"Thelma: You said you 'n' me was gonna get out of town and for once just really let our hair down. Well darlin', look out 'cause my hair is comin' down! "
That's right my dears, Nicole (aka Thelma) is going to be hitting the road soon and it will be a good old-fashioned Tour de Delta. My side kick Telisa (aka Louise) has nicknamed our trip "Down With Love," since we are going sans men.
Yes, my dear egyptian flies the coop on Feb 5th, and just a little over week after that I have a business trip. (Did I mention a birthday?) Yes - my birthday is February 16th, and I am very fond of celebrations for everyone.. including myself. This year not only will I be alone, but I have to work. Yes - WORK. Our Research Reception is that evening.
You can imagine a week or so ago I thought the situation was hopeless, that I would be lonely, no birthday cake or hug or presents AND I have to go to an adult science fair. Geez... Then I found out I have a business trip the very next day...
Hmmm.. That's President's Day weekend.. and guess who is off? My dearest friend for the past 27 years?? Yes - Telisa. Sooo.. she is hoping to drive up on my birthday or early the next morning and join me on this little trip down the coast.
I have meetings in Pensacola, Florida & Mobile, Alabama. THEN we are heading over to New Orleans on Friday and driving right back here on Saturday night.
I told Telisa - we need a theme. She came up with - "Down With Love" - and I added a Tour de Delta... and now.. an overall cast of characters of Thelma (the married one) and Louise (the free loving single girl) - and off we go!
The funny part is - we want a "Down With Love" scavenger hunt. Seriously. I made a joke about us being Thelma & Louise, and she said - sure - if Brad Pitt is there. I said - that's it - we will find a Brad Pitt stand in and take a pic with him in NOLA... then the idea was born - a SCAVENGER HUNT.
So here is the itinerary: Pensacola, Florida on Thursday - Mobile for 1/2 the day on Friday - New Orleans the rest of Friday- New Orleans on Saturday (and don't forget, we drive THRU Mississippi) and head back to Birmingham, AL. (She is coming from Georgia.) What I would LOVE - is ideas for the scavenger hunt - from YOU! What we plan to do is take the pictures in each location (as many as we can) and post each night - HERE.
YOU can help us go on this adventure. What we need is crazy stuff (within reason) - like in New Orleans:Go to the Crescent City Brewhouse on Decatur Street and have your picture made underneath the 'Oyster Bar' sign. (Maybe add - eating an oyster or holding on...) Or even having a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's (home of the first Hurricane.) Silly stuff like that.
Here is where we need ideas for: Pensacola, Florida Mobile, Alabama Somewhere along I-10 in Mississippi New Orleans, LA Birmingham, AL
Come up with good stuff - or insane stuff like - filling out an employment application at a bowling alley, or finding the craziest hat... all of these to be documented through pictures.
How fun.. right?
I mean.. with all of the stress I am under.. if we don't have the scavenger hunt - it could very well end up like THIS. (Make sure to click that link.)
Send me your ideas in the comment section or email me!!
"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land." ~G.K. Chesterton
When you travel, do you take guided tours of a city? I rarely do, and the reason why is I may not be interested in the subject.
However, there have been three tours I would recommend over and over - 1. The Dolphin Magic Tour in Savannah 2. The Harbour Cruise in NYC and my favorite of all 3. The Vampire Tour in New Orleans.
If you happen to be heading down to the Gulf - I highly recommend the Haunted History Tours.
There is: New Orleans Ghost Tours Garden District Tours New Orleans Voodoo Tours New Orleans Vampire Tours New Orleans Cemetary Tours
Each are equally spectacular.
Now back to the Vampire Tour - I have taken this 3 times. Seriously. You maybe wondering - "What in the world, there are no such thing as vampires.."
Sure..
In the traditional sense.
New Orleans has a history of bizarre occurances. Here is the description of the tour:
Our famous New Orleans Vampire Tour allows you to enter the dark and mysterious world of the undead. Walk through New Orleans' history and experience the legends of famous New Orleans vampires, real and fictional. Visit sights and locations associated with these creatures of the night, including a visit to a noted Vampire tavern. Are there vampires lurking in the French Quarter? Escape into the night as our offbeat, theatrical New Orleans tour guides provide you with an eerie, chilling yet fun-filled adventure!
Here are some frequently asked questions about their tours:
What is the cost? The tour is $20. for adults, $17. for students & seniors, and $10. for kids 12 & under. (Five years & under are free)
How long is the tour? All of the tours are about 2 hours long.
Is there a lot of walking? No. It’s a leisurely stroll. We’re talking blocks, not miles. Definitely not a hike.
How many houses does the tour go into?
Many of the sites on the tour are people’s private homes. The tour groups don’t go into private residences. But, that (in no way) diminishes the enjoyment or popularity of the tour. We do go into a couple of haunted bars on the ghost and vampire tours.
What happens if it rains? The tours are done rain or shine. If people show up in the rain, the guide will be there to take them on a tour.
Can we pay the balance with a credit card?
Yes. Haunted History Tours takes cash, travellers checks, company checks and all credit cards.
Is the tour appropriate for kids?
The tour is TOTALLY appropriate for kids! In fact, Haunted History Tours are probably the ONLY activity that’s appropriate for kids to do in the French Quarter!
Where is the meeting place?
That depends on which tour you’re going on.
The Ghost, Cemetery, and Voodoo Tours all meet and depart from Rev. Zombie’s Voodoo Shop, at 723 St. Peter Street. That’s in the middle of the block on St. Peter, between Bourbon & Royal Streets, right across from Pat O’Brien’s Bar.
The Vampire Tour meets in front of the St. Louis Cathedral, at the gates of Jackson Square. (Chartres Street side).
The Garden District Tours meet in front of the Lafayette Cemetery, 1400 Washington Avenue, off of St. Charles Avenue.
Can I walk to the Garden District from the French Quarter ?
No. But it’s only minutes away by taxi cab. Or, you can take the St. Charles Streetcar. However, the streetcar will take some time, as you’ll have to wait for one and then it stops every couple of blocks to let people on & off. We recommend that you take a cab to the Garden District to insure that you get there on time and then take the streetcar back if you’d like.
If you DO take the streetcar to the tour, make sure that you get off at the right stop (Josephine Street). The streetcar will not stop automatically. You have to let the driver know that you want to get off.
What makes this company better than the other Ghost, Vampire, Cemetery, or Garden District Tours?
Well, Haunted History is the company that you’ve seen on A&E, History Channel, Bravo, Travel Channel.
n fact, the Travel Channel actually recommends the Haunted History Tour as The #1 Tour in the city…
A Must Do!
Haunted History is the company that literally WROTE THE BOOK on this stuff. They wrote the book, produced the video… EVERY OTHER tour company is just a copycat of what they originated.
Haunted History is the company that did all the research on the hauntings… Trust me… THIS is the company to go with!
What’s the difference between the Ghost & the Vampire tours? Will I be seeing the same stuff? Is there any overlap of material?
The Ghost and Vampire tours are completely different.
(As are all of the tours that the company offers).
The Ghost tour takes you to French Quarter sites connected to actual documented hauntings.
The Vampire tour is a combination of fiction & reality. Fiction in the sense of Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, movie sites from Interview With the Vampire (filmed here)…
Reality, in that the tour takes you to sites in the French Quarter associated with actual Vampire type crimes… Murders, taken from police records, city archives, interviews, etc.
Do people jump out at you ?
Absolutely not. This is not a Halloween spook house. These are tours based on real events in the city’s history. Our city’s actual history is stranger than anything fictional.
Will we actually “experience” anything paranormal on the tour ?
Some people do, some don’t. But definitely bring your camera. People often capture “things” in their photos that weren’t there when the picture was taken.
Do we go to a cemetery on the Ghost tour and do you have any nighttime cemetery tours ?
The Ghost tour does not visit a cemetery. The Ghost tour stays within the French Quarter and focuses on actual documented hauntings.
The Cemetery tour is a daytime tour. The cemetery gates are locked at 3:pm Monday – Saturday and at Noon on Sunday.
The Cemetery tour is NOT a spooky tour. It’s more of an “academic” tour on our oldest burial ground, St. Louis Cemetery #1. The tour explores the burial procedures, who’s buried there…
You’ll visit the tomb of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen and learn a little about the history of Voodoo in New Orleans. But primarily, it’s just a great tour of our oldest cemetery.
In my last post, you witnessed an extremely exhausted Nicole.
Between the getting up super early, driving back to Birmingham from New Orleans, then standing in line at the DMV was just a bit much.
Today I thought I would share the highlights of my trip.
Granted, as you obviously know - there were some moments that almost pushed me over the edge, but for the most part, it was an excellent trip.
(If you are new to my blog, and just visiting - I have a large territory for work. Had to travel to Mobile, Pensacola - then for pleasure headed to New Orleans.)
Without further ado.. here is my list of "highlights" from my trip.
Drive Down:
1. The egyptian (my husband) and I got to spend some quality time together. 2. We jammed out to Kid Rock, John Legend and Evanescence. (odd mix, I know.) 3. I used the absolutely most terrifying drive (serious storm.. it was dark) as a great opportunity to teach him a little about driving in the rain.. in the dark.. on a highway. 4. I also used the opportunity to discuss tornadoes - and what those ominous clouds looked like. 5. GPS worked excellently in order to the find the B&B. 6. Had a lovely experience at the Berny Fly Bed & Breakfast.
Pensacola:
1. The drive over the long Mobile Bay Bridge was not as taxing as it was last time.
2. We were afforded the opportunity to see the oil sheen (a historical event :-( ).
3. We had a 1/2 second to roll down the windows and smell the fresh air. We learned something else - oil + water = dead fish every where. Smell was definitely not good.
4. GPS was excellent again - found the bus stop for the egyptian to make it to the National Naval Aviation Museum to see the Blue Angels.
5. Met some excellent new media contacts - Renee at Lamar, Rick at the Independent News, Greg at the Pensacola News Journal, Dana at CAT Country FM, Kathy at WEAR ABC.
6. Had lunch at McGuires's Irish pub (famous apparently.)
7. Had dinner with the egyptian on Pensacola Beach at a restaurant called: Crabs. Highly recommend it. The seating overlooked the Gulf of Mexico (outside.)
8. Listened to a guy and his guitar pound out beach melodies like Buffet and James Taylor.
8. Watched the sunset over the 3 mile bridge back into Pensacola from the beach.
9. Has a relaxing swim and soak in a Jacuzzi (alone) back at the B&B.
10. Finally got to see the last episode of True Blood.
Mobile:
1. Had an excellent breakfast at the B&B with the owner and my egyptian. Fascinating conversation.
2. Met excellent media contacts in Mobile: Kyle & Ta'mara at FOX, Randy at the Mobile Press Register, Kristen at NBC, and Vinny D with Cumulus Broadcasting,
3. Had lunch in a tiny- adorable- historic home called "Courtland's." Best ceasar salad in a long time.
4. Visited the USS Alabama. That's a mighty big battleship from WWII.
5. Actually visited a submarine also.
New Orleans:
1. Went over half a dozen LARGE bridges on I-10. Helping break my fear of personally driving over them. I love bridges. I just don't like to be the one driving over them.
2. Checked into a hotel that would have been a lovely experience (the building itself is excellent - the hotel staff and their system sucks.) Chateau Bourbon.
3. Walked a million blocks and sweated out any calories I may have incurred on this trip.
4. Watched as the egyptian was amazed at the sites and sounds. I have never seen someone sooooo excited to be somewhere.
5. Had dinner and watched an amazing blues band on Bourbon street.
6. Ended the night at cafe du monde.. because.. it was all about me getting my frozen cafe au lait and my beingets. A long way to go.. I know.. but I got what I came for.
