Down South.

Chris had a pretty good break from school and we were ready for a break from from the sub-zero temperatures, so we headed to the south to visit Greg and Laura in Jackson, Mississippi.  There is nothing in Jackson.  It is so small, but we knew that going in to it and had fun hanging out with the Gardners.  It was our first time in Mississippi, so what we really wanted was some good southern cookin', and we got it.  We went to the Two Sisters kitchen, an all-you-can-eat buffet in an old weathered house.  It was awesome.  We tried fried chicken, corn bread, grits, creamed corn, collard greens, fried okra and bread pudding.  Later in New Orleans, we had jambalaya and gumbo, so I think we did pretty well.  I guess we're saving the catfish and crawfish for next time.  We also ate at Julep's, a really nice, trendy restaurant with the BEST. FRIED. CHICKEN. EVER!  It was so good, we went back before our flight left on Monday.  Come to think of it, we may have eaten fried chicken every day we were there.  By the end of the trip, we were ready to get back to some fruits and veggies.   No wonder Mississippi is the fattest state in the US.

 On Saturday we all drove down to New Orleans for the day.  Greg and Laura hadn't been there yet, so we had fun exploring it together.  The French Quarter was fun and very touristy, so there were lots of impressive artists, entertaining street performers, and great food.

We had to stop at Cafe Dumonde for beignets.  It's just what you do in New Orleans and these little French donuts were worth the wait.  

 There's a lot of powder on those beignets.  I was trying to nurse Jane at the same time, but she just ended up with a nice dusting on the side of her face.  Laura and Henry ended up with chocolate milk all down their legs, so I guess I can't complain.

 New Orleans attracts a different crowd after the sun goes down, so we left after a late lunch and headed over to a graveyard.  The cemeteries are so interesting in New Orleans.  Because the city was built on a swamp, it prevented them from burying people underground, so the cemeteries are full of these weathered and crumbling above ground crypts and mausoleums.