Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler!! {Part 1}

My family and I headed to New Orleans over break for New Years. It was a total surprise to my sisters and me!  My mom sent a mass text to our family while I was taking finals saying that we would be headed to NOLA for the holiday. After a rough 2012, my mom said that she wanted us to have something to look forward to when ringing in the new year! It was the best motivation to power through my tests.

We had such an amazing time in the Big Easy. My parents had been to New Orleans before, but it was the first time for my sisters and I. Our biggest draw to the city was that the Carolina Panthers were playing their final game of the season in the Superdome! We had to cheer on our hometeam!

Our road trip began as all road trips should, with a stop at Cracker Barrel...

...seriously their pancakes are the world's best.

When we pulled into New Orleans, it was early evening and we were greeted by sunshine and a surprisingly pretty construction site.

Our first night, we walked around Bourbon Street and happened to run into some of our favorite (current and former) Panther players, Jordan Gross and Jake Delhomme! Obviously we asked for a picture and my mom pretended she was BFF with them. They were very nice (and huge!).

Being on Bourbon Street was a fun culture shock for us Carolina folk. It is a crazy atmosphere, but we embraced it pretty well I'd say. We even stopped in at Hotel Monteleone where my paternal grandparents spent their honeymoon in 1951. The hotel was gorgeous and it was fun to see a little slice of my family's history!

We then headed to dinner at a cool and casual spot, Crescent City Brewhouse. After a full day of traveling, we were all looking for somewhere not too fancy so we could relax. The Brewhouse had a great variety on their menu, and I ate a the Decatur St. Burger with sweet potato fries and it was fabulous. My mom and sister, Megan, split a Brewhouse Caesar Salad and the Grilled Grouper on Flatbread. My oldest sister, Kelley, had the Seafood Andouille Gumbo and raved about it. My dad, the driver on the trip, rewarded himself with a rack of the Brewhouse Ribs. It was too dark to get pictures of the food, but it was all soooo yummy.

After dinner, my dad wanted to take us to Pat O'Brien's Piano Bar. It's known for its hurricanes, but none of us were brave enough to drink one! The atmosphere inside was very fun with live music and everyone was singing along. While we couldn't get seated (this place is popular and PACKED), we enjoyed the music while we were there.

Our night ended at Bourbon Street Blues Company. When we walked by and heard the band, we knew we had to stop in! It was so fun just to enjoy being with my family, dancing and having a good time. It's not often that our family goes out like this all together!

Oh my gosh, aren't my parents the cutest people you've ever seen? Thought so.

Day 1 was a success, but it's only a portion of our trip! I'll be back with more of this NOLA recap! Hope you are having a happy Hump Day!