New Orleans UNT Bowl Trip

DAY ONE: 12-16-01:

At approximately 9 a.m. our journey to the bayou country began. After, briefly, forgetting our PIN number at the ATM machine, we were, finally, able to get the cash for our trip. I swear the car was loaded with more stuff than we took with us for our month long trip to the outback of Australia. So, here we are, New Orleans bound at about 9:30 a.m. Rain and fog haunted us for most of the drive. In fact, at the 557/I20 interchange, we had to stop completely due to flooding of the interstate. But, no need to worry, our trusty little beemer was able to forge the 6" of water and make up for lost time. We made Sherveport, LA in 21/2 hours and stopped for lunch. Back on the road around 12:30 p.m. I should probably mention, for those who may find themselves lost and need assistance, that you'll know you're in east Texas when you find the Roadkill Cafe that's open for breakfast and lunch. No joke! Maybe we'll stop on the return trip to see what's on the menu..... or, maybe, you provide your own?

As we crossed the LA border, I couldn't help but think about Adam Sandler in The Waterboy. I wonder what mama's got cook'n? Important safetly tip: it would probably help to have a 4 wheel drive vehicle as the roads are not as well kept as they are in Texas....and we haven't gotten off the interstate, yet! From our music choice critic, may we suggest O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack for the drive. Somehow it seems appropriate music.

We made it to New Orleans without a problem. Those I-10 bridges, which cross the various swamps and Lake Ponchaitrain, are really quite awesome. What an amazing amount of concrete and effort went into those road beds. I realize most people could care less about the road they drive upon but, sometimes, I find it quite fascinating and beautiful. Speaking of beauty, while my friends all considered this one of the most boring drives they have done I found many photo opportunities, had we been allowed to stop on the bridges. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder and this eye sees beauty in many different things.

Anyway, back to New Orleans. Like I said earlier, we made it to Nawlins without a hitch. However, finding our hotel was another matter entirely. We came within a few blocks of the correct destination before there was a problem. The road changed names but the street sign did not indicate this fact. After wandering around the block a couple of times we found our street. Next step meant making a right turn onto a street that looked like an alley. One problem. Luther Vandross was playing at one of the clubs and his truck was blocking the street we needed. Fine, we'll go around. You ever try going around the corner in a strange town with one way streets that all look like alleys? Let's just say it makes for an interesting ride. But, we were successful. Now, if we could figure out what building was our hotel. Keith tried to pull into the valet drive, or so we thought, but it looked more like a parking lot. So, we pulled back into the street when the valet person met us at the street to ask if we were checking into the hotel. We siad yes and asked him where to park. He informed us he would be parking the car after we unloaded. As we exited the automobile, the valet asked what model we had and mentioned he always wanted one. Hope we get it back....just kidding.

Now that we're checked into our hotel it's time to eat. So, we went to a place called The Red Fish Grill. Not bad. Great atmosphere. After dinner, we went down Bourbon street. What a bunch of fools! But entertaining fools. Time to go to bed.

DAY TWO: 12-17-01:

We're on a hunt this morning for beignets at Cafe du Monde. We found one (but not the orginal). This Cafe du Monde was located at the Riverfront Mall on the banks of the Mississippi. Delicious! After breakfast, we headed for the aquarium. Great aquarium. Even Keith saw a few things he had never seen before... like a live specimen of an Australian Sea Dragon (both leafy and weedy) and we saw a white crocodile (not albino). After the aquarium, we walked all thru the French Quarter looking at the unusual stores and art galleries. This is when we came across the original Cafe du Monde. We will go there tomorrow. The art galleries were fabulous. Too bad we can't afford anything. Some of the pieces run from $15,000 and up. But there was some really awesome art! After totally exhausting ourselves, we heading back to our room for a quick rest. This evening, for dinner, we decided to try the House of Blues since they were hosting a party for the UNT alumni. Bad idea.... there were about 100 people just waiting to get inside. So, we moved on and found a great place.... Tujague's. VERY EXPENSIVE! But, one time wasn't so bad. That was about all for today.

DAY THREE: 12-18-01:

Game day! Of course, we started the morning with more beignets but this time at the orginal place. Yummy! Then, we found the French Market. Quaint little flea market. I, finally, found some great green and white beads and bracelets for the game tonight. Go Mean Green! On the return trip thru the French Quarter, we decided to take one of the narrated carriage rides. Nice ride with some interesting information. We saw where Richard Simmons and Lee Harvey Oswald went to school.... yes, they attended the same school. Also, Harry Anderson lives in New Orleans and owns a magic shop in the quarter. We saw the oldest bar in town and found out that a 1000 sq. ft loft in the quarter can run you about $250,000. Yikes! We had lunch at House of Blues today. Not bad but I'm not sure I would go back. Keith returned to the room to rest up for the big game while I discovered Harrah's casino. I lost but it was a fun hour. On the way to the Superdome (which, by the way, you can fit the Houston Astrodome inside it) we met up with some friends and fellow alumni. We joined the rest at the pre game party. Good idea but bad execution. One buffet line for like 1000 people. We just skipped it. Game time! We lost but it was a ton of fun and I'm sure we'll be back again. Not bad for the first bowl game in about 49 years. After the game, a group of us went down to Bourbon Street , grabbed a bite to eat and visited. We went to bed about 2 am. Great trip!

DAY FOUR: 12-19-01:

Back to Cafe du Monde for one last breakfast of beignets. We packed, got the car and headed back home. Nice quiet drive. No problems and nice weather. I could go back to New Orleans sometime. Nice town. Next time we'll have to go to the D-day museum.