Photo Blog of Natchitoches and New Orleans, LA

well...i am FINALLY recouping from my week long vacation. been home for a week and i'm still in a slight daze. well worth it though. when i can find the time and the energy (not an overabundance of it quite yet around here), i will blog in detail about the trip. but for now, here are some photos to take you along our journey. i took many more, but i chose a few of my favorites. enjoy!

i would like to first set off the mood as we were leaving dallas headed east, "born on the bayou" by CCR came on the radio. couldn't get any better than that...

leaving shreveport, LA - headed southbound

had to snap a shot of this sign in the boudin shop - we had definitely entered coon ass country - i could hardly understand a word anyone was saying - strong south louisiana accent

the boudin (prounounced boodan) shop in breaux bridge, LA (famous for the boudin)


crawfish balls from the boudin shop. oh.my.goodness.

the atchafalaya basin - largest swamp in the US - definitely don't want to be breakin down around these here parts

another shot of the atchafalaya basin (please notice how i did not get OUT of the car to take a photo - there's a good reason for that ;) )

welcome to natchitoches (pronounced nakitish)

view towards the cane river from the river walk - it was breathtaking

fountain in the cane river - see the rainbow? :)

stunning magnolia tree along the cane river

all the benches looked like this. the fleur de lis definitely has a new meaning to me after experiencing louisiana.

banana plants outside the roque house

gorgeous, huge, OLD oak tree - i fell in love with it. the photo doesn't do it any justice.

the roque house

the roque house door

front door to the roque house

the steel magnolia house - primary filming of the film "steel magnolias" - they filmed the movie in natchitoches

the steel magnolia house

the mighty mississippi river - crossing over into baton rouge, LA

chartres street - french quarter - new orleans, LA

our hotel - le richelieu

one of my favorite photos of the trip - the andrew jackson statue in jackson square. i was amazed how this photo came out

jackson square in the morning

in between jackson square and the st. louis cathedral. i love the colors in this photo.

joan of arc statue - maid of orleans

gas lamps along the streets of the french quarter. i absolutely fell in love with them. especially at night. it completed the feel and ambiance of new orleans for me.

trompone player outside cafe du monde

cafe du monde coffee - i don't drink coffee, but for regular coffee drinkers, it's some of the best coffee in the world...chickory

beignets at cafe du monde. yes, they are as delicious as they look.

lake pontchartrain (the r is silent) and the causeway. 2nd largest salt water lake in the US. the causeway is the largest bridge over a body of water in the WORLD! 24 miles long. we drove all the way across and all the way back. i really felt connected in this part of louisiana - this is where many of my ancestors are from.

french quarter - new orleans

chartres street - new orleans

french quarter - new orleans

the seafood platter at deanie's. mikey and lance split it and still didn't get 1/2 way through it. good lord!

inside the st. louis cathedral

the st. louis cathedral

let me explain this photo as it came out very fuzzy. this is the statue of jesus behind the st. louis cathedral. we were walking back to our hotel from bourbon street one night and the shadow from the statue on the cathedral was utterly amazing. the photo did not capture it at all.

statue of jesus behind the st. louis cathedral. i thought it was really neat how the bird was sitting on his outstretched hand.


and this concludes our photo journey. i hope you enjoyed it. i will sit down and write more about the trip later, but it's amazing the stories that can be told through pictures. i'm definitely going back, but i have to admit, i will not be going back to new orleans in august. it was SWELTERING hot. even in the tour guide books, they have events for every month and what's listed under august says "In August, we sweat." nothing else. and that's the truth.