To stand where vampires stood.

A few months ago, my dad lured me down to New Orleans under the guise of "helping them decorate". I knew this was a ruse because his wife is a fine decorator and has awesome taste. Who am I to turn down Cajun food and free latte's, though?

I got to go by myself too.

Don't hate me because I stroll the Garden District without kids.

Let's start with the important stuff. Mint Juleps.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking..."Heather, honey, please tell me you also visited the beauty shop while you were down there because...you're hair." Alas, I did not. I'm growing it out. Love me, please.

We visited Oak Alley (a very old plantation on the Mississippi river). It, indeed, is very grand and historic and chock full of delicious decorating ideas. We had to work the theme into the trip somehow.

Many famous movies are filmed here including Interview With A Vampire.

Here I am swooning next to the very tree where Tom Cruise, in his role as LeStat, snuck away from a swanky party and attacked a young man who thought something else was going to happen. All while Brad Pitt hid nearby and ate a Pomeranian. We certainly don't hold that against him.

No centuries old plantation is complete without a few random, creepy but strangely intriguing, windows. Look at how only one has the shutters shut. I asked our tour guide who told me that those were attic windows and no one was allowed into the attic anymore as it was used as storage.

Of course.

I stared at them for a long time figuring I'd see a ghost peeking out.

No such luck.

They wouldn't let us take pictures inside, much to my dismay. However, they did let me take a picture of my lunch.

Crawfish etouffee.

I suppose that this may look unappetizing depending on the time of day you're reading it. It's noon here, and I'm really hungry so it looks amazing. It was amazing.

We had alligator tail for our appetizer. It tastes like chicken. No. For real. It does.

And so I sound like I was paying attention to the tour guide (with her Cajun accent that was killing me softly, and I mean that in a good way) and what she was teaching me I am including a picture of the sugar bowls used to boil the sugar cane grown on the plantation. Or something like that.

Look at the pretty flowers!!

And historic golf cart!

And look at this list of slaves that worked on the plantation and how much they cost. I love their names. Hyacinthe was a cook. Of course she was. Are you getting the mental image? I love her. And Antoinette was the laundress. I can picture her too.

Lula put it perfectly when she said that the South is a place where you want to stick your nose in the dirt and inhale deeply.

It's true. It's like going home or something. I was born there, so it's my roots. Maybe that's it.

Okay, that's all for today. I'll write more about my trip another day.