I don't think I am fully recovered from the birthday trip

I was exhausted from the whirlwind until Christmas Eve and then Christmas night I got sick...hoping by New Years Eve I finally feel like myself again

I do not have the stamina to be 21 again but it sure was fun to be a part of such a great 21st birthday for my daughter

We stayed in this great penthouse apartment in the French Quarter

The girls could not believe how cool this place was

I can't thank my friend Lori for turning me on to airbnb

Trust me, it is worth looking into for your next vacation

So much better than a hotel

Our Hosteeva manager from airbnb was 22 year old Alex from Russia (middle)

He was quick to help us with anything we needed

We had an eclectic group of friends whom my daughter felt closest to and wanted to share this trip with

No boys allowed! I promised my husband he could take our son to Vegas when he is 21 to make up for it :)

Lots of genuine smiles and laughs that first night on Bourbon Street

And lots of characters met

To say this trip was memorable is an understatement

Lots of sights were seen, lots of Cajun food was eaten and many a Hurricane was drank

Many drinks were drank and bars were visited and floors were danced on

The first official drink of the night was the Frenchman 75 bought by a lovely gentleman at the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone

Unfortunately it was ridiculously crowded and I was unable to get a picture of the place myself but it was by far my favorite we went to

courtesy of google

The bar rotates like a carousel and so do the seats, which is cool if you are sitting but not cool if you are trying to talk to your friend who is sitting and you are not as you have to do the slow shuffle the entire time. We eventually all managed to be sitting at the bar on a very crowded Saturday night in New Orleans the weekend before Christmas.

Another crowded must see spot at Christmas time was the Roosevelt Hotel

The lobby here is legendary. Everyone in the city was here dressed in their Christmas best and taking pictures of the lights. I again did not manage to get a very grand shot so I am showing you a below image, again from google

We did see lots of Christmas lights while in town

If you are curious about the money pinned to my daughter it is a New Orleans birthday custom

She racked up on money, drinks, beads and birthday wishes

I feel pretty lucky that not only did she want to spend her birthday with me but also invited some of my closest friends that she grew up with and considers family.

Happy Birthday baby girl! I love you more than life.