WHO DAT?

Joe and I took a trip to New Orleans to cross an item off of Joe's bucket list: Go to a Michigan Bowl Game.  New Orleans wasn't exactly ON my bucket list- but I did have an interest in seeing the city, so we figured, why not?  We arrived in the "Big Easy" on New Year's Eve - that city was rockin' to the say the very least!

We stayed just off of Canal and Bourbon Street - so right in the middle of all the action.  We could walk nearly everywhere we wanted to go from our hotel room, so that was a huge bonus, and what I would recommend to anyone visiting the city. We did not have a rental car, and never felt we needed one. You could get anywhere by taxi, if need be.  But, there was so much to do all around our area, we never needed one!

Here's Joe with New Orleans' "Hurricane" drink made famous at Pat O'Briens:

 The beautiful cathedral on Jackson Square....Joe and I showed up for church and then realized we were half hour early- my watch was wrong.  Soooo....we said a nice little prayer and went on our way!

 At Bubba Gump's....we had REALLY yummy shrimp dish there!

 On the Riverwalk....it was really neat to see the big ships.  You could take boat cruises, but we opted not to!

 Trying the Charbroiled Oysters on the Half Shell at Dragos (our FAVORITE restaurant on the trip!).  We were both very scared to try them, and to our surprise - they were DELICIOUS! Still craving them!

Here are some views from the streets of NOLA.....We had heard the streets were dirty and smelly, but honestly, I thought they were fine.  I mean, horses DO roam the streets and obvoiusly have to do their business somewhere, and the bars stay open nearly all night so everything smells of alcohol, but overall, I guess, it isn't something that bothered me!

All-State was the sponsor of the Sugar Bowl, and I must say, they did a nice job - there were pre-game pep rallies, a Kelly Clarkson concert, some fun games and chances to win things, free t-shirts, etc. Most importantly, the Michigan fans were EVERYWHERE.  I think you heard the words "Go Blue" nearly 500 times a day.  It was fun to be a part of Michigan's fan base!

The stadium was awesome, and the SuperDome was awesome! It made me want to live in a city that actually has a pro football or a college football team in it! New Orleans is CRAZY for the Saints! The Saints were playing at home in the playoffs on Sunday, and that whole town was decked out in Saints and Drew Brees gear.  It made me want to be a saint....oh, Lord, I want to be in that number, when the saints come marching in. (Sorry, it had to be said).

The whole game experience was fun.  We had tickets 8 rows up from the 40 yard line and they were pefect seats.  I had to take a close-up of Denard for myself, er, the boys.  The game was incredibly close and we were on the edge of our seats most of the time! But, in the end we pulled off a victory, which was a great end to our trip.

So, if I had to give advice on New Orleans...I would say "GO!" - especially if you LOVE food or have the need to put on ten pounds in four days.  I loved the food, I loved the people, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the culture, and I loved the spirit of the city.  They have a lot of pride in their city, and I loved that! BUT....if you go, prepare to come back exhausted! We needed a vacation from our vacation when we got back!

Nothing beats coming home to three healthy, happy (but VERY spoiled by their grandparents) children! We were lonesome for them, and Joey gave us the best letter in our pillowcases when we got home!