Linking up with Meghan over at Clean Eats, Fast Feets today.
So, I spent July 4th weekend and half of last week in New Orleans visiting my family. Baby Brother went with me, and we had a good–if sweltering–time. And I took lots of pics, for a change!
I was greeted with this smiling face when I got off the airplane. He’s so cute!
Baby Brother’s only request for the trip was that we go here:
So we did. I do love seafood…
If you want to get more of the full effect, check out this YouTube video. It’s like Bubba from Forrest Gump. Boiled shrimp (cold and hot), fried shrimp, shrimp salad, shrimp pasta, raw oysters, fried oysters, calamari, gator au gratin, fried gator, gator sausage, gator boudin…Most of us were in heaven. Except Bubba, because he doesn’t eat seafood, so he was pretty frowny. My nephew loves shrimp. His only complaint? “YaYa (what he calls my mom), will you take their eyes off so they’ll stop looking at me?”
We walked on the levee right beside my parents’ house. This area was entirely flooded after Katrina.
We spent a beautiful sunset on the banks of the nearby Mississippi River, while my nephew “fished” (without a hook, of course, but he had a big time).
We took a swamp tour in the damp, sweltering heat that was the Fourth of July.
We got to hold a gator.
The ones in the swamp were pretty small. The ones three miles from my parents’ house? Not. So. Small.
You can’t see the fence I was standing behind–atop a cement wall–but trust me, there was one. Because I’m not an idiot. Apparently, gators like marshmallows. And they have some kind of secret marshmallow-radar that tells them when the s’mores-less confection is on offer (Side note, I did not feed the wildlife. I merely watched others engage in what is, apparently, a frequent pastime.).
And, of course, no trip to NOLA is complete (for me), without a visit to the Cafe du Monde for some chicory coffee, beignets, and people-watching.
Why do I always wear black when I go here? Seriously. Bad fashion choice. I looked like I’d been attacked by a powder puff when I left here. But the sugar and caffeine…MMM.
Finding My Inner Kate 
Whoa, gators! Not gonna lie, they both fascinate and terrify me. I would not want to meet one in the wild!!
They do me, too. I watched them for a while. Behind the safety of a large fence…atop a cement wall.
One of my life goals is to go to NOLA and eat masses of beignets! Will get there one day!
Oh, you definitely should! I loved living near the city, and I go back to the Cafe any time I’m in town.
This is fantastic. I love New Orleans. We went a few years back and found it super hot and that was in March. I can only imagine July. You are brave, and I’m glad you had a fantastic time. The swamp tour is awesome or at least we thought so when we did one. Also you can never go wrong with beignets. They’re a happy food for me. 🙂
I love New Orleans, too, but I refuse to go in August. Too miserable. But I ALWAYS have beignets when I’m in town. So amazing.