The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
When New Orleans is not celebrating Mardi Gras, you’ll find the majority of the floats at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. Blaine Kern is THE name in New Orleans parade floats, and they are just spectacular up-close and personal. We were given a short orientation and learned about Mardi Gras which in English means “Fat Tuesday”—the last day to party before Ash Wednesday and Lent. After watching a short film, … [Read more...]
So after a long day of driving and seeing the sites in Louisiana, and right after our carriage ride through the French Quarter the crew was famished and so the hunt began for a family friendly place to eat-which can be a little challenging in the Big Easy. Thankfully we happened upon the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant and Market on Decatur Street. My crew won't eat any shellfish, but they will eat fish with … [Read more...]
Also known as the Louisiana State Museum, The Cabildo was originally the seat of the colonial government in New Orleans, as well as the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer. At one point the building housed the state supreme court and was the site of the famous Plessy vs. Ferguson decision. Now the building houses an incredible collection of Louisiana history. We walked through the museum which covers a huge … [Read more...]
One of New Orleans more famous culinary treats is the beignet, and you will find none better that at the very famous Cafe Du Monde. Beignet are fried biscuits that are light and fluffy and sprinkled with powdered sugar-and are nothing short of heaven. You cannot visit New Orleans without having beignet at the original location right on the banks of the Mississippi river on the outer edge of the French Quarter … [Read more...]
One of the best ways to tour the French Quarter is to go on a carriage ride. We did this just a bit before sundown and it was something that both the kids and the adults thoroughly enjoyed. We took a short tour of the historic buildings, and our lovely tour guide filled us in on all the legends and lore. It was a great intro to get us oriented in the city. Something about the clippity-clop of those hooves and the old … [Read more...]
When we were in New Orleans we met up with some good friends and local residents Alan and Diane and their little boy Eli. We asked them where we could get a good breakfast and they told us to head right over to Mother's-home of the world's best baked ham (that's what's on their sign outside). We don't eat ham, but we do like a good breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and all the fixins and Mother's did not … [Read more...]
Because of New Orleans' cultural ties to the Caribbean and voodoo culture, I thought it would be really interesting to do a voodoo tour and see the famous graves in this historic city while exploring something truly unique to New Orleans. I booked a tour through the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum and I remember that something just didn't feel right when I got off the phone. When we arrived for our tour, we were … [Read more...]
As Americans so many of us take for granted all the awesome stuff we have right here in our own backyard. So many folks feel it's not a real travel adventure unless they're going somewhere exotic and far away like Europe, Asia or Australia (I admit, I too have a hankering to discover Australia). How refreshing it was for me to hear from the Richard family, who after trekking through all the Canadian provinces with … [Read more...]
Who doesn't love a tasty treat? Food is a super way to learn about different regions and cultures and it's one of my best ways of keeping everyone interested and engaged in whatever we're exploring. When I mention tasting or sampling everyone's ears perk up, but it takes on a whole new level when it's something sweet! There's nothing like sugar to lift everyone's spirits and get everyone chatting and making nice. … [Read more...]
There are 50 glorious states in the United States of America and each has it's own culture, history, resources, and famous figures just waiting to be discovered. When we travel on our quest to see all 50, we make it a point to appreciate the diversity of the U.S. by dialing into each individual state, understanding it's distinguishing characteristics and "personality" if you will. This sense of curiosity makes … [Read more...]
