Happy Birthday, Pancha!!

OMG!!! Today we start the journey!  AHHHHHHH!  I hope Amy doesn't end up having to wear the hat the whole way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Shay!!!!!!!

10 Day Weather Forecast

As Mikki eluded to, it's gonna be a little toasty in the south.  Here's the 10 day forecast as of today (214 days since Mikki turned 40)

6/27 - Madison    High of 81, 40% chance of rain
6/28 - Memphis   High of 89, 30% chance of rain
6/29 - NOLA      High of 92, 10% chance of rain
6/30 - NOLA      High of 94, 0% chance of rain
7/01 - NOLA      High of 92, 30% chance of rain
7/02 - NOLA      High of 92, 30% chance of rain
7/03 - NOLA      High of 94, 30% chance of rain
7/04 - Biloxi      High of 91, 30% chance of rain

We will be thankful for the air conditioning and need to plan some down time (Naps for April) during the hottest part of the day.

2 days!!!!!!!

Single Digits!!! 9 days to go!!!

Some topics that came up Monday night (which was now 2 days ago so if I can't remember it's because Mikki has been 40 for 207 days!)....

Snacks:
Mikki and I are running to Sam's Club this weekend.  Currently, I have a variety of crackers and pudding.  Yummy but not together. lol

Food:
Ham, PB, Strawberry Jam, Rotel, Mayo and Ranch are already in my bag.  I will be adding chips, Turkey, Bread, and a bunch of other things based on your surveys.  So far my food total is at $17.82.

Soda and Water:
Please bring your favorite soda.  We will try to fit as much as possible in.  Cans are preferred as we do have the travel mugs.  (Mikki, I have yours.  I know you are living in suspense wondering what Amy picked out for you!)
I will be picking up a pack of water.  We can pick up more at any time so again, what ever fits is what will come with.

Barbecue and Tacos:
Unless there are any objections, I will be making taco meat and barbecue or pulled pork (sauce to be added later, Amy.) to have for a couple of dinners.  We will need to pick up buns, taco shells and such but that will help save some money for drinking.  Dinner should time well with April's nap needs also.

Scheduled Items:
The only thing on my itinerary is Visiting Graceland Sunday A.M.  If you would like to do something at a particular time, let me know.  I know April mentioned the baseball game on July 3rd.  Game time is 7 pm with $1 soda and draft beer.  They have a mini flag giveaway and post game fireworks.

Itineraries:
Speaking of Itineraries, the travel information is in the mail as of today.  I sent out a couple of copies to everyone to distribute as needed.  If you need more, let me know.  :)

10 Free Things to do In NOLA

NOLA Calendar of Events

BILOXI 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY

July 4

Huge annual Fireworks Display over the Mississippi Sound!  Fireworks shot from Deer Island! Hosted by the City of Biloxi!

• Date(s): 07/04/2014 - 07/04/2014
• Times: 9pm
• Location: Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, Highway 90, Biloxi
• Contact: Biloxi Visitor Center
• Phone: 228-374-3105

Packing Part II

Amy mentioned the roominess of the van.  This one shows the sto and go seating on the left hand side of the page.  Here is the link.  Enjoy!

http://www.dodge.com/en/grand_caravan/interior/

Now, here's a new game...... What's in that bag!?!?!  Can't you just hear the theme music now?

This is my suitcase, standard carry-on size.  Although, I have unzipped the expander but only because I wanted to use my red suitcase instead of the slightly larger green one.

So, what's in my bag?

1 Dress                               1 Swimsuit

2 Bras                                 3 Pairs of socks

5 Pairs of Underwear          2 Pairs of sandles
5 Shorts (1 to sleep in)        12 Tops (1 to sleep in)
Jewelry                               1 Purse (cross-body)
1 Wallet                              Toiletries and Make-up

What's not in my bag?

Shorts                                    A larger purse

1 Bra                                     Walking shoes

Sunscreen                               Little black sweater

Beach towel                           Travel Mug (from Amy)

My Elvis shirt is also in my bag, so that should free up some space.  lololol

Speaking of the Elvis shirt, a reminder for our theme days:

Elvis

Pink don't match Green

Vintage/Throw back

Here is my non-clothing packing list:

Plates                                   Napkins

Plates                                   Napkins

Plates                                   Napkins

Plates                                   Napkins

Elvis Prize                            Elvis Prize

RWB                                   Other Prize

Elvis Match Game                Bingo Games

Trivia Game                         Hookerland Game

Laundry Detergent (2)          Fabric Sheets

Maps                                  Directions

NOLA Binder                    Kleenex

Bottle Opener                      Card Games

Travel Games                    Stick Items

Camera                           Rechargeable Batteries

Battery Charger                    Laptop

Power Cord                         Beach Towel

Make-up                              Magazines

Face Lotion                          Pages of Travel Books

Sunscreen                             Aloe

Tide Stick                             Retro Prize

Hair Spray                            Baby Wipes

Spray Conditioner                 Hand Sanitizer

Brush                                    Travel Mugs

Hair Ties                               Hair clip

Make-up Brushes                  Face Cleaner

Cotton Balls                          Shampoo/Conditioner

Q-Tips                                  Make-up Remover

Aleve                                   Ibuprofen

Gum/Breath Mints                 Rain Coat

Coupons                               Deoderant

I had to remove some of the specifics of the items to keep the surprises intact.  The highlighted items are things that will stay in the car.

More coming tomorrow based on my conversation with Amy last night but if you have questions, let me know as we are only 10 days away!!!!!!!  Smooches!!

"Don't be stupid and you will be fine" - Safety tips for New Orleans

Virtual Tourist has some good info on 25 different topics including #14's title earning, "Don't be stupid and you will be fine".  I was also interested in reading #24 "Nipples"  Hopefully, I can read that one soon.  ;)

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Louisiana/New_Orleans-793014/Warnings_or_Dangers-New_Orleans-TG-C-1.html

Some safety tips from this site.  I couldn't tell what year it was written as it references 1996/97 further down.  Still some good tips for safety!

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/davensusie/safety.htm

Anytime the sun was up, we found the French Quarter to be pretty safe. The area along the N. Rampart St. side of the Quarter, and some parts near Esplanade are probably not safe any time. Everywhere else, the problems are more likely after dark.
So, the standard rules that most well traveled folk follow should apply here:

-Avoid being conspicuously alone
- the French Quarter crowd is said to still be pretty safe, although the petty crime rate is very real.
-Avoid looking stupidly rich or careless with your money. If someone attempts to rob you, give them what they want.
- Don't chase after muggers - take in information about your situation and give accurate descriptions to police.
-While sight seeing, figure out where your next stop will be before heading out - in fact, plan your day as much as you can before leaving your hotel.
-Walk with some resolve (I carried a wooden cane that I would swing somewhat widely to scare some of the goofier assailants (This made me feel better and comes in handy as I get older!).
-Taxis are cheap, regulated, and safe - take them anytime you think maybe you should.

Here are some iffy-to-dangerous areas for you to watch, especially at dusk and into the evenings:
-Anywhere across Esplanade Avenue into Elysian Fields
-Any place approaching N. Rampart Street, from Canal to Esplanade.
Right around the intersection of Conti and N. Rampart is the historic location of Storyville, the infamous red light district of the late 1800's. Today, these are public housing neighborhoods and they look rough to me. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is on Basin St. between Conti and St. Louis. Don't go by yourself - you need a big group.
-If you are going anyplace at night in the CBD (Central Business District), the Garden District, or the Warehouse District - take a taxi or street car! You might take a look at the area during the day and get your bearings.

Finally -Leave very valuable possessions at home. Nobody needs to travel with lots of jewelry, and with ATMs everywhere, there's not a big reason to walk around loaded with cash. If you purchase something valuable from a reputable dealer, they will ship to your home address.

Street Scams
Outside of the occasional pushy street person ("bet I can tell you where you got your shoes!"), we have been threatened only once and mildly at that. In fact, the worst thing that's ever happened to us was falling for a couple of street scams. These take the form of a friendly stranger walking up to you and attempting to shake your hand. He or she will look like a typical Bourbon Street character, but he wants something. These scams follow one of an array of strategies:

• "Bet I can tell you where you got your shoes" - Answer: "You got your shoes on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana!
• "Bet I can spell your last name" Answer: "Y-O-U-R L-A-S-T N-A-M-E"
• "Where you from? Ohio! My sister lives in Ohio!" The time-shares come-on will waste your time.
• Someone will try to get you to follow them to enroll in special deals.
• Somebody hands you a "free" New Orleans souvenir - then wants a donation for a worthy sounding cause.
  Now I'm the softest touch around, and I fell for some of these scams at a cost of $1-$10 or 30 thirty minutes of my time. If you regularly give to charities of your choice, you can probably live with any guilt you might have over passing by a legitimate cause. You could also write a check later to the appropriate organization.

Oh man, I forgot the _____? Packing Part I

I was thinking the other day about things we could share instead of each bringing one.  The only thing that came to mind, that wasn't a personal item, was a hair dryer.  Since I'm the only one that actually uses one and each of the hotels has one, we should be ok there.  I will have my battery charger for AA batteries and bug spray with in case you want either.   Any things you can think of?

Other things to take into consideration are:
Rain Coat/Poncho - daily rains although not sure if it's like FL where it rains for 5 minutes or hours of rain.
Sun Screen - You know I'll have some but if you don't like SPF 350, it would be good to have.
I'll bring Aloe...... Or maybe just lotion.......  hmm.....
Beach Towel - Not sure the Biloxi hotel will let us take towels to the beach.  Hmm......

Some other things on my list:
Lap top
Toll Booth Change
Cooler options (until we know what will fit in the van)
Maps
Driving directions & reservations
Picnic items - Plates/napkins/utensils

If the need to ship something back arises, there are 3 FedEx locations within a half mile of our hotel.
555 Canal Street   504-651-1057 (.1 mile N)
762 St. Charles Ave   504-581-2541  (.4 miles SW)
601 Loyola Ave   504-524-6048  (.5 miles W)

And now the banker in me asks you to contact your bank (for debit card) and/or credit card companies you will be using on the trip to let them know you will be traveling.  We have a specific travel form for our check cards so the bank doesn't think your card has been lost or stolen.  You should also have copies of your ID, Credit cards and medical cards in a secondary location in the event any are lost or stolen.  This will provide you with easy location of card number and a contact number.