The great pilgrimage has begun.

The Husbear and I are on our way to New Orleans for Southern Decadence. Where we spend a week spending money in a city that, 5 years after Katrina, still needs assistance in many places.

We’re taking the long, leisurely drive from where we live in NW Arkansas to the Big Easy, via the scenic route. We should really call it the “Back Roads and Banjo Music Tour”. I will admit: the scenery off the beaten path is nice. But I wouldn’t care to break down anywhere out here.

We drove about 9 hours today, which put us in Alexandria, Louisiana for the night.

Tomorrow, we’ll be getting up and heading down to the Lake Charles area, where some of the Husbear’s family is from, and then we’ll drive across over to NOLA following the coastline as we can.

And I leave you with this picture the Husbear took of me tonight. He was attempting to be sneaky.

… as if being decadent needed a special occasion!

There are 20 days until Southern Decadence in New Orleans, depending on when you arrive that is.

I usually enjoy my time when I’m there, but this is probably the first time in many, many years I’m actually looking forward to going. I’m not sure why either. I have this thing about crowds that always seems to make me stressed before I go. So far, it hasn’t started this year. I’m not decadently wired for some reason. Alcohol sometimes loosens my shell a little, but not often.

If you’ve never been, you should at least go to NOLA once when it’s all crazy outside of Mardi Gras. Although I’ve been told by natives that Decadence is pretty much just as crazy. And a lot more topless. Men.

We usually stay at the Omni Royal with the Decadent Ducks, but this year the Husbear wanted to stay at a different hotel to “try something new”. We will miss hanging by the pool at the Omni with the regular Ducks, but we will get to at least see them out on the streets.

I’ve taken a bunch of pictures at Decadence over the years that we have been there. You can check them out on flickr if you are so inclined.

Any of my readers going to be in NOLA for Decadence this year?

First, the pictures we took during Southern Decadence are viewable in our flickr “Southern Decadence 2009″ photo set. I was going to post some of them here, but since they’re all over there already, that’s just as easy. Because I’m lazy.

Now that we’ve returned from New Orleans both the Husbear and I are ill. He has the flu. His symptoms started Monday night—our last night in New Orleans—which made for an interesting 11-hour car ride home the next day. Mine started after we returned home. I have the flu, strep throat, and an ear infection. Triple whammy for me, and I was the “good” one this trip!

Back to lying on the couch I go drifting in and out of consciousness.

The Husbear and I made it back from Southern Decadence in New Orleans after being there for a week.

Working on uploading pictures now. And laundry. And taking care of the Husbear who is now ill.

In the meantime, here’s a shot of the Husbear… with clothes on. A rare sight indeed in New Orleans.

For the last two weeks or so, the Husbear has been acting like a kid who is about to go to Disney.

It must be about time for the annual trip to New Orleans for Southern Decadence….