Note to self: NEVER CAMP IN THE SOUTH!

So as we head deeper and deeper into the South, we realize more and more that this is definitely NOT where we will end up.

We left Marble Falls, TX yesterday morning and took a quick hop, skip, and a jump over to Austin to have a fabulous Tex Mex breakfast with our friend, Lydia. After a few hours of catching up about her doctorate program (she's currently spending her time studying and talking to petri dishes), we loaded back into the car for a hot ride with views of ranch houses and swamps. With a sick-ish baby in tow, we decided that five hours was enough driving for one day and found a Louisiana campground at Lake Charles that we figured would be a great stopping point before continuing onto New Orleans. We stopped in at Sam Houston Jones State Park and got our first taste of Southern camping.

We apparently didn't get the memo that camping in Texas or Louisiana means stringing along your yappy dog, lap-sized television, and, of course, your portable air conditioning unit complete with tube to fit inside your tent. We found out from our Louisiana neighbors that Texans are responsible for the AC, but later found out that they, in fact, had bedside floor fans tucked into their two-roomed tent. In 90 degree weather, it's also quite common to strike up the camp fire to roast s'mores. Like most other West coast campers, we were all but pointing and laughing at the activity that these families called "camping," but 20 minutes into trying to sleep, we realized these folks were onto something! The sun may set in the south, but that doesn't mean it gets any cooler! At 6am and with only a few hours of broken sleep under our belts, we were out of there quicker than you can say "That was horrible and why don't you people just set up a tent in your living room?"

We're now in New Orleans, staying in our friends, Kristi and Nathan's, apartment while they're out of town until Tuesday. We spent our first evening (after a much-needed nap and some laundry) driving around up-town and around the Garden District, finishing up with an amazing meal at the Cheesecake Bistro. We still have almost an entire week to divulge in Creole and Cajun cuisine, tour Tulane, and explore the French Quarter.

Hills is learning that training for a marathon in the South means waking up at 5:30 to get in the mileage before the heat and humidity take over. Aspen is fighting her way through a pretty yucky cough, but is otherwise handling the traveling pretty well. Ty is being an amazing support to his Katrina victim as the two of us make our way through ghosts and memories of a life that has ultimately lent itself to our fabulous marriage.