We woke up early, ate breakfast at the hotel, and headed right over to the beach.  They had a row of beach chairs and umbrellas set up for beachgoers that looked like a postcard it was so picturesque.  The water was the perfect temperature.  It just lacked the perfect color.  It was like swimming in a lukewarm latte.  The family enjoyed body surfing and Annie was the best.  We could have stayed in the water all day since it was the perfect temperature, but we only stayed a few hours since we had to check out the rest of Galveston and get going on our 5 hour drive to New Orleans.  

Of course with Bryan driving we spent an hour or so driving around looking at houses on Galveston Island.  They have some beautiful old mansions that were quite impressive.  The Bishops Palace is reputed to be the most important architectural historic home in the country. It was also very cool to see the watermark line of how high the water covered the island when Hurricane Ike hit in 2008.

We grabbed a quick bite in the drive through at Whataburger and ate it while we waited in line for the ferry to take us off the island.  We could have ordered a lot more food since we had a LONG wait for the ferry.  We didn't think it would take us that long, but the kids thought the ride was fun and it was a new experience for them all. The actual ferry ride was only 30 minutes, but it took over an hour to board the boat.  It was also fun to see the large ships entering the harbor as we passed them. We aso spotted some dolphins playing in the water.

Once we were off the island we saw some cool beachfront homes all built up way high on stilts. The drive to New Orleans was cool with lots of bridges and marsh/swamp lands.  We found our hotel in the french quarter--The Inn on St. Peter at the corner of St. Peter & Burgundy Room 30.  It was very cool!!  It had a separate bedroom with 2 queen beds and then a family room area with a couch bed and a fireplace.  The walls were exposed brick and lack of windows meant you slept in the complete dark....it was perfect for sleeping in.  We talked to the man at the front desk and he recommended a place called ACME Oyster House for a late dinner.  We had to park our car 7 blocks away and pay $20 a day for parking there.  So we set off on foot to dinner.  The first thing we noticed was the smell....vomit.  The city of New Orleans smells like vomit!  The architecture was incredible and fun (again....it was so like Disneyland) but come on....the smell was overwhelming.  I needed some of Danette's peppermint oil to inhale as we walked.  It was really hard to eat after that walk.  The place was definitely local and Bryan enjoyed the sampler platter.  James had the red beans and rice dinner and Annie and I shared a chicken po' boy which was ehh.

To end our day we walked back to our hotel room, this time down Bourbon street.  Probably not the smartest of our parenting decisions.  Especially at 10 pm at night.  But come on, it was a Monday!  It was eye opening to say the least, and James spent the entire walk looking at his shoes.  Abby noticed the poor girl who "forgot to put on her pants and was only in her underwear."  Abby felt so bad for her and was sure she was very embarrassed.