Fun Stuff, Local Traditions (and a little advice)
March 30th, 2010Shelley
More breakout session previews to come, but thought I’d take a break and share some suggestions for having fun while in the Crescent City. There’s a great search feature in the travel section of the New York Times. Simply search New Orleans, Louisiana. You’ll find all kinds of articles, plus links to hotels, restaurants and attractions.
My search found this wonderful article, 36 Hours in New Orleans. Although, originally published in December 2007, its got great suggestions for things to do while you’re in town. This brings to me to an important point. When making plans in New Orleans, always verify the information you have is accurate. Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina, the city sometimes struggles to keep it together. Some businesses have not resumed normal hours of operation – even after all this time.
Also, consider trying some local New Orleans traditions!
- Lucky Dogs – Lucky Dog wagons have been a French Quarter staple since 1945.
- Sno-Balls – There’s always a line at Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, where the Sno-Balls (NOT snow cones) come in 150 flavors. The most famous is still the Nectar with Cream. Hansen’s is only open from early April through October. Grand opening this year? April 6. Perfect timing.
- Muffuletta – Olive salad, Mortadella sausage, Cappicola ham, Emmentaler cheese, Genoa salami, provolone cheese and round Italian bread. In 1910, the owner of Central Grocery (see Shelley’s Picks) combined all the ingredients so his patrons wouldn’t have to buy them separately.
Tomorrow, it’s back to breakout session previews. In the meantime, Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
Best Music Venues in New Orleans
February 26th, 2010Shelley
File this entry under fun things to do in New Orleans. In the January issue of my Southern Living magazine readers selected House of Blues New Orleans as the best live music venue in Louisiana. I’ve probably walked by HOB NOLA hundreds of times, but I’ve never stopped in – maybe we should give it a try while we’re in town for the SmartFindExpress Solutions Summit conference. Anyone interested? Rumor has it there’s a metal box of Mississippi Delta mud underneath the stage.
The thing is, the Crescent City has tons of music venues. I love this quote from the Southern Living article, “There’s more live music in New Orleans than anyone could ever hear in a lifetime of late nights.” That same article included Harry Connick, Jr’s top 3 music venues:
- Preservation Hall (see Shelley’s Picks; HCJ and I are on the same page)
- Tipitina’s (another Shelley’s Pick; I swear, we must have been separated at birth!)
- Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro (never been, but it’s on my list!)
So, there you have it! Plenty of great suggestions for live music in New Orleans. Okay, readers, now it’s your turn. Do you have any recommendations? Share them by adding a comment to this post. Laissez les bon temps rouler y’all!
Twitter Part I: Getting Excited About New Orleans
February 11th, 2010Shelley
While there are lots of things you can do to prepare for your upcoming New Orleans trip, I’m focusing on Twitter. Why? Two reasons. First, it’s a fun, cool, hip way to find out what’s happening in NOLA. (Yeah, that’s right, I said hip – even though it totally embarrasses my 15-year old son when I say it.)
Second, more and more school districts are using Twitter to communicate with the public. In Twitter Part II, I’ll focus on one district in particular – Hays Consolidated (TX) – and how Solutions Summit featured speaker, Tricia Griffith, is using Twitter to communicate with her substitutes.
Twitter 101. So, what exactly is Twitter? According to their website, it’s a way for people to share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world. If you’re not on Twitter, you’ll need to create an account. It’s super simple, so let’s get started.
- Go to Twitter.com
- Click on the “Get Started Now” button
- Enter your name, email address and select a username (it’s recommended that you use your own name – if you can still get it); then click “Create my account.” You will automatically be taken to your home page.
That’s it! Easy, right? Now comes the fun part. Following tweeters. There are some great NOLA resources that I recommend. Here’s how you find and follow them.
- Select “Find People” (located on the upper right side of the navigation bar)
- Then, using the “Find on Twitter” tab, search for the following: VisitNewOrleans (this is my personal favorite); now, click on the link to get to its Tweetstream
- Once there, click the “follow” button
- Click the “Home” button (located on the upper right side of the navigation bar) to watch/follow your favorites
That’s all there is to it! Here are some other NOLA Tweetstreams I follow:
- NewOrleans (another good general info site)
- NOLAnews (from www.nola.com)
- PresHall (I’m a music junkie, so I follow Preservation Hall; see Shelley’s Picks for more info)
- MyMardiGras (follow this year’s Mardi Gras festivities real-time; totally cool!)
- jazzfest (I go every year!)
Well, what about this, fellow tweeters? I know you’re out there. Are there any other resources you’d recommend we follow on Twitter – to inspire our NOLA trip? To add your recommendations, simply comment on this post.
Share Your Suggestions, Get a Cool Gift!
January 15th, 2010Shelley
We need your help! Conference attendees are looking for fun things to do after hours – and over the weekend – in New Orleans. What’s your favorite thing about the Crescent City? What sites, attractions, restaurants do you recommend? You’ve already seen my list of favorites (see Shelley’s Picks), but hey – there’s like a million things that make NOLA a great destination.
To share your suggestions and recommendations, simply add a comment to this post. And to make it interesting, I’ll send you a special gift for participating (while supplies last). I was rummaging around the secret vault the other day and came across two great items:
- Very New Orleans, A Celebration of History, Culture, and Cajun Country Charm written and illustrated by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler.
- Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast, various artists
At the end of your post, add your name, district name and indicate which item you prefer (book or CD) and we’ll ship your gift right away.
Get those suggestions posted! We can’t wait to hear from you!
French Quarter Festival
December 17th, 2009Shelley
So, I just found out why the Sheraton New Orleans is booked Saturday, April 10. It’s French Quarter Festival weekend! While I’m proud to say I’m an annual Jazz Fest attendee, I’ve never been to the French Quarter Festival. Although, after learning about it, it sounds like a great reason to stay the weekend.
Here’s the lowdown: Music all day in the French Quarter. Fifteen stages showcasing jazz, rock, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, classical, Latin and brass. More than 50 food and beverage booths in Jackson Square – and along the river – selling small portions from famous New Orleans restaurants. Plus, there’s an oyster-eating contest (yuck!), fireworks on the riverfront, historic courtyard tours and more! The best part? It’s totally free! Who’s staying the weekend?
