April 13-17 we headed to New Orleans for the 2011 NIRSA (National Intramural Recreation Sports Association) conference. It was my first time to New Orleans and I had received mixed reviews. I am back and able to say that each persons review held some merit of truth. New Orleans is interesting....it is slow southerners meets beautiful garden district with dirty streets in the background.
I now understand why they call southerners stupid. It is because they work in reverse and everything they do is so incredibly slow. You have to be patient if you go to a restaurant because service will be slow and they will not split your bill. I don't think I got used to this for the 4 days we were there.
Lunch with Leia, Aaron, and Kriss (Student Directors in Campus Recreation)
We did have the opportunity to take a trolly to the garden district which reminded me a lot of Charleston, SC. Beautiful homes with amazing landscaping. But we also headed to Borboun Street which smells like vomit and urine mixed together. It did make for an interesting evening as I saw multiple large women show their breasts, not for beads but for attention. I tasted a hurricane mixed drink at Pat O'Brien's. It was good but too sweet to drink more than one.
Natalie, me & Leia at Howlin Wolf Bar
Beer menu at Howlin Wolf (Abita is the popular beer)
The most exciting event was going to the warehouse district and getting to see the floats that they use for mardi gras and holding a 1 year old alligator.
Alligator (1 1/2 years old but the size of a wild 4 year old gator - they don't let them hibernate in captivity so they grow faster)
New Orleans was fun but it was not a place that I would want to visit often. The partying is out of control and I am getting too old.
