New Orleans, New Year!

I don't think we could fit one more thing into our 11-day break! As I sit here typing and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow, I am so thankful for all the memories we made. Here is one more picture from the holiday; Boomer's dad took this picture of our crew at dinner on Christmas. Unfortunately Granny is cut off - oops! It was so special to all be around the table together. 

In the days immediately following Christmas, Boomer went back to work, and on one of his workdays, we picked him up at Forbush to go to the Forbush vs. East Surry basketball game. Our two schools were playing in a Christmas tournament at Starmount High School, and it was fun to watch it together. Emmy remained neutral and pulled for both sides. 

That same evening, we carried on the annual Bakewell Christmas movie tradition. Being realistic about the ages (and attention spans) of our children, Meg and I decided it was best to leave the kiddos at home with our hubbies. It was just the original Bakewell 4 that saw Mary Poppins Returns. Mom and Dad even picked us up so that it really felt like the old days! 

 There was also time for playing with new toys and reading new books. 

On Saturday, the 29th, Boomer and I took off on a second anniversary trip. Aren't we spoiled?! We hadn't expected to have the night away in Elkin, which was an added bonus earlier in December. Several months ago (and when the Panthers had a winning record), we had planned a trip to New Orleans to watch the Panthers vs. Saints game. Neither of us had ever been to NOLA, and it seemed like a good trip for the two of us, rather than a summer trip, since there is no baseball team there! In order to maximize our quick mini-vacay, Saturday started with a 3:30AM alarm and a 6AM flight! Boomer didn't quite wake up until we were in Louisiana!

We had a fairly smooth travel day with a layover in Atlanta and only a short hour delay on our second flight. We were in New Orleans by lunchtime. Before the trip, I gathered recommendations from a few of Boomer's friends - Ashley and Bert Ellison, who lived in New Orleans during Ashley's medical residency at Tulane, and JR and Becki, who recently went to New Orleans themselves. One recommendation from Bert was a burger joint called Port Of Call, so after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we made our way there. Port Of Call is a local dive on Esplanade Street in the French Quarter. We of course ordered burgers, along with their famous monsoons. The monsoon is a super strong drink reportedly drank by pirates before they were forced to walk the plank! 

After lunch, we made our way to Jackson Square for a free walking tour. We did a similar walking tour in Portland, OR a few years ago and love how you can see the city with a local comedian/historian. From Jackson Square, we walked through several of the neighborhoods in the French Quarter. It was interesting to hear about the mixture of French and Spanish influences. 

Tennessee Williams penned A Streetcar Named Desire on the top floor of this walk-up. 

The William Faulkner House - now a bookstore and museum

Quite tired from our travels and the walking and the monsoons, we made the decision to cancel our dinner reservation and finish the day with beignets instead. The tour ended in the French Market, so we jumped in line for beignets and hot chocolate at the famous Cafe Du Monde. My mouth still waters thinking of the hot sweet dough sprinkled with powder sugar!

On Sunday, we dressed in our Panthers gear and set out for breakfast. We followed another recommendation from Ashley and went to Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar. It is located on Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District. Boomer and I both were very happy with our choices: shrimp and grits for him, and New Orleans style french toast for me. 

 The game was a noon game (Central Standard Time) so after breakfast, we followed the flow of Saints fans toward the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. While we are normally also dressed in black and gold, this time we were the outsiders dressed in the Panthers blue and black. There weren't many other Panthers fans, so we were sure not to ruffle any feathers! From what Boomer tells me, the game didn't mean much for either team. With the Panthers' losing streak, they were already out of the playoffs, and the Saints had already clinched the first seed with their winning record. Even so, it was exciting to see the Panthers win 33-14, and we have kept our perfect record for seeing them win in person.  

The game ended around 3:30PM, and since we had skipped lunch, we were ready for dinner. Like on Saturday night, we made another adjustment to the itinerary. I had originally picked out a local jazz bar called The Three Muses for dinner, but we were both in the mood for the famous New Orleans po' boy. Boomer's friend Jason recommended a place called Parkway Bakery and Tavern on Hagan Avenue. Like at Cafe du Monde and Port of Call, there was a line, which is always a good sign that the food must be worth the wait. I got the shrimp po' boy, and Boomer got the Surf and Turf, with shrimp and roast beef. That would have been plenty of food, but we also added the mixed fries (sweet potato and regular) and fried pickles. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs!

We ended the evening with a walk through the Roosevelt Hotel, which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. 

 On Monday morning, our quick 48-hour trip to NOLA came to an end. We were back at the airport to make our trip home. Emmy loved getting these photos of Boomer 'sleeping'; she would say "Wake up, Daddy!" 

While we were away, we Facetimed and texted often with Grammy and Grandpa. We certainly enjoyed the time away just the two of us, but we also missed our little girl. Based off of these selfies, it doesn't seem that Emmy missed us very much! 

We've had a quiet New Years doing laundry, unpacking, and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. We wish you all a happy and blessed 2019!