It’s vacation season and whether you’re planning a stay-cation or an exotic trip, we’re going to start highlighting some fun trips. We kick it off with Veronica’s trip to New Orleans, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

It was my first time to New Orleans, and it was everything you’ve heard: loud, energetic, and delicious!

The very first day my son Jordan, his girlfriend Haley, and I took a walking tour of the Garden District to see all of the famous people’s homes: Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, and Nicholas Cage’s former house. It was a guided tour and I learned about the centuries old “snobbery” of the parades, Shotgun houses, and the recovery after Hurricane Katrina.  Taking a guided tour for first time visitors is well worth the money because it takes so long on your own to learn the in’s and out’s of a new city.  I got some great tips: namely, places to eat that are delicious that the locals, and not necessarily the tourists, know about.

I also took a swamp tour and faced my fear of these guys!

We had the best boat guide ever!  Believe it or not, the alligators recognize his voice and come to surface because he feeds them marshmallows! It was amazing, and terrifying at the same time! Even if we hadn’t seen the gators, there was so much other wildlife on that boat ride that it was worth it.

New Orleans was a blast., just the music and the food were enough. Then on to Texas and Oklahoma, which have their charm too, but what I really really liked was Arkansas! I never thought I would, but like the Northwest, it’s so green and has so many trees! I absolutely adored Hot Springs, which is historic, beautiful, has Bathhouse Row, and of course Hot Springs National Park. I took a duck boat tour there, and the guide was hysterical. I HIGHLY recommend New Orleans if you’ve never seen it, but if you don’t want that much in-your-face activity, Hot Springs is a city of about 35 thousand people that is centered around the park and has lots of fishing, scenery and great restaurants.

There are some really great spots in Oklahoma and Texas. I especially love the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Reserve in Oklahoma, and the city of Wichita Falls in Texas is really nice.   The best part is I have friends and family there and we had a lot of fun!  I’m so glad I went to spend time with my son Tim, my brother and his family, and my new friends Rikki, Sal and Calvin!

 

More about: