We knew our second day in New Orleans would be long and hot. We filled every water bottle we had and packed lunch and snacks. Our plan was to be home for dinner. Instead of everyone carrying a bag the kids decided to bring one for the big kids and one for the littles. Then they would switch off every hour. Turned out that C never wanted to give his up and A wore his for much more then half the day. We have been working with the boys on being gentlemen and taking care of their sisters (being that they both have extra needs the girls have been helping them out for years). This little act of carrying the stuff more then their fair share, without complaint, made momma proud.
Our first stop was the St. Louis Cemetery 2. Unfortunately it is still closed to everyone except family. As we tried to decide what to do instead a very kind worker asked if we would like to take a quick look around. Of course we said yes and quickly toured the cemetery. This is definitely something worth visiting. Taking a tour or finding an online walking tour to explain all the nuances of a New Orleans cemetery is especially helpful.
We were hoping to go to the Louisiana state museum unfortunately it was closed. We ended up at a small Voodoo Museum. It was tiny, like two rooms and a hallway. It did have a lot of information including history on Voodoo as a religion, origins, culture, and slavery. We walked to the river and then back to Jackson Square for lunch.
Hello Mississippi River 
Pizza quesadillas and veggie sticks! Yum! 
After lunch we headed to the Creole Queen where we had booked a Riverboat Cruise. We choose the Creole Queen for their history tour and stop at the Chalmette Battlefield which is part of the National Park Service. Our cruise historian, Charles, was great. He really knew his history, he was a fabulous story teller and he was pretty funny. He definitely kept our attention during the entire 2.5 hour ride and battlefield talk. The Battle of New Orleans is not something any of us had heard about before, but we are so glad to have learned about this time in history. It is a pretty cool story about the American spirit, perseverance, and a bit of trickery toward the evil British. Lol!
Momma was able to convince the (not as friendly as usual) Park Ranger to unlock the closed visitor center and get the kids Jr. Ranger books and badges. We could not pass the opportunity to earn another badge. We were the last ones back on the boat but it was worth it. We found seats in the sun but then the boat turned around and we were in the shade! On the way back our historian told us about Hurricane Katrina and how the state of Louisiana really let down New Orleans in their time of need. Like all good cities, rich in culture and history, they have risen again stronger then ever.
The Creole Queen 
After our awesome sweaty day we headed back to home to swim and eat dinner. Before long the kids were in bed and we were all resting. Three days of driving awaited us in the morning as we make our way to the Florida Keys.
Our 6S Full Life 