Day 1- New Orleans (APS)

Eleven hours, five states and very few arguments later, the Sumners pulled into the Big Easy. Jack was the first to spot the Superdome and we quickly found our hotel. After checking in, we set out to see the sights and boy, we saw a little bit of everything!  As we walked down Bourbon Street, Jack was beginning to wilt from hunger and Lil was a bit overwhelmed with the burlesque shows and all of the nonsense Bourbon Street has to offer. We decided to detour away from the crowds and found a great place for dinner, Gumbo Shop.  Those of you who know me well know that I am not very adventurous with my food selections, but I tried the alligator sausage and even coaxed the kiddos into trying it!  When in Rome... MC and I had jambolaya , Lil and Jack went with chicken Po-Boys and Hall had a sampler which included a smattering of several creole dishes.  After dinner we headed down to Jackson Square where we enjoyed all of the street performers and got a glimpse of the Mississippi River.  We even saw a wedding taking place along the bank!  Even though we were all stuffed, we couldn't leave without sampling a beignet from Cafe DuMonde!  As we walked back, a large bus drove by with loud music playing and many people lining the top.  In true Sumner fashion, Jack began dancing and received his first set of BEADS - just outside of Harrah's!  That's my boy!   After arriving back at the hotel, Jack and Lil decided to take a swim so MC and I enjoyed relaxing by the pool as it was a beautiful night and the temperature was perfect. What a great start to our adventure!  Tomorrow we head out to one of the most beautiful cities on the our country- San Antonio!  Another 8 hours and our long hauls will be complete for the time being!