Laissez Les Bontemps Rouler!! {Part 3}

I am FINALLY back with my last NOLA recap! I know this is quite the awkward delay, but I was prisoner to a loaner computer for a while while mine got worked on. No computer = no pictures = no blog post. Sigh. So, in case you forgot where you left of, you can see Part 1 of my recap here and Part 2 here.

Our trip to New Orleans was quick, but it was packed with tons of fun! The city is truly amazing and it was such a nice getaway for my family and me.

On Day 3, we walked from our hotel in the French Quarter to the National World War II Museum. The walk was so scenic. I love the charm of the architecture in New Orleans. Every building we passed had such flair. I stopped and took a picture at Lafayette Square while we walked too because it was so pretty.

The main event of the day was our trip to the National World War II Museum. It was SUCH a neat experience. I actually love museums and this museum experience was very special as my paternal grandfather served in the army during World War II at just 19 years old! He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart. He is truly my hero. 

The tour started with an interactive movie that gave such insight into the war. It was a 3D movie and it was intense and informative. There were flashes of lights and gunshots, and the seats even moved. I really enjoyed the film and was just in awe of our nation pulled together to fight. Everyone helped in the war effort. Patriotism was so strong. It was incredible. Then we proceeded into the main exhibit. They had tons of great artifacts and pictures. I really enjoyed learning more about the war and felt a deep connection to my Papa. Currently the museum is expanding and I can't wait to go back! It's definitely worth a visit!

After our trip to the museum, we walked past the Mississippi River to Jackson Square. It was a long and chilly walk, but the views were well worth it!

When we got to Jackson Square, it was packed! Definitely a great tourist destination. There were artists set up everywhere selling their unique paintings, restaurants dotted every corner (all looked amazing) and people were everywhere! We stopped into St. Louis Cathedral and it was gorgeous. The architecture and decor was breathtaking. And the beautiful blue skies didn't hurt either!

At this point, we were all STARVING (hangry if you will), and walked around a little before stopping at the Old Coffee Pot Restaurant in the French Quarter. We didn't realize it, but it was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives! How cool is that?! The service was a bit slow, but hey, it's the Big Easy and the food more than made up for it. Our meal tab included a Fried Oyster Po Boy (such a classic!), Crawfish Pie, Chicken & Andouille Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo. Of course there were also Bloody Mary's and a couple of glasses of wine involved, too! All was delicious!

After our yummy lunch, we headed back to the hotel to rest before we headed to Huck Finn's Cafe, a New Orleans sports bar, to watch Clemson kill LSU! We were the only Clemson fans in the bar (no surprise), and it was so fun to watch our team beat the locals! While we didn't get entrees, we honestly ordered half of the appetizer menu. Everything was SO.GOOD. I didn't take a pictures of everything we ate, but we killed so much food. We had the BBQ Pork Nachos, Blackened Alligator (next time I'd get fried, though!), the Fried Pickles and a Shrimp Quesadilla. I think the waiters loved us. Plus, we ordered quite a few drinks. I think we probably helped them break even that night ha!

By the time we actually left the bar, it was already very late! We seriously posted up at our table at Huck Finn's for over 5 hours. Oops. After our food fest, we headed to Jackson Square to ring in the New Year! We got there at 11 p.m. and honestly couldn't move. It was wall-to-wall people. Knowing we'd have to wait an hour before 2013, we ended up just walking back to our hotel. We walked down Bourbon Street and it was a fun experience! Beads were being thrown everywhere and people were clearly having a good time, haha!

After grabbing a pre-midnight snack at Krystal Burger, we watched the first fireworks of 2013 from our hotel room. It was such a nice night and I loved ringing in the new year with my favorite people, my family!

We woke up (painfully) early on January 1st to head home. I was so sad to see our trip come to an end, but seeing the first sunrise of 2013, over the Mississippi River no less, was beautiful and made leaving a little less bitter. I cannot wait to go back to New Orleans and would love to hear from you all of any other places I need to go to when I return!