The Clampetts go to New Orleans

Monday morning while we were all recovering from a little case of viral nasopharyngitis (the common cold) Shayna got the idea to head down to New Orleans for a couple days... seeing as how Shayna will be ready to pop in a few weeks we decided it was as good a time as any with my weird work schedule (swing shift). We waited a day so we could drive the 5.5 hrs in the early morning... Trace traveled surprisingly better than most adults. Upon arriving in what is appropriately termed "the dirty south", we were a little worried we had set out on a family adventure, and ended up in Hades. After dropping our car off at the hotel and checking into our room, it seemed a little less derelict. Beignets and local musicians on Royal Street, constantly averting our eyes on our walk down Bourbon Ave, riverboat watching at the waterfront, taking a historic saloon themed family portrait... we did it all! Trace was in rare form as he constantly pointed at trash on the street saying "ewww" and at smokers, saying "na no".
During our dinner at Huck Finns the chef and manager were being interviewed on camera... so our festive Jambalaya meal was free... of course with that kind of luck we had to order desserts.
Besides chasing every pigeon on the street, the hotel was the highlight for Trace. He loved riding the trashcan while saying "yee-haw", and getting to take a bath in a real tub (at home we have have a plastic storage bin he baths in). Shay and I took advantage of having TV and watched 4 or 5 episodes of chopped on the food network. It was a great trip! The drive home was smooth, and we feel very blessed to have not gotten mugged by gypsies or bitten by an alligator while visiting the city with the motto "A lazy current... The seductive howl of an accordion...A splash too loud to be a fish...Pick your passion". We may never return, but it was lots of fun.