gotten themselves into (why in the world would you bring a young child to this place!!) , many tourists and foreigners were strolling ,curiously, taking in the sites, as well as some of the local poor doing whatever they could to transfer the tourist's dollars into their pockets. It was sad to see young African-American boy
s competing with each other tap-dancing to gain the attention of the white passersby. It reminded me of minstrel shows of the past. The flavor in the air was one that seemed authentic. The Riverwalk of San Antonio seemed very touristy and almost manufactured. In N'awlins I felt like the experience was real and felt welcomed and charitable spending my money to help revitalize this great city, which was absolutely crushed by Katrina. We found our way to a bar to listen to some more live music. We listened to a lively group playing with such instruments as a wearable washboard, accordion, and traditional guitar/drums. When the band went on a break we headed back to Bourbon Street and spe
nt the rest of the evening walking up and down the street, listening to more music, and ignoring the occasional whiffs of vomit which were inevitable in this town. Overall, we all agreed that we felt very welcomed by the locals, loved the energy and vibrancy of the area, and the relaxed nature. The next day as we drove through the outskirts of town we saw more of the depressing aftereffects of Katrina and a failed government response. Many buildings were still uninhabited and condemned and I am certain we were not even near the worst hit areas which I hoped we would not be places that we accidentally found.
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