08/11/2026
Memory Monday
Memories with Mom
New Orleans Part 1
Some trips start with beautiful scenery. Ours started with peanut brittle and a broken tooth.
Mom and I were headed to New Orleans and, naturally, a road trip meant a stop at Buc-ee’s. We picked up some peanut brittle and other snacks for the drive. Somewhere farther down the road, I bit into a piece of that peanut brittle and…CRACK. I broke a tooth.
But we weren’t about to let a little dental disaster ruin New Orleans. By the time we arrived, we were hungry, so we stopped at Perino’s Boiling Pot. The food was delicious, and of course we couldn’t leave without taking a picture with the giant crawfish and alligator out front. Because when you’re on a road trip with Mom, you take the silly picture.
After dinner, we checked into one of the most unusual Holiday Inns I’d ever seen—the building was cylindrical! We rested for a while and then decided we couldn’t spend our first night in New Orleans without seeing Bourbon Street.
Our Uber driver was incredibly friendly, and once we got there, we did what you do on Bourbon Street: walked around, people-watched, took in all the sights and sounds, met some interesting people, and bought one of those enormous margaritas from Willie’s Cocktails. New Orleans definitely knows how to make a first impression!
The next day brought a completely different experience. We visited Laura Plantation, where we toured the historic home and former slave quarters and learned about the generations of people who had lived and worked there. It’s been seven years, so I don’t remember every detail our guide shared, but I do remember being fascinated by the history and how much we learned that day.
And then there was one stop we absolutely could NOT miss - Café du Monde. You can’t go to New Orleans without trying those famous beignets. Powdered sugar everywhere, warm beignets, Mom beside me. That’s my kind of travel memory.
