Louisiana

I’ll be driving through the entire northern portion of the state next week on my way from TX to FL to see the in-laws for the holidays. I’ve lived in both TX and FL, but have never made the drive between the two, so this’ll be interesting. :)

I remember flying over here a few weeks ago. This is where a large part of my family lives. I had viseted there as a child and loved being there again.

It was very green compared to Arizona!

Louisiana is a pretty groovy place – I’ve been there quite a few times but never have done the whole Mardi Gras thing, now that I think of it…Love the above-ground cemeteries and the fresh seafood.

I went to New Orleans, LA on a mission trip with my youth group. It was part of missionlab.com. Each day we did a different activity in the morning and in the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday morning we volunteered at Mattie’s Day Care and played with the kids and worked at the church next door painting and chipping the paint. Monday afternoon we split up into two groups and went to pull insulation and toilets out of a house and to grout tile in another house. Tuesday afternoon we went to tent city to give stuff to the homeless people and talk with them. Wednesday morning we went to city park and laid mulch around the trees. Wednesday afternoon we went to Baldwin, LA to tour the UMCOR facilities. We also went to Riverwalk and Deanie’s seafood for dinner and walked around downtown. Thursday we went to a church and helped set up for their vacation bible school. Friday morning we did yard work. About halfway through the work a man with a bushwacking tractor helped us out by mowing the lawn. However, he hit a gas pipe and gas started to fill the neighborhood. He fled the scene and we had to stop working and call the fire department. Friday afternoon we went to a neighborhood and did a prayer walk.Friday night we went downtown to hit the shops, which most were closed. We also went to Cafe Du Monde for benets! It was so much fun and a great experience!

I want to see the French Quarter again. I have seen it once and really want to see it again. I only had about an hour and a half to spend on Bourbon Street before we had to leave and I just didn’t have the time to really take it all in. So, now I have to go back. And I can’t wait to do so.

Went to New Orleans before Katrina in the hot, muggy summer. It was wonderful though.

I only drove through this state on my way to Chicago. I really wanted to stop and get some photos, but I got rushed onto an exit ramp and ended up on a bridge that was literally 23 miles long. BY the time it ended I was 19 miles out of the city.

Creole food is the best ever! Seriously!

I’ve been to Many to go shopping at the Wal-Mart. Not very exciting but thats where i’ve been in Louisiana.

Unlike Las Vegas, a place I also love, New Orleans is not manufactured, it evolved from the mud and people, making for the most exotic place I have been to in the US.