We have been so excited for our Southern Road trip!  We are going to cross so many States off our bucket list. It began in New Orleans. It was fun to fly over all the swampy Bayous and get our first-ever look at the Mississippi River. Our flight landed, we took a very long shuttle ride to get our rental car and off we went. The kids were SO GLAD to see that we rented a minivan. There are too many teenage limbs to try and fit in a small car anymore. It was very nice for everyone to have a bit of space. 

We settled into our hotel, and then hit the town! We explored the French Quarter and gave the kids a new education as we walked down Bourbon street. I kept having to cover Blake’s eyes. 😂 Halle and Josh thought it was great fun.  We loved all the jazz bands playing in the streets, and we even saw a random little parade!

We ate dinner at Evangeline’s. This was an unplanned stop and ended up being one of the very best meals of the trip. Blake’s gumbo and my red rice and beans—absolutely delicious. I think we got spoiled a bit. Blake chased gumbo the rest of the trip and never found another that compared. 

We ended our evening with Beignets at the famous Cafe DuMonde. You know how often times super touristy places are a disappointment? This was NOT one of them. The beignets were fantastic. Pillowy fried dough buried in powdered sugar. I couldn’t believe how fast Blake inhaled his. He had powdered sugar EVERYWHERE. The trip is off to a great start!