MWe pulled into New Orleans without a place to stay on a Saturday night which was also the Fourth of July. Using the app hotel tonight we got a great deal on a hotel right downtown for much cheaper than a motel 6 type place thirty minutes away. We were all exhausted and planned to go to bed early but we found out that the fireworks in NOLA are amazing so after the kids swam in the hotel pool out we went. James and I went through NOLA in 2004 and it seemed very different. Bourbon street did not have the spring break feel we remembered.
It was gross and we wanted the kids to see it but we quickly heard to quieter streets of the French quarter. We went to the bank of the Mississippi and found spots to watch right on the water. I ran and bought a pizza and brought it back to the kids. The fireworks were great and right on top of us. They had two barges set up, setting them off in sync. The girls were exhausted at the end and we carried julia and molly all the way back to the hotel. Julia fell asleep in my arms and I was sweating a ridiculous amount. We found our hotel and all crashed. Sunday morning we had breakfast and then set out again.
We went through the French quarter again, shopped in the French market, the girls enjoyed snow balls, and each bought a trinket.
We wanted to go check out the cemeteries but there was some dissension in the ranks. James ended up riding the street car up canal with molly and casey and looking at a cemetery.
Julia hadn't quite decided on her trinket yet so she and I hung back and went through every store with a fine tooth comb. She and I sat in Jackson square and listened to a great group of musicians playing and singing jazz. It felt like a real New Orleans moment and I will never forget it. Afterwards we found Cafe Beignet and tasted our first beignets. They were delicious and the cafe was adorable.
We got an order for the rest of our family to go. We met up with them and then packed up the car and headed to a swamp tour. We had a reservation for a 4pm tour. The boats were not fan boats but longer with benches facing outwards. Right away we saw really deep swamp scenery and a few huge alligators. The biggest was about 12 feet long with a monster head. The boat drivers toss a marshmellow into the water and the gators come get it. Then he puts a hotdog on a stick and the gator will bite it off.
They try to get the gators to jump out of the water a bit to show their size. A few times he put the hot dog on the side of a tree and the gator sort of climbed up the trunk to get it and you were blown away by the size.
The rest of the tour was more seeing blue herons and the homes on the water. After we got a hotel room and went to bed.
Monday we continued west and made a stop in Baton Rouge. We parked at the LSU athletics area and were surprised to see a live tiger in a pen right where we parked. He is the mascot and they keep him there. He was quite active when we were there which was cool.
He walked around a lot and swam a few times in his little pond. After that James took the kids exploring inside the football stadium. They walked around in the stands and then checked out all of the luxury boxes.
I went for a long run while they did that. The noon heat in BatonRouge is something! My run took me along a levee beside the Mississippi River. I saw a navy destroyer and the paddle wheel casino boats. After a few hours in Baton Rouge we continued west to Lake Charles LA. Here we made a quick stop at a playground and splash pad to run the kids a bit and escape the heat. That afternoon we drove into Houston to sleep.
He walked around a lot and swam a few times in his little pond. After that James took the kids exploring inside the football stadium. They walked around in the stands and then checked out all of the luxury boxes. 
I went for a long run while they did that. The noon heat in BatonRouge is something! My run took me along a levee beside the Mississippi River. I saw a navy destroyer and the paddle wheel casino boats. After a few hours in Baton Rouge we continued west to Lake Charles LA. Here we made a quick stop at a playground and splash pad to run the kids a bit and escape the heat. That afternoon we drove into Houston to sleep.