Samma Spot: Traveling with Samma: New Orleans

Hi De Ho Peeps!!!

How's everyone doing out there ? I'm pretty good right, can't complain! Today is going to be installment 1 of "where the heck has she been". Hopefully I'll finish it out this week so you know I didn't vanish. Tomorrow will be interrupted with a Tuesday Thoughts post since I have a few odd and end type things I wish to address.

Sooooo, if you are a regular, fairly regular or even sporadic reader then you probably remember that last year was the Big 5 - 0 birthday for me and Hubster was planning us a trip to Italy. It was my birthday present and well let's just say life got in the way and we never made our trip. Enter Christmas 2015 and we've had no big trips, his traveling has been re-donk-u-lous and he's looking to gain some hubby brownie points. So like New Years tend to do January arrived and ended in the blink of an eye and Surprise we're going to visit some dear friends in NOLA for a pre Mardi Gras fun!!!

Hubster was working in Tampa so he flew to the airport in NOLA and Big Mo picked him up at the airport. Meanwhile I was getting the doggie settled in the house for a weekend alone with the dog sitter and then drove myself down. First stop on the agenda:

Now if you don't know about Buc-ee's then let me tell ya, if you see one....STOP there.

Seriously, best rest stop ever in the history of rest stops. Super clean restrooms, no truck drivers allowed (no offense to the truck driver meant) and so much good food and stuff to look at!

Anywho I'm back on the road and let me tell ya, I'm sorry ya'll had to miss the concert I gave in that truck on that 8.5 hour drive. It was a doozy, I amazed myself and am totally shocked the Super Bowl didn't call at the last minute for a change of performers.

After a good nights sleep we are up and off to Bourbon Street and the French Quarter for the day.

First up we have to fuel up with some delicious breakfast.

We made a stop at a totally wonderful fabulous place called LaLou

I have no photos because I was stuffing my face ya'll. If you ever find yourself in the Mandeville, LA area and have a hankering for a good southern breakfast then you should head right over there.

Don't sleep in too late they're only open from 7:30 am - 2 pm.

Now that we are stuffed to the gills with deliciousness we're off to the French Quarter to walk off some of that breakfast. We walk, we shop, we laugh, we pet strangers dogs and then we headed to

Bourbon Street.

Big Mo was hanging out with Chewie and Darth.

While Mrs. Mo and I had some beers in large glasses and appropriately named.

I know my crown is stunning...don't be jealous

Soon it was time to head back to Mandeville and get ready for my first Mardi Gras parade.

It was the Krewe of Eve parade. SO MANY BEADS and so much fun. I'm not sure why we waited so long to go to Mardi Gras especially since Hubster used to ride in the parades.

Saturday we started out a little slower than the day before but quickly revved it up with a little shopping at this adorable shop Das Schulerhaus. Big Mo brought me a candle from there when they came out to Texas and I totally have loved it and couldn't find the particular scent that he brought me so we had to go get some candles. Then it was home to pick up the guys and grab some lunch at the Mandeville Seafood Market. Hubster had himself 5 lbs of boiled crawfish and then someone thoughtfully ordered the Dirty Fries. If you don't know Dirty Fries in Louisiana are french fries smothered with roast beef, brown gravy and cheese. Good gosh...sinful indeed!

Later that evening we headed over to Covington to another parade, Krewe of Olympia. We had tons of fun and enjoyed ourselves immensely. I truly have about 30 lbs. of beads from 2 parades. That doesn't even include the blinky jewelry, hats, boas, stuffed toys and assorted what nots. I'm thinking Big Mo and Mrs. Mo can definitely plan on us being back next year.

Now if you'd like to go to some parades but don't want the "crazy" Bourbon Street activities of the city then definitely take the family out to some of the North Shore parades where things are much more family friendly. For my first Mardi Gras experience this was the way to go for sure.

Sadly Sunday morning it was time to head back to Texas and get ready for another adventure! Of course it wouldn't be a vacation if it didn't include more food so we made a quick stop at the Waffle House for breakfast before hitting the road.

I called this my pre-birthday celebration and I'm pretty sure this is going to be a regular adventure for us from now on. Who knows maybe next year Hubster will ride in a parade and I'll get another totally new Mardi Gras experience and he'll get to spend lots more time with his childhood friends.

Special thanks to Big Mo and Mrs. Mo for letting us crash at your place and show me the ways of Mardi Gras.