City of New Orleans

Have I mentioned how much we love visitors? Grandma Karrol and Grandpa Neal drove our little subaru out here for us and we made a trip to New Orleans. It was so fun to explore the city and watch Emery spend time with "cacaw" and "camah". She will still ask "where did papa go?" 

Emery and I sporting our glasses and I think looking at the ducks in this picture. 

We did a plantation tour in Valcherie (just outside of New Orleans) and it was awesome! I loved walking through this house and hearing stories about the families that lived here. The best part was the section of the house they haven't touched since the early 1800's and the wallpaper was peeling off, and a stairwell just for the "servants/slaves". This picture is a good belly shot.

Riding this bike around City Park. Neal Sr. was trying to make it exciting by driving off curbs and on the edge of the boardwalk over the water. Naturally I was the only one freaking out.

Lots and lots of feather boas and masks in all the shops all over the city.

And lots of gator heads! Emery doesn't discriminate when it comes to animals.

I seriously feel so much bigger this pregnancy and I am carrying higher so I feel him up in my ribs a lot more this time. He seems to be more active too, always moving! Which is mostly reassuring.

I love these trees! I have memories of climbing these trees in the south when I was a kid. I wish I could do a side by side picture of me in these trees close to the same age as Emery.

Although Grandpa Neal likes to torture Emery, she was pretty smitten with him.

Not long after this picture was taken, Emery tripped and fell. She only wanted Grandma Karrol to hold her.

Bowling at Clinton's only bowling alley.

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the buildings around the French Quarter. They all had magnificent hanging plants lining the balconies. So much green in the middle of the city!

This cute little bakery in Clinton has some amazing brownies. The bakery is in this old old house.  There are a lot of old houses in Clinton and sometimes they will have a sign explaining the history of the house.

The backyard of the plantation house. You can't really see but there were several little cabins in the back of the house, one was a kitchen, blacksmith cabin, and then most of them were the slave living quarters. Fascinating history.