NOLA for professional development and FL for family time! 😎

This September, I went to New Orleans for some professional development. The conference was full of professional development, puppies, and so.much.food!! (There was literally a different kind of bread pudding at each snack break!)

After the conference was over, I was able to explore New Orleans a bit before I left town (and it got too hot in the afternoon!). I walked down to the French Quarter and of course, the famous Cafe Du Monde.

The next day, I left my lovely New Orleans-themed hotel on the river and got a rental car to drive to the Florida panhandle to visit my parents. On one of the hottest days of September 2022!

I stopped in Biloxi, MS to see their cute lighthouse and have an amazing crab cake lunch in an old filling station.

Later that afternoon, I took one final pit stop in Alabama to check out my first Buc-ees!

After thinking September in Florida would be mild, it was so.hot! Relaxing on the porch, at the pool, and eating Chick-fil-A helped with the heat though!

We made it to the zoo one day and had a blast! It was such a great time with Mom and Dad!!!

After Hurricane Ian avoided the panhandle, I spent the last day wading in the hammock and we had a ridiculously delicious dinner at the harbor. 

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Flor-lando Trip - March 2021 (part 2)

Our third park day of our trip to Orlando was to Epcot - right at the beginning of Walt Disney World's Flower & Garden Festival. Normally folks' trips to Epcot mean a lot of food - but during a festival, it means even MORE food!

Our first stop was the iconic Spaceship Earth ride.

Then we headed over to Mission: SPACE (we all rode the easier, "green" version..)

After riding the Soarin' Around the World and checking out the SeaBase aquarium, we headed into the heart of the festival and the World Showcase.
We started our culinary journey at the Honey Bee-stro.  

Then we moved on to the Canada and then the United Kingdom.
As part of the festival, there were numerous fantastic topiaries around.

We saw more character calvacades at Epcot as well, including these princesses in the United Kingdom.

There was a beautiful view of Spaceship Earth across the lake from France.

I stopped to rest my feet for awhile in Morocco. 

Italy

China

Mickey & Minnie!

Dad having some fun in Norway

A Three Caballeros sighting in Mexico!

Dad tried a "garden margarita" in Mexico - it literally had lettuce juice in it... 😬

Me and Donald 💙... oh yeah, and Daisy I guess...

Photos in front of the butterfly topiaries on our way to the butterfly house

Winnie the Pooh had his net ready for the butterfly house!

To end the evening, we headed back to Germany for dinner at the Biergarten Restaurant.