The longest road trip ever... continued

***Continued from April 30 post - feel free to read that disclaimer again too! :) ***

Leaving El Paso - April 8

If anyone has ever driven across Texas, you know how loooooong and booooooring it is!

But we did it! And got to Austin that night where we stayed with my sisters old college friend, who very kindly let us - Amy, me and my whole brood- stay the night at her house.

It was VERY generous and we appreciate it SO much!

That night we drove to the college (the University of Texas at Austin) and let the kids walk around, it's a very cool campus! And it really got the kids excited to go to college, so that's a good thing!

Leaving Austin - April 9

By this point we had been on the road for 4 days but hadn't seen anything new. I was so ready! So we got up early and headed towards Louisiana!

On our way we drove past a super cute field of Texas Blue Bonnets and took some cute pics.

As soon as we got to Lousiana we stopped at the visitor center and took some fun pics. 

We thought the Austin-New Orleans drive would be shorter than some of the long driving days we'd been having. But I think we were already starting to slow down... getting worn out... and we took our sweet time!

We got to New Orleans late enough to get a quick shower and get to bed.

The next morning Amy and I got up early and took the Sequioa to a dealership to change the oil and check the alignment, which had started to go bad somewhere in Texas. We dropped it off and went for a walk around a really nice looking neighborhood.

Being in New Orleans I thought we might see some Katrina damage, but I really didn't know what to expect.

It was one of the first houses we saw.

It was abandoned, moldy, awful, with curtains and furniture still inside.

Most of the houses looked good, I guess they had been repaired, but there were a few that had been completely abandoned.

All those damaged and abandoned houses and we saw just one tiny FEMA trailer.

After the car was done and we picked the kids up we went for a drive around another neighborhood that was way worse. This time I had my camera, and even though it felt weird taking pictures of it I really wanted to share them. I had no idea it was still so bad and I'm sure lots of other people feel the same. It's so crazy that so many years later there are still so many homes like that!

This apartment building still had furniture in a lot of the apartments.

And the "Now Leasing" sign still up.

It was really sad to see so many homes like that.

After looking through some neighborhoods we parked by the river and walked to old New Orleans. It's looked just like I had imagined it, all French style.

The only thing I knew I really wanted to do was eat Begneits. One of my moms friends from when I was little was from Louisiana and she taught me how to make begneits, so I knew I needed to have a traditional one!

Amy said the best place to get em' was Cafe Du Monde. It was super crowded and super delicious! And very reasonably priced which was a welcome change!

We walked all around and ate Jumbalaya, Alligator sausage, fried pickles, and some Po'Boys.

So yummy!

(you knew eating would be high on my list of things to do in New Orleans, right?!)

When Amy watched the kids when I flew out to Maryland, she and Lexi had watched some ghost hunter show, and so they both really wanted to do a ghost tour because New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in the world.

Supposedly.

So we walked around all day (we were sooo tired!) and took a nighttime ghost tour. It was interesting. That's all I'll say about it. :)

We hadn't really planned to spend a whole day in New Orleans, but since the car needed work we figured we might as well. We didn't do even half of what New Orleans offers! It's such a neat city!

(We are definitely planning a trip back!)

Leaving New Orleans - April 11

After New Orleans we didn't really have a plan for how far we'd go or where we'd stop. That is absolutely not how I travel! I like to plan, plan, plan.

But for this trip, this never ending trip, I will admit it worked out.

There Amy! You were right! :)

Next up... THE FINAL CHAPTER... it's about time, right?!