NOLA

A week ago (give or take a few hours), I was sitting in Jackson Square, eating a warm beignet, drinking an au lait, and blinking into a 67 degree sunny day.

Every day Stephen and I  were in New Orleans we enjoyed beignets. Jackson Square was the perfect way to consume beignets and the delicious po'boys. We weren't the only individuals with this idea. If you look behind me in the picture, you can see the piles of powder sugar dusting the ground.

I can best sum up our trip to New Orleans with the following words: eat, walk, sun, and museums.

Without reservation, I can recommend dining at Cochon (get a reservation weeks in advance), Atchafalya (Food Network Star's Chris is executive chef) and Commander's Palace (and unparalleled dining experience).

There are no shortages of museums in New Orleans. There are neat, smaller ones in the French Quarter on everything from the Battle of New Orleans to the lesser known fact that the first American pharmacy was in New Orleans. If you have several hours, take in The National World War II Museum. It is phenomenal and Smithsonian-like in it's scope.

My final recommendation, Buzz Nola and a bike tour. Stephen and I did the 3-hour long Southern Splendor tour and it was wonderful. I would have biked with our wonderful guide every day.

I hope to visit New Orleans again, there's so much food, music, and history to take in. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 days of a nearly tropical (to this Wisconsinite) weather and sublime food and culture with my husband.

Chicago

I must admit to getting upset when I sit down to eat my lunch at work and catch up on others' blogs...and they haven't posted in a while. Unfortunately, this has not made me a more regular blogger--sorry readers about the month-long hiatus.

I just sat down and went through my phone for some recent pictures as a way to remind myself that I have been doing something other than complaining about the cold weather.

So, the first weekend of February we took the train down to Chicago to visit our good friends Mike and Kelly! It was a wonderful, snowy, laughter-filled weekend. I can't believe it was 4 weeks ago already!

We were able to visit our favorite Garrett's for some popcorn (oh, that cheesy and carmely goodness), shop a bit on Michigan Avenue, stuff ourselves at Grand Lux, and even try a few new eating establishments. Most of all, we were able to visit with good friends and enjoy a beautiful view of Navy Pier at night.

Connecticut

Instead of the obligatory 2014 resolutions, I am going to dive in and try to catch everyone up on the end of 2013.

Before Thanksgiving Stephen and I boarded an airplane to Boston. Once in Boston we rented a car and drove straight to New Haven, Connecticut and Louis Lunch for a burger. Aside from fits of hysterical laughter at the thick Boston accents of the toll both workers, our travel was smooth and uneventful. Our reward was the tasty burger pictured. The burgers are steamed, no ketchup or mustard to be found, served on toasted white bread with grilled onions and/or tomato. So good and almost worth the 40 minute wait because they only make 4 burgers at a time.

Despite being so full we could barely walk, we explored Yale's campus. We were able to take advantage of one of the art museums. The main event, however, was the next day. The Harvard v. Yale football game. Stephen and I have always wanted to go to this game, a bucket-list sporting event. Coming from the Big-10, this football game had a different feel. The tailgating was a bit higher class, but the corporate sponsorship was non-existent and refreshing. Yale lost but we saw the game in style.

After experiencing New Haven for a few days we drove around Western Connecticut hitting Milford, Danford and Washington Depot. We spent a night in Hartford and visited the historical Mark Twain home. We ended our trip in Mystic, Connecticut.

I absolutely loved Mystic. For Wisconsinites, Mystic is all of Door County in one walk-able, more historic strip on the ocean. We stayed in an old whalers inn (actually called The Whalers Inn) which might explain my yen to try reading Moby Dick again. We visited a cider mill, an aquarium with beluga whales, several fun dining establishments-including Mystic Pizza-and relaxed.

Top left: Lobster dinner; Top right: The Whaler's Inn; Bottom: Mystic

It was a wonderful, moderately paced vacation. We saw nearly all of Connecticut, a state with so much to offer despite getting swallowed up between New York and Boston. It was a wonderful vacation - our first post-honeymoon!