It's so good to be home! New Orleans was definitely an experience! For me, it started poorly when I spent last Friday night with the stomach flu. We were flying out Saturday at noon. I almost didn't go, but I really didn't want the college to be out all that money, so I managed. Because of that, I wasn't truly able to enjoy a lot of the food.
On our first night, we went walking to find something to eat. We ended up here--a John Besh restaurant. I'm not familiar with who he is, but my coworkers say he's on the Food Network.
The fabulous thing about New Orleans was being seated outside. The weather was gorgeous--sunny and around 80 degrees every day. You couldn't really consider the food traditional American as we thought of it--definitely was unique here. My worker ordered a crab stew and raised an eyebrow when the waitress said she'd get a cracker for him. It still had the shell. :)
On our way back, we saw a lot of interesting people and outfits. I don't know if it's just the norm, which I can now believe, or in part because fashion week was occurring nearby, but I saw one girl dressed in a black trash bag with a belt made out of cork screws. The trash back was fashioned to look like a short dress. She was barefoot with another barefooted girl -- I was guessing it would be rude to take a picture.
Our hotel and the convention center were in the warehouse district, about a 15 minute walk from the french quarter. So we got up Sunday morning and went to Cafe du Monde for beignets.
After the opening speakers, we went back to the french quarter to Pat O'Brien's bar because my boss had to have a hurricane ---- a huge fruity drink with 4 shots of rum. I had a safe coke, I'd be under the table after 1/2 of a hurricane. My coworkers were wobbly during our walk back to the opening sessions, which we ultimately missed. What's my job? To lead my boss and others home, after she leads us astray, apparently. She said her assistant registrar was there to keep her on the straight and narrow. Ha! She honeymooned in New Orleans and came back for her 35th wedding anniversary, so she knew the area and thoroughly enjoyed the food and alcohol!
There was a bubble machine going on the top balcony.
On our first night, we went walking to find something to eat. We ended up here--a John Besh restaurant. I'm not familiar with who he is, but my coworkers say he's on the Food Network.
The fabulous thing about New Orleans was being seated outside. The weather was gorgeous--sunny and around 80 degrees every day. You couldn't really consider the food traditional American as we thought of it--definitely was unique here. My worker ordered a crab stew and raised an eyebrow when the waitress said she'd get a cracker for him. It still had the shell. :)
On our way back, we saw a lot of interesting people and outfits. I don't know if it's just the norm, which I can now believe, or in part because fashion week was occurring nearby, but I saw one girl dressed in a black trash bag with a belt made out of cork screws. The trash back was fashioned to look like a short dress. She was barefoot with another barefooted girl -- I was guessing it would be rude to take a picture.
Our hotel and the convention center were in the warehouse district, about a 15 minute walk from the french quarter. So we got up Sunday morning and went to Cafe du Monde for beignets.
After the opening speakers, we went back to the french quarter to Pat O'Brien's bar because my boss had to have a hurricane ---- a huge fruity drink with 4 shots of rum. I had a safe coke, I'd be under the table after 1/2 of a hurricane. My coworkers were wobbly during our walk back to the opening sessions, which we ultimately missed. What's my job? To lead my boss and others home, after she leads us astray, apparently. She said her assistant registrar was there to keep her on the straight and narrow. Ha! She honeymooned in New Orleans and came back for her 35th wedding anniversary, so she knew the area and thoroughly enjoyed the food and alcohol!
There was a bubble machine going on the top balcony.
A popular cajun restaurant near our hotel...
Our second night we went to Oceana in the french quarter for dinner, and were seated in this outdoor courtyard. There were dining rooms on all three levels--a huge restaurant.
My coworker tried the alligator dish.... Dinner always took a good two hours. The pace was definitely much slower than what we're used to.
It was daylight when we went to the french quarter just by Bourbon street, and relatively calm...but when we left....
And this band was just playing in the street, and a crowd was gathered watching them while blocking traffic.
And, yes, I spent the majority of my time at the conference. We had sessions from 8 - 5. The opening session included a performance by the Roots of Music group---middle school aged children spend 4 hours each day after school with this music program, which keeps them off the streets. It also provides tutoring and assistance with school. This was the charity group that the conference chose, and $30,000 was raised for them during the course of the conference.
There were 6200 people at this conference. I wonder what these kids were thinking, performing for all of these old college administrators! There was the most adorable 4 year old drum major. When a huge check was presented to them during the closing ceremony, the 4 year old tried holding and walking with this check that was bigger than him. The director ended up carrying him off stage while he held the check. Adorable!
Here's a picture of a small piece of the conference center. It was huge! A sign showed me that it was 3/4 of a mile to room 399---I was walking to room 290. I often had 2 sessions in a row on opposite sides of the building, but we did have 30 minutes in between sessions to make the long hike.
On our last night, we took a trolley into the garden district.
The picture isn't clear, but a lot of the trees in this area were covered in mardi gras beads.
And outside the conference center, this tribute to Katrina.
Our flight home was an adventure in itself. We were flying to O'Hare to South Bend. Our flight to O'Hare was delayed from 5:53 to 7:00p.m. to 7:30p.m. Fortunately, our connecting flight was also postponed (supposedly air traffic control problems). When we finally boarded the plane at 7pm, we were told we wouldn't be able to take off until 8pm.
In O'Hare, once we landed, we discovered via everyone's cell phones that we only had 30 minutes until our connecting flight was supposed to leave--11:04p.m. And we were waiting on a plane to get deiced before we could reach our gate and get off. Well, we finally got off, and we ran from gate B19 to C2---not nearly as close as it sounds. There was a group from ND also returning from the conference, so I was guessing we made up most of the passengers on the flight. Just as we reached gate C2, they changed our gate to B18--yes, the gate next door to where we just got off. Then we found out our plane hadn't even arrived, so we could at least walk back. By the time our plane arrived, we boarded, and waited for that plane to be deiced, we arrived in South Bend just before 2:00a.m.
We came back to ice on the car and a dusting of white on the ground. YUCK. New Orleans was a fascinating city, so many unique things to see that it was funny when you passed something like Walgreens among all the unique little shops and restaurants. When I went to get Emma that morning, she gave me a huge smile, and then proceeded to throw a fit to let me pay for leaving her. It really is good to be home!
My coworker tried the alligator dish.... Dinner always took a good two hours. The pace was definitely much slower than what we're used to.
It was daylight when we went to the french quarter just by Bourbon street, and relatively calm...but when we left....
It was like entering an alternate city.
We got some interesting pictures with this Jester, I've included the tame pics.
And this band was just playing in the street, and a crowd was gathered watching them while blocking traffic.
And, yes, I spent the majority of my time at the conference. We had sessions from 8 - 5. The opening session included a performance by the Roots of Music group---middle school aged children spend 4 hours each day after school with this music program, which keeps them off the streets. It also provides tutoring and assistance with school. This was the charity group that the conference chose, and $30,000 was raised for them during the course of the conference.
There were 6200 people at this conference. I wonder what these kids were thinking, performing for all of these old college administrators! There was the most adorable 4 year old drum major. When a huge check was presented to them during the closing ceremony, the 4 year old tried holding and walking with this check that was bigger than him. The director ended up carrying him off stage while he held the check. Adorable!
Here's a picture of a small piece of the conference center. It was huge! A sign showed me that it was 3/4 of a mile to room 399---I was walking to room 290. I often had 2 sessions in a row on opposite sides of the building, but we did have 30 minutes in between sessions to make the long hike.
On our last night, we took a trolley into the garden district. 
The picture isn't clear, but a lot of the trees in this area were covered in mardi gras beads.
And outside the conference center, this tribute to Katrina.
Our flight home was an adventure in itself. We were flying to O'Hare to South Bend. Our flight to O'Hare was delayed from 5:53 to 7:00p.m. to 7:30p.m. Fortunately, our connecting flight was also postponed (supposedly air traffic control problems). When we finally boarded the plane at 7pm, we were told we wouldn't be able to take off until 8pm.
In O'Hare, once we landed, we discovered via everyone's cell phones that we only had 30 minutes until our connecting flight was supposed to leave--11:04p.m. And we were waiting on a plane to get deiced before we could reach our gate and get off. Well, we finally got off, and we ran from gate B19 to C2---not nearly as close as it sounds. There was a group from ND also returning from the conference, so I was guessing we made up most of the passengers on the flight. Just as we reached gate C2, they changed our gate to B18--yes, the gate next door to where we just got off. Then we found out our plane hadn't even arrived, so we could at least walk back. By the time our plane arrived, we boarded, and waited for that plane to be deiced, we arrived in South Bend just before 2:00a.m.
We came back to ice on the car and a dusting of white on the ground. YUCK. New Orleans was a fascinating city, so many unique things to see that it was funny when you passed something like Walgreens among all the unique little shops and restaurants. When I went to get Emma that morning, she gave me a huge smile, and then proceeded to throw a fit to let me pay for leaving her. It really is good to be home!
