Back from vacation!

Jason and I had such a great time on vacation! It was beautiful down there and so relaxing, which is just what we needed. We got down there late Sunday night and were amazed by the condo. Some family friends, the Myers, own it and it's just wonderful. A quick tour:

The kitchen:


The living room:


The master bedroom. This room was off of the living room and also opened up to the balcony.


The second and third bedrooms. These were down a hallway and shared their own bathroom.



Our balcony - we spent a lot of time out there - reading, enjoying a beverage or two, and Jason smoked some cigars. The breeze was wonderful and the view was incredible!




It was the perfect time of year to be there. Mid 70s everyday, but with the sun down there it was definetly warm enough. Also, this time of year is after spring breaks but before schools are out, so we were some of the few that were there - it was so nice to actually have a spot on the beach and at the pool.

It was a little cloudy the first morning so we went to a nearby outlet mall and did some shopping. Then we came back and laid on the beach for awhile.


A big part of this trip was trying out new foods. I had never eaten crab legs, and Jason had only had them once, so the first night there we ate at a place called Bubbas (which was in walking distance and that was a requirement after the afternoon beverages) and had 2 lbs of crab legs.

Here is a picture of the platter they brought out:


Jason showing me how to eat them:


The empty platter. Note the large cups of butter we had to dip the crab into - yum!


And the big bowl of empty crab legs:


Stuffed after the crab legs:


The second night we went to a place called Tacky Jacks that was on the water. It looked abandoned when we went up to it, but that's because all of the restaurants are set up to face the water. We walked around to the other side and there were a lot of people.


After dinner we went up onto the observation deck.


And here I am enjoying a banana daiquiri. Someone recently told me to make sure and eat lots of fruit ... I had peach, mango, strawberry, pineapple, and banana ......daiquiris that is!


On our last day we had to take the obligatory "names in the sand" picture. I've done that in Mexico, the Bahamas, and now Alabama.


We left the beach on Thursday and drove 3 hours to New Orleans. We were meeting up with Rick Myers (condo owner) in the evening but managed to get around some ourselves until then. Using our brand new GPS, we managed to find St. Louis Cathedral that is in the French Quarter.


We also got to see what Bourbon Street looks like during the day.


When we got to Rick's apartment we realized that all of the trees lining St. Charles Avenue are covered in Mardi Gras beads. This is because the parade route is directly in front of his apartment.


For dinner we wanted to try some New Orleans cuisine, so Rick took us to the Acme Oyster House, located just off of Bourbon Street. There is a line that you wait in outside, but it goes quickly especially because you can enjoy a beverage from another bar at the same time.


So for dinner - first up on the menu were oysters. That was new for me, but they were surprisingly not too bad. I had them dipped in hot sauce and on a cracker. Jason and Rick just dipped them in hot sauce and ate them. They weren't anything that I'd want on a daily basis, but were fun to try.


Next: crawfish. These little delicacies were certainly interesting to eat. I actually really liked them though - tons of flavor!


You really shouldn't examine them too closely before eating.


Then we had fried shrimp po-boy sandwiches. I'm still not clear on exactly what a "po-boy sandwich" is, but these were fantastic!


After dinner we went walking down Bourbon Street. They have the streets blocked off to cars at night so you can walk down (carrying your drink) them without dodging vehicles. Up on the balconies there were people waiting and ready to throw beads. (I did NOT try to earn any - maybe next trip!) (Jason DID try to earn some, but wasn't successful. Apparently his chest isn't as interesting as a woman's.) This picture was taken when it was still pretty early - it got busier.


Not only are there bars, but many sex toy shops, strip club/cabaret type places, souvenir shops, and voodoo places. (Those are SCARY. We went in one and they take it very seriously. There was an alter with all sorts of crazy stuff and many many signs saying that if you touch it you will bring very bad luck. I wouldn't let Jason touch it - I'm not about to chance anything!) On a quieter nearby street there were many people willing to read your palms. As much as I wanted to try that (hey, I'd had a few drinks by then) we passed.


Under a Bourbon Street sign.


For our first drink, Rick took us to a place where they served Hand Grenades. Apparently a very popular drink - and it was very good!


After that I had a 32 ounce Miami Vice. See Rick laughing at me in the background.


Jason just had to have a Huge Ass Beer.



Rick decided he needed to teach us how to dance. :)


And for our last stop of the night we had to try some more food! Before catching the Trolley back to the apartment, we went to Cafe Du Monde for some fabulous Beignets. They were much like donuts w/ powdered sugar, but 10 times better.


This morning we woke up pretty early and headed back. It was such a wonderful vacation!