Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Man vs Food

Another request is to eat at a place that has been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives or Man vs Food.  While I'm not interested in any of the massive or super spicy food challenges completed on Man v Food, I certainly wouldn't mind eating at any of them.  Below are links to restaurants I found on the show websites.  Don't look at these if you are hungry!  :)

Memphis

Diners Drive-ins and Dives

http://alcenias.com/

http://www.cozycornerbbq.com/

http://www.leonardsbarbecue.com/

http://www.marlowesmemphis.com/

http://www.rizzosdiner.com/#

http://www.southofbeale.com/

http://threeangelsdiner.com/

http://www.tomsbarbq.com/

http://unclelousfriedchicken.com/

Man v Food

http://arcaderestaurant.com/

New Orleans

Diners Drive-ins and Dives

http://casamentosrestaurant.com/

http://www.joeyksrestaurant.com/

http://www.katiesinmidcity.com/

http://www.mahonyspoboys.com/

http://www.parasolsbarandrestaurant.com/

http://www.surreyscafeandjuicebar.com/

http://www.creolecreamery.com/

http://www.alwayssmokin.com/

http://www.theoldcoffeepot.com/

Man v Food

http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/index.html

http://www.deanies.com/

Biloxi

http://www.blow-fly-inn.com/

http://www.darwellscafe.com/

http://theshedbbq.com/

A Little Spookiness Year Round!

Listed as the Travel Channel's most haunted cemetery.  Tour prices run $20 with tours being at 10am.  The time in the morning shouldn't be a huge issue unless April's been riding the mechanical alligator the night before.  More to come on that later.  :)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60864-d108191-Reviews-St_Louis_Cemetery_No_1-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html

Although some of the reviews liked other cemeteries, it appears several are within walking distance from the French Quarter and a guided tour may not be a necessity.  St. Louis Cemetery No.1 Closes at 3pm.

This cemetery's photos look amazing as well and is ranked a tad higher on TripAdvisor.  Although, I have not researched its location in regards to our hotel.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60864-d144081-Reviews-Metairie_Cemetery-New_Orleans_Louisiana.html

Those interested in other haunted evening/night tours can check this out.

http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/tours/hauntedtours.html

While looking for a map of NoLA's cemeteries, I came across this.... Wow

http://www.nolacemeteries.com/

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 Tour

Daily at 10:00am, and Friday & Saturday at 1:00pm
Departs from the Basin Street Station lobby
501 Basin Street (next to the cemetery)
Tour lasts a little over 1 hour

Founded in 1789 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is located just steps outside of the French Quarter at the corner of St. Louis & Basin Streets. It is the burial ground of some of the most illustrious citizens of New Orleans, including Etienne de Bore, pioneer in sugar development; Daniel Clark, financial supporter of the American Revolution; Paul Morphy, world famous chess champion; and other local and national figures.
Notable structures include the famed oven wall vaults, the supposed resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, and the magnificent tombs of the French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish societies.
Dramatically shown in the 1969 film, Easy Rider, the cemetery is the oldest existing cemetery in New Orleans. It is a maze of wall vaults, family tombs, and society tombs that artistically showcase the unique burial customs & traditions of New Orleans.
Save Our Cemeteries is the only non-profit in New Orleans that offers cemetery tours. Currently, all of our tour guides are volunteers, and much of our marketing & materials are donated, so over 90% of your tour ticket price will go directly towards our mission of cemetery restoration, education and advocacy.

Biloxi, MS Current Weather

It's 38 degrees outside and 60 degrees in Biloxi at 10 pm.  Maybe I should go scout out the area before we travel there.  Hmmm.........

Handles part II

Based on the Handle Generator posted below, here are our walkie talkie handles.  Brace yourself!

Mikki - Earthquake Shuffler
Sara - Non-Stop
Bobber - Getter Done
Jen - Straight One Eight
Amy - Rattler
April - Custom Thunder (lolololol)
Bo if he entered Billy Wayne - Big Rigg
Bo as Bo - Big Box Shaker  (lol)
What Blake thinks he and Bob should be - Smoky and the Bandit.
Blake (with the generator) - Mack Way
Bobber - Getter Done

All of them made me actually laugh out loud.

Road Trip Games

There will be some fun surprises along out journey so, I haven't listed those but here are some fun game ideas for on the road.  We will need to wait to get to a hotel to play Strip Poker (Or Happy Days Game for the FRIENDS watchers out there) or Twister or Uno for that matter.....  I would love to hear what your favorite road trip game is.  Feel free to comment below or send me an email.  :)

Would You Rather? Take turns offering various options to other passengers, either wonderful, horrible, painful, embarrassing, or otherwise. Find out who would rather jump in a flaming volcano or sit in a cage of snakes.

Counting Cows. This game is perfect for drives through rural country. Passengers must count and keep track of cows on their side of the car. If you pass a cemetery, it wipes out the cow count for the passengers on the same side of the car. Passenger with the most cows at the end of the trip wins.

Fortunately, Unfortunately. One passenger shares a statement beginning with the word, “fortunately.” As in, “Fortunately, I remembered to buy snacks at the gas station.” Another passenger must follow up with a statement beginning with the word, “unfortunately.” As in, “Unfortunately, I left them on the counter when I paid.” You can also switch the game around by starting with unfortunate ideas first.

Road Trip Bingo. Kind of like I Spy and Bingo all in one. Instead of numbers, you're looking for things out the window to fill your game cards -- fire hydrants, traffic lights, garbage cans. You can print out game cards before you go (many websites offer down-loadable versions), make your own, or pick up handy disposable options that open like advent calendars.

Possible Route Modification

Here's how you know I am really a sick, sick person.  Last weekend, while discussing the trip, I was asked "can we make a swing through Vicksburg, MS?"  I, of course, said Yes but in my head I was thinking..... Ooh, if we are able to leave earlier, we can stay in Memphis and I'll need to research some additional hotel options.  Woo hoo!  Is there a 12-step program for this?  :)  Another plus?  We would arrive in New Orleans during daylight hours.

Days Inn Memphis

 Travel Itinerary -  Saturday, June 28th - Sunday July 6th

     June 28 - Memphis, TN

     June 29 - NoLA

     June 30 - NoLA

     July 1 - NoLA

     July 2 - NoLA

     July 3 - NoLA

     July 4 - Biloxi, MS

     July 5 - Springfield, IL

     July 6 - Home

Lodging -

     Memphis, TN - Days Inn Memphis - 2 Rooms - $229.56

     NoLA - Wyndham La Belle Maison - $0

     Biloxi, MS - Quality Inn - 2 Rooms = $378.56

     Springfield, IL - Microtel Inn & Suites - 2 Rooms = $199.58

Gas -

     Based on 2 vehicles - $700

Attractions - pending....

     Jazzy Pass (NoLA street car) - $9.00 per person  ($3 per day unlimited)

     CoasTour Pass - $5.00 per person (Biloxi, 1 day unlimited pass)

Costs - $1767.70

     Lodging - $807.70

     Gas - $700.00

     Food - $

     Attractions - $

     Parking - $260.00

Per person - $220.96

Per couple - $441.93

    

On the road again......

Our journey to New Orleans will take us by way of Memphis, TN and Jackson, MS.  The tentative first night's stop will be in Cahokia, IL just outside of St. Louis, MO.  Total mileage to New Orleans will be approximately 1220 miles.  Approximate due to our different starting locations.  Trip starting/ending markers are figured from Eau Claire because that's where I live.  :)  ps.  Bob and I tend to be early risers on travel days so we can get to where we are going..... and have a drink...... or 3.

A potential lunch stop on Day 2 could be Memphis as it is about 4 hours from Cahokia and we will have a full 10+ hours of drive time.  I discovered an option, when planning our Girl Scout trip to DC, on Google maps.  After you have entered your location, select "Search Nearby" and it will allow you to enter anything general.  (ex: parks, grocery stores, gas stations, hotels, etc.,)  This is what I found when I entered Parks near Memphis. Google Maps - Memphis Parks  I'm sure will be some interesting finds on AAA (which is much different from AA) and we will need to check into TripAdvisor also.  You just never know what you'll find on a road trip!!


Distance from New Orleans to Biloxi is an easy 90 miles or 1 hour and 27 minutes according to Mapquest.  In case anyone is wondering, I am VERY excited to cross this gigantic bridge.  Can't wait!!



The return from Biloxi is listed as 1196 miles.  Our tentatively planned stop is in Springfield, IL and will be a full day of driving.  We'll have to be on the look out for some fun places to stop on the way home.

Why is Madison tagged as a stopping point?  I have a former employee who lives there and will be letting us park April's vehicle at his family's restaurant.  I may have to smooze for a few on the way down although maybe it will time that the club isn't open when we pass through and then I'll just leave a note on their door.
Hill Top  It appears their website needs to be updated but you get the idea.

Until next time........