Farmers on Holiday

Yes, even farmers go on holiday. As you can see, Bill is really moving out in the Big Easy. His wardrobe was masterfully planned so that he wouldn't look like a tourist....or a local.

He's enthusiastically in search of good food and interesting sights in New Orleans.

On Bourbon St. we went to Pat O'Brien's and listened to the dueling pianos and tried his famous Hurricane drink in the logo glass shaped like a hurricane lamp.

Then we went to Tropical Isle to listen to a western band and try their famous hand grenade drink. I'm thinking the drink goes well with Bill's WSU sweatshirt. Bill's working hard to keep both eyes open at this point. Mine are starting to slam shut. This is way past our bedtime on the farm!

 Next we went dancing. Can you find Bill bustin' a move?

OK, so that was the Bourbon St. experience. Let's move on.

Here we are in our room at La Belle Maison. When we first arrived late Saturday night, the desk clerk told us we were tardy for the party. Interestingly, we had no windows to the outside. This worked well after our night on Bourbon St. Without natural light, we could sleep in until late in the morning.

This was a delicious brunch at the Court of Two Sisters Restaurant. With our two sisters it seemed like a natural choice. The buffet included such favorites as fresh shrimp in spicy etouffee, duck a l'orange, crawfish Louise, creole jambalaya, and corn grits. For dessert we tried a variety of treats including Southern pecan pie and bananas foster. A jazz trio played during our meal.

A jazz band playing on the street.

Lots of carriages pulled by mules.

This is the Royal House Oyster Bar. The kids showed us how to eat raw oysters here.

If I lived in the city, my balcony would have to be covered with greenery like these.

In this shop, a person can buy a civil war gun. Bill's really checking this out.

This is the St. Louis Cathedral overlooking Jackson Square. The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to visit the Cafe du Monde and try their famous beignets.

Lots of powdered sugar on fried fritters, lots and lots of powdered sugar. This cafe is world famous for its au lait, beignets and people watching.

Bill was definitely worthy of watching. He did this after I "spilled" powered sugar all over his backpack. And yes, he cracked me up. Apparently, Grayson is use to his in laws.

Shyla taking time to smell the roses in Jackson Square.

We had great weather. Grayson is chillin' with Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.

Here's the family on board the steamboat Natchez. Hey, more on the steamboat later.