Family Christmas Letter 2019

Big Easy Weekend

Some friends were getting married in Louisiana, and the Kinnell family thought that was a good enough reason to head south during the dead of winter to see a new city, cross two states off the kids' visit record, and eat some amazing food.

We headed across the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain on a foggy Saturday morning - 23 miles of bridge! 

You see all those little dots?  They're ducks.

The New Orleans Riverwalk

The riverboat Louis Armstrong

Monument to the Immigrant

Looking across Jackson Square to the St. Louis Cathedral - the oldest cathedral in North America.

The hero of the Battle of New Orleans, Old Hickory, not a very nice guy - Andrew Jackson.

Cathedral St. Louis

The inside of the cathedral was amazing, and the kids were fascinated by the architecture and art.

Streets of New Orleans

Had to find some authentic New Orleans Po'Boys for lunch.  We tried gator, crawfish, and shrimp - yum!

The Roosevelt had a display of 60+ Christmas trees.

This construction accident from a few weeks ago really caused a mess on Canal Street, interrupting trolley service and traffic.

In the Garden District, we checked out Lafayette Cemetery No. 2 to see a graveyard in the famous New Orleans style.

One thing we have learned in our travels - our kids do NOT like cities.  They are uncomfortable and on edge the whole time.  So we headed out to the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, and you could almost feel them breathing sighs of relief to be back in nature.  No running off to the big city in the future for these kids.

Boardwalk paths through the marshland

Dad & Chloe

Beautiful views and a nice walk, but no gators :(

Just before our trip we caught this restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives.  Guy Fieri has never led us wrong, and this was no exception!

Waiting for that good New Orleans food

Mom's seafood ravioli with fried green tomatoes

Dad's crawfish beignet with jalapeño aioli and A.J.'s stuffed french bread.  (Not pictured, the girls' cajun cuban sandwich.)

Two thumbs up for Katie's

Sunday morning we made it to Café Du Monde for chicory coffee, hot chocolate, and beignets.

Our friends' wedding was held in the beautiful Fountainebleau State Park - a former sugar plantation on Lake Pontchartrain.  It was a beautiful 75-degree day for a wedding under the Spanish moss.

Oak Alley

Amy & the bride

The Kinnells and the happy couple

After the wedding we explored the park.  The gators were shy, though. :(

Lake Pontchartrain

Another enjoyable stroll through marshland, but still...no gators. :(

Dad & Chloe by the ruins of the old sugar mill

For our last evening in the Deep South, we headed over to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico (and get more seafood!).

Chloe

You can always count on Chloe for some sand art.

Essie

"But we're tired of having our picture taken!"

*2 minutes later*

"Selfies!"

Parasailer coming in for a landing

Obviously this bird can't read.

One last seafood meal before heading back north

Good gumbo!

Mom's shrimp pasta

Chloe loves a shrimp po'boy.

Yacht decorated for Christmas