Well Super bowl is Sunday in New Orleans, Tom and I went there for a couple of days a few years ago. We are about a 4 hour drive from there. We stayed in the French Quarter, And every building is old. They all have balconys, With scrolled iron fence around them, We were a block off bourbon street. And the noise was awlful. We strolled down boubon street after dark, and every door was open, and the blues music, was loud. People were carrying there drinks right into the street. There were drunks almost drunks, and ones just getting started. To tell the truth I wasn"t impressed. We like the paddle boat cruise, and all the plantation homes along the mississippi. And we had a nice dinner. They still have a street car that goes out to the zoo. Now some of the down side. We ran into more voo doo, There were shops selling everything. You could buy snake blood, and pieces of ears, and hair off only the Lord knows what. Mix it all up, and give to your boyfriend and he will fall in love with you. Or maybe turn into a frog!I felt the evil of the place. They even sell this stuff on street corners. There cemetarys, the graves are all above ground, as the water table is only a couple of feet down. There is a famous witch, or voo doo princess buried out there, And so the creeps hang out there, And we were told to stay away, as it was not safe.

Now they are haveing the super bowl there. And heard on News that it will take at least 4 hrs wait just to get inside, because of terriost. That is a scarry thought, So many people in one spot. How sad that we have come to this. Well I quess this is all for now, God Bless Irene

-- Irene Texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), February 02, 2002

Answers

Give me a quiet evening at home anyday:) I also heard 5 hours to get into the game--everybody going through the same security entrance. Course, I don't like football anyway, so I can't see it... I am a little nervous about all the big events coming up. My son will be flying out of SLC during the Olympics. I don't know yet how early I will need to plan on getting him there.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

Mardi gras is going on at the same time. The city has a lot more to offer then the french quarter. I like the quarter more during the day and get out before it gets to crowded. I go down that way every year to see old friends, eat sea food and get away from mid west winter. Going some time this month. Have to get my fill of crawfish, oysters and soft shell crabs.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), February 02, 2002.

I was banished to New Orleans for two summers when I was a teen- ager..stayed with my Aunt and Uncle and cousin to get away from my "bad friends" (at least my mother thought they were)..anyway, cousin was one of the worst to hang with...smoked pot, swore, all the nine yards..hee heehee..but that is beside the point...I liked the city as a teen -ager and returned for vacation in my 20s for a different perspective (not during Mardi gras)..loved the jazz music and the restaurants were terrific..ignored all the Carribean-mystic stuff..enjoyed Lake Ponchatrane (?sp) and all of the wonderful old architecture. It was a tad more funky than other old cities I have been to, but nice. I would not care to be in such large crowds of folks who were drinking personally. We will watch the game tomorrow while eating that lasagna that I won from the Rams game.. I have the Rams this time by at least 10.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 02, 2002.

Our daughter lives in Mandeville, north shore of Lake Ponchatrain, across the lake from New Orleans, is mechanical engineer working for Shell in New Orleans, so drives the almost 30 mile bridge across the lake every day. Security is really, really tight now. Since Mardi Gras is next weekend, repeat on the security. Traffic has been horrific past several days and will probably get worse. We (hubby, son and I) are driving down Friday for maybe 3 weeks--but WILL NOT go into N.O. until after all the hoopla is over. The city is full of spirits and I don't mean good ones! If you ever read the origins of Mardi Gras, you can quickly figure why there is so much bad going on-- drunkeness, voo-doo, just generally a good place to stay away from. I plan to eat muffaletta and crawfish entoffee(?) and King cake. Don't care for boiled crawfish.

-- gibson girl in s.e.Illinois (bobtravous@email.com), February 03, 2002.

Of course there are gonna be drunks! We are a PaRtY cItY!!! But if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. There is tons of other neat stuff to see in New Orleans. And about that cemetary thing, I've been in the cemetary where Marie Lauveau (?) was buried and it's very safe. They have a policeman guarding the only entrance.

-- New Orleans Chicka (nola@nowhere.com), June 09, 2002.