Joyeux Noël from New Orleans!

Last week while David was on vacation, we took a little trip south to New Orleans. The last time we were there was in 2005, a few months before Katrina. We drove, as we'd rather drive than fly.

As we neared the exit for Keetha's town, I remembered a post she wrote about a restaurant full of tasty fried goodness. Miraculously, I remembered the name and even better, the GPS knew it too! So we headed off I-55 to Belzoni, MS to The Varsity Restaurant for a late lunch. As we stood outside near the order window, looking lost and confused, an older man in a pickup truck had mercy on us and told us that we could go inside from the entrance in the back. If not for him, we might still be standing there! In my haste to consume my delicious fried chicken strips and fries, I failed to take a picture, but they were everything Keetha had said. So delicious! You can read about one of her visits (and see a picture of the yummies) here: http://www.keetha.com/2009/03/its-worth-it.html. We were through the area at odd times, but I hope next time we can catch up with Keetha! After arriving in New Orleans and checking into our hotel, we set out for the obligatory beignets from the Cafe Du Monde. Jimmy Buffett sings about them, so they've got to be good! They're a fried dough, doughnut like, but heavier and with no hole.
We walked off our beignets (well, tried) and returned to our hotel. We had a balcony over Bourbon street, which was great for people watching! I think our room had a tv, but who would need one with this view?
This wouldn't be a good room for someone who needs silence to sleep, but we didn't mind the noise. After a day of traveling and a dinner of fried dough, nothing could have kept us awake! Stay tuned for Day 2 of our trip!