We had a full day planed to explore the number 1 attraction in New Orleans.... The National World War II Museum. First stop was to get some food. It was a short walk to the breakfast place AA found, Cafe Luizanne which was not busy.
Everyone enjoyed their breakfast and were ready to start the day with another short walk to the museum.
We were prepared to spend the full day at the museum and even then it almost wasn't enough time. There were 4 different pavilions that spanned the duration of the war. The museum started with everyone getting their own "dog tag" that allowed you to learn about one person and what their contributions were to the war. The first pavilion (Louisiana Memorial) focused on the road towards D-day and how the people and companies in the US supported the war effort.
After about 2 hrs in the first pavilion, it was time to grab lunch at The American Sector restaurant in the museum. Lunch was delicious!
The second pavilion focused on the US involvement in the D-day and Pacific battles. This pavilion was where everyone could learn about person in either the "Battle to Berlin" or "Road to Tokyo", depending on which theatre they were involved in. Everyone really enjoyed some of the theme rooms which transported you to feel like you were in a hangar getting your flight briefing before departing on D-day, in the Belgian forest in the Battle of the Bulge or on one of the Pacific islands fighting the Japanese.
The third pavilion was called the "Liberation Pavilion" and focused on the aftermath of the war with some exhibits focused on the Holocaust and Anne Frank and the Monuments Men and Women, dedicated to returning stolen artwork to their owners from the many raids in Europe.
The last pavilion had some airplanes and ground vehicles on display. AA enjoyed how you could view the airplanes from different catwalks, getting a different perspective from each level.
After the last pavilion, we wandered through the gift shop where AA and Lola bought a puzzle and patch and everyone could learn the last of the story of their dog tag person and what they went on to do after the war.
After we left the museum, we took some more time to read and take photos of statues that were outside the museum.
Shortly after starting our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at a final "pavilion" for the museum which had a PT boat and a tracked ground transport vehicle as well as some other hands-on exhibits to teach you about some of the vehicles and tools used in the war.
The walk back to the hotel was uneventful and everyone was glad to get back and take off their shoes and rest for a little bit before heading out for supper at Creole House which was a very short walk from the hotel.
After supper, DD took an adventure to buy a new HDMI cable so that they could play some video games at the hotel while the others made their way back at the hotel. Once at the hotel, the kiddos got ready for bed and AA took a short cat nap.
DD returned from a successful adventure with a new cable as well as a new card game (Monopoly Deal) and a drink for Lola. The card game quickly became a hit for the rest of the trip where the adults would play a couple rounds each night before going to bed.
Tomorrow should be a more low-key day with only a couple activities planned and giving some free time in the afternoon for B and T to burn off some energy in the outdoor hotel pool.
