Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Highlights from NOLA

I will save the "low-lights" for another day!

WOW! Did we have full four days in NOLA.  First of we had a mansion in the heart of the Garden District to spend our quite time, visit with family and overall just relax.  While we were not relaxing we were BUSY!

The Thomsons, the two Georges and the two Rents spent a wonderful morning at Audubon Zoo.  If you ever find yourself in NOLA with nothing to do, this is worth the visit.  Lions, tigers and bears oh my, but that wasn't it...elephants, birds, giraffes, a white Bengal Tiger (pretty cool) and did I mention the monkeys.  Liam and Ollie (Kyle too) were fixated by the howling monkeys, the singing monkeys, and the flying monkeys.
 


 
 A very talented Auntie A (I am using her code name) swiped a poster for me from the women's restroom, like I said she is very talented. However the award for the real talent goes the name on the poster.  It was so great to see the VERY talented Colin Lake perform without his harmonica, (it makes me feel old when I think I remember Colin playing his harmonic on family ski trips when we were all kids) while seeing many old faces and meeting new ones too.
 

 
END OF DAY TWO (Day one I got us lost in New Orleans with a map and we survived two plane rides with two babies)
 
After tracking down the spot for the Rehearsal Dinner, the kids had most of the adventures here.  Lizzie made a new friend and then showed him her diaper.  Unfortunately I was too busy laughing to get a picture of this.  However I did get a picture of her and her little boyfriend reenacting Lady and the Tramp with my cell phone cover.  Apparently all the time Bill spent teaching Lizzie her to do a mean face that would scare off all the boys was pointless.  Mostly it was a great time visiting with family and friends, not to mention eating....I still am going to try and make my own pumpkin risotto.
 


 
Sunday we spent the morning in the French Quarter without the kids...let face this is no place for kids with Cockroaches roaming the streets.  Mimi and Pops were kind enough to keep them in the mansion, feed them lunch and put them down for a nap before the wedding. While this is no place for kids it is a great place for adults, once you're off Bourbon Street (unless your into that type of thing).  We enjoyed a fantastic lunch with Bloody Mary's and Bellini's.  We also enjoyed taking in the sights of the classic French Quarter streets, riverboats and the tourist groups on Segways. 
 


 
Finally we are at the wedding.  What can I say about a three part wedding that started in a park and ended in a beautiful garden.  From start to finish this was a wedding to top the charts, unlike any event I have ever been to.  The bride and groom were married in City Park under a giant oak tree.  (This lovely lady was not part of the wedding)
 

 
 
The wedding then progressed to a stately home where appetizers and champagne were served while a great band played (reception part one).  Probably the most unique aspect of the wedding was the Second Line, the musical march down two blocks to the hotel when reception part three would continue.  We had a fabulous dinner, drinks and desserts.  Kyle even got to try aligator. 
 


WHAT A TRIP!!!