Wow – there is so much going on right now I seem to have nothing to say. Jason left Wednesday morning with my parents for a road trip across the country, and I’ve been taking advantage of the down time. They are driving from Houston to Minnesota, over to North Dakota, down to the Black Hills in South Dakota, and then back to Texas. Just under three weeks in a motor home that they rented. They did a similar trip last summer, so Jason was really looking forward to it.
Wednesday night I went out with Sydney. Last night, at the last minute, I went with a co-worker and a friend of hers to see “The Italian Job”. I had seen a few commercials for it and didn’t think they looked very good – however, others had said they really liked it, so I gave it a chance. I’m glad I did – I liked it too. I am a sucker for movies with twists in the plot, and a good chase scene never hurts.
Tonight the plan is dinner in downtown at Josephine’s with “the Friday Gaggle of Friends” (including Mike, Kathy, Elaine, EJ and many others) followed by some time at Twelve Spot, a club on Travis in downtown. I’ve never really hit the downtown nightlife – when I was going to clubs all the time, there was nothing down here! So I’m really looking forward to it.
In the plans for the future? Seeing The Matrix: Reloaded at the IMAX (whoa… big screen!), getting together with J-Mo, making plans with Mike for “Boston Bound, Baby 2003” (If you’re in Boston, please raise your hand – I want to set up a “H-Town meets Bean Town” gathering and I want to be sure to include you!) and deciding if we’re going to New Orleans for the 4th of July.
Speaking of which – I’ve never been to New Orleans, and I’ve wanted to go since I was in about 3rd grade and we studied LaFayette’s travels across America back in Illinois. If you’ve been to New Orleans and have some tourist advice to share – things to see, things to avoid, etc. – feel free to leave comments!
Whew! When Jason gets done with his vacation, I’m going to need a vacation!
Update: I was feeling a bit dyslexic this morning. That’s Boston Bound, Baby 2003. Not 2004. 2003 – August 1st – 6th or so. Oops!
23 replies on “So Much to Do…”
What’s up in Boston?
I’m not there anymore, but I might could give some pointers…
The 4th in NoLa… Wow. All kinds of scary/fun possibilities there. (Don’t ask me about that place though. I haven’t been there since my mom dragged me to Mardi Gras at the tender age of 3.)
Busy Girl. You need a social secretary, you butterfly.
See you 2nite Christine. Mandy, Kathy and I are dressing up just a little so we can bar-hop if we so choose – or if the boys get a bit too annoying…
I’m going straight from work, so this is as dressy as it’s going to work.
Syd, as for me being a social butterfly – I must be coming out of a cocoon because I’ve been staying in for months! That’s why this is wearing me out already, just after a few days!
regarding NO,LA – you have to see the French Quarter, of course!!! no matter what time of the year, you’ll get some boobage and bead action. the last time i went was Labor Day a few years ago… saw the boobage… got some beads.
maybe i’ll dress up a little – nice top (to show what little cleavage i have), black pants, no clogs. good excuse to wear make-up again. i wore it every single day last week while i was in Chicago for work… i got so tired of putting it on!
But did you like the new Italian Job more than the original? If you haven’t seen the original I recommend it just to see Micheal Cain’s brilliance.
I didn’t even know that there was an original – so no, I’ve never seen it. I’ll have to check it out!
Oooh, New Orleans! I was down there last March, and I had a GREAT time, you’re gonna LOVE it. Definitely stay in or near the French Quarter if you can (I stayed at the Radisson on Canal St., it was good), and there’s SO much to do. If you have a laptop, bring it – there’s webcams in and around the Cats Meow (a karaoke bar on Bourbon, a GREAT place), and they keep a 24 hour archive of the shots. Actually, go to nola.com, click on Karaoke Cam and you can see people singing 🙂 Oh, what else, what else. Hit Bourbon Street before 9 pm if you can, a place called Utopia (and a lot of other places) had 3-for-1 drink specials…3 beers for $4! Oh, and get a Hurricane at Pat O’Briens, but don’t leave your glass on the table. If you want to keep it, you can, or you can trade it in at the bar for $3. If you see glasses on tables, grab them, trade them in, and get free drinks! How sad is it that all I have is drinking suggestions? Ha! Oh, go on a walking tour of the French Quarter at night. There was one that left the Morgue Bar (I want to say it was on St. Peter), but I’m not sure if it’s still there. Very cool to see something around there other than Bourbon St. And! Bignets at Cafe Du Monde! Ok, I’ll shut up now 😉
“Oooh, oooh, Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter!”
“Oooh, oooh, Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter!”
That was me, raising my hand, here in Boston. Please add me to your social calendar of Beantown Bloggers.
French Quarter, placed called the “Gumbo Shop”. Haven’t been in a while but it was good, cheap and where the locals went.
Also you should look into taking a “ghost tour” We had an English dude walk us around, showed us the famous “haunting” sites and basically scare the crap out of some people. (in a good way of course) It was awesome. Someone in our group found this tru the internet and got a discount coupon for the tour. Also we found some intersting things in the French Market, it was an open air flea/farmers/tourist market but it was cool.
We went to New Orleans a few years ago and stayed at a B&B in the French Q. It was an old place and depending on which tour passed under our balcony, we were either in the House of the Rising Sun, or across the street from it. Sorry, I don’t remember the name of the place, but it had all of the old world charm, an elevator that held three people max, a locked parking garage about four blocks away ( you got the key from the desk, walked to get your car, then drove the key back to the B&B), a quaint little court yard where brakfast was served, and was walking distance to both the river and Burbon Street. I recommend this type of experience over the brand name hotels.
I forgot to add, when you go and are driving back to Houston, follow the river. There are several plantations, open to the public, that provide some interesting insight into the Cajun lifestyle. One place, and again the name escapes me right now I believe has its own web site that is a woman’s name, where the historians retoring the place were able to find and interview a lady raised on the plantation during it prime.
i forgot about the beignets!!! there’s a great picture of me and my friends doing the whole “hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil” with the beignets…
i made the social calendar! weeeee! 😉
christine, i am quite the little new orleans tour director, i’ll be sure to give you all of my sage advice from the numerous visits to nawlins…although, i will tell you, i would NOT go to new orleans during JULY (it’s even more HUMID than houston, if you can believe that) and the city, just takes on quite a lovely odor during the hot months…cough.
no, save up to go to new orleans during spring or fall, it’s absolutely fabulous during those days.
so this boston gig, are you guys just going to fly up there, en masse?
wow. it sounds like i took the same NO trip as alision and john…
alison’s right – the Gumbo Shop is a not so well known place that has great food. there’s also a cooking school somewhere in the FQ that’s fun – more a show than a hands-on thing, but you do get to eat and drink the whole time. and definately take the late-night Haunted History Tour – especialy with a few drinks in you. it’s fun and creepy, plus they make a stop at a bar half-way through, so you can refresh your buzz… 🙂 during the day the cemetary tours are also well worth it.
I hope Jason and your parents don’t fall asleep during the drive thru North Dakota. It can be pretty boring unless you’re out in the western part of the state by the Badlands. I should know…I’ve lived here all my life…LOL.
So jealous of Jason….. I want to go back to the Black Hills!!!!! This is the best time of year to be there.
The French Quarter is fun, and it’s something that’s worth seeing, but it’s extremely touristy. Best advice I can give is to steer clear of any place that has a guy on the street trying to get you to come inside.
Preservation Hall is definitely worth a visit. If you can find a tour of the cemetaries (you do know that they bury people above ground in NoLa, right?), take it. A tour of one of their breweries (Abita, Blackened Voodoo) would be cool. The park near the Quarter (Jackson Square? I forget) is nice. Lake Ponchartrain is pretty.
One word of caution: It’s better now, but there are a number of places in NoLa that you should not be walking through at night, and many of them are near the Quarter, especially around the Sugar Bowl. Stay with the crowd and watch your purse/pockets.
Last but not least: If you go to Pat O’Brian’s, the only reason to get a hurricane (which is essentially rum and Kool Aid) is for the glass. Spend the extra two bucks or so, and don’t bother finishing the drink.
boston over here baby! 🙂
I pahk my cah in Hahvahd Yahd….well, not really, but you get the idea!