So, Thursday ended in a rather different place than we’d expected.

We got up in Biloxi to yet more rain and some impressive thunder and lightning. It tapered off for awhile as we headed toward Louisiana. And then it poured. Jenna did an admirable job navigating it, even as other cars were pulling off the road to wait for the deluge to pass.

We successfully made it through the storm and rolled into Slidell, Louisiana, where we stopped at Janet’s Korner Thrift Store. It’s a cozy little spot stuffed to the gills with clothes and some household goods, and its proceeds help to fund the Community Christian Concern. The organization also has a food bank, and they do everything in their power to aid people in their community who need assistance.

After Slidell we headed on to New Orleans, where we were scheduled to stay at a KOA. We took the bridge over the impressively ginormous Lake Pontchatrain. The train tracks ran parallel to our bridge for awhile, and it was unnerving to think about how much water and little land those riding the rails would see on that leg of their trip. Particularly when I considered that just a few days later, I would be one of those people.

It was apparent as soon as we got into New Orleans that it had been raining there. A lot. Many of the side streets in the campground’s neighborhood were closed, impassable due to flooding. The campground itself was open, but half of the sites were knee-deep in water already. It was then that I developed a new Life Rule: Do not mess with a giant, 30-amp electrical plug in a flooded campground. I had already made a reservation at a hotel for Friday night — because it was much closer to the train station than the campground, and I thought it might be nice for Jenna to sleep in a real bed — so I called to see if they had availability for Thursday night, too. They did, so we drove over, checked in and nearly fell asleep the minute we walked into the room.

It was only 5 o’clock, though, so instead of napping Jenna worked for awhile and then we went to dinner.

It’s no secret that New Orleans has a ton of restaurants, and Jenna’s Facebook wall is proof that most everyone who’s been there has a recommendation for you. We are rebels, though. Rebels who were tired and wanted neither to climb back into HaRVey nor rent a cab. So we looked for something within walking distance.

I was delighted to find a John Besh restaurant about 3 blocks away. I first saw Besh on one of Food Network’s cooking competition shows — I think it was “The Next Iron Chef” — and I remember thinking that I’d happily eat most any dish he presented. I quickly checked out the reviews of “The American Sector to get an idea of the prices. Once we confirmed that they were “moderate,” we headed over. The restaurant is part of the National World War II museum, and the concept is “a sassy new spin on the most popular staples of American cuisine.” I had a knock-your-socks-off sloppy joe made with short ribs. Because who doesn’t go to New Orleans to eat sloppy joes? OK, maybe I’m the only one. But I shouldn’t be. I’ll definitely go to The American Sector again if I have the chance.

Jenna got a few thrift shop recommendations from our waiter, and then we headed back to the hotel. I was excited to learn (via Casey on Twitter) that it was the first night of the new episode of “Project Runway.” I love that silly show, and I won’t be able to watch this season because we had our satellite service suspended for the summer. But I was staying at a hotel! And they have televisions at hotels! Serendipity-doo-dah! I turned on the TV, tried to flip to what the hotel’s TV listings told me was the right channel, and found that the hotel’s TV listings lied to me. They did not, in fact, have that channel any longer. So I read a book instead.

Lessons learned on Day Six

Tiny thrift stores give me the claustrophobias.

John Besh knows his way around a sloppy joe.

Note: Internet issues demanded that I post two days after-the-fact when I started the All Thrifty States trip, so I kept to that schedule throughout. But I am home now, with any luck cuddling with my small people.