No Pressure Vacation in the Big Easy

So, maybe we got a little lazy here in the last few weeks of our honeymoon. Maybe we didn’t stay caught up on the blog or take NEARLY as many pictures as we did, say.. this time last year. Maybe, as we got closer to the end of our trip, we got a little tired of playing the camera-toting tourist all the time. Instead… I think we played out the last three weeks of our trip driving shorter days, soaking in the sights, enjoying each other’s company.

It doesn’t mean we didn’t have a BLAST in New Orleans, though. After all, what better place to totally relax and take it easy than the Big Easy itself?

We camped out for two weeks in New Orleans city limits at Jude Travel Park – about 10 minutes from the French Quarter and 10 minutes from Lake Pontchartrain. The campground was clean, but cramped (and a little too close to the train tracks for my comfort). That was okay, though, because… we weren’t really there for the RV Park. Good times, good food, rich history – that’s what NOLA is all about.

Good Times

Gators in January, folks. Cajun Spice rum – Yum! We didn’t have to try hard to find things to see and do that were a little off the beaten path. It seems like all of New Orleans has a rough-around-the-edges feel, though. So finding something fun and unique is not hard to do.

• Old New Orleans Rum Distillery – Not gonna lie. I was sold on the tour when they said they had a 9-spice Cajun-style rum for tasting. With notes of cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, chicory, anise, cumin, and pepper… we couldn’t help but take a couple bottles home.
• Swamp Tour – When shopping for your swamp tour, the first decision you have to make is whether or not you want to go by airboat or.. normal boat. Don’t even think twice about it: go AIR BOAT. The air boat is surprisingly fast and glides smoothly across the water. Not to mention, they go where the other boats can’t – like through the wetlands and the floating plant life.

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Good Food

I’ve had them steamed and raw, but it was in New Orleans that I fell in love with my now-favorite way of eating oysters:  Chargrilled New Orleans style. We visited the Blue Crab for a quiet week-day dinner and hit up the French Quarter a few times for beignets and chicory.

And… I couldn’t leave New Orleans without a cookbook, of course. Didn’t have a chance to try anyone’s homemade jambalaya, but I made it home with a classic cookbook to try my own verson of Mandy’s Favorites.

Rich History & Culture

They say that a weaker city would have been left without identity having been thrown back and forth between influences of Spanish, French and British conquerors for centuries  such as New Orleans has been. The eclectic, neo-European style that reigns even today shows that New Orleans is truly a city like no other. The original “weird city,” it has such a rich (and sometimes mysterious) history – one that extends even beyond Bourbon Street.

From Mardi Gras traditions, to Catholic heritage and voodoo influences – there are tales hidden in this city that one could never unfold in just a single visit. The 3-hour Bus Tour we took around the city barely broke the surface of things to learn about the people and culture. We can’t wait to visit again!

French Market – New Orleans

Part of the French Quarter, looking extra French in the evening light

The single best picture I could find of Bourbon Street – Ha!

Celebration in the Oaks – Christmas Lights Display in New Orleans

Mausoleums of New Orleans

Golden Joanie – Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans

 

Discovering Savannah

As we inched southward, nearing the end of November, Savannah was a delight to experience. The weather had warmed slightly, the city was full of life (kind of nice after a couple weeks in rural North/South Carolina), and we were pleasantly surprised by the unique, historic charm that the city held.

Tennessee Time

Sara and I decided to spend the complete month of October in Tennessee, since that is where I grew up and we have so many people to see. This month did not disappoint. I have visited Tennessee regularly since I moved away in 1999, but this was the longest I have ever visited at one time and was the best visit back that I have had.

Waiting for the Leaves to Change

It was a nail-biting last couples weeks of September when we weren’t quite sure we’d actually see the leaves turn color before we headed south. They say there’s no better place to be than in New England in the fall. It’s the fuzzy scarf, soup-in-a-mug, American bed-and-breakfast kind of place to be. I know New England wasn’t the only region to experience an unseasonably warm fall this year, but… couldn’t it just be a bit blustery for us? This once?