We weren't planning on staying over in New Orleans, but after making great time to Dallas, we had more confidence in our ability to drive long distances. Instead of stopping in Shreveport or Lafayette, we decided to make a hotel reservation and drive straight to the Crescent City.
Our first requirement for a hotel was that it offer high-speed internet access; we knew that Texas would be the only state on our itinerary where Starbucks offered T-Mobile Hotspots, and being without access in NM was irritating. (It's amazing how used to looking stuff up on the web we are.) Anyway, our second criteria was a reasonable price (this is a long trip, and we're on a budget), and our third was proximity to the French Quarter. The Radisson New Orleans met all our requirements, so here we are! We've even made arrangements to stay for an extra night so we'll have a full day to explore the city. (I've been here a couple times before, but Al's never been, and I want to show him some of the things that made an impression on me as well as explore new places with him.) We're making good time, and we'll still be in the Lakeland/Orlando area by Saturday evening (leaving us two and a half days to hang out there), so we can afford the extra day here.
Having decided that we'd stay an extra night, we gave ourselves permission to stay in, watch the West Wing and Law & Order, and order room service (which was delicious). I can't wait to eat Fried Oyster Po' Boys (thanks to Terence and Kathleen for buying them for us off the registry!) and bread pudding at the Acme Oyster House tomorrow, walk it all off, and then have a beignet at the Cafe Du Monde. Or the reverse... doesn't matter, as long as I get to try one of everything! Since we also happened to stop at the Russell Stover Factory Outlet Store somewhere in Texas today, I'm starting to worry that I won't be able to fit into my pants by the end of the trip. Oh well, I can always return to Smart Ones and low-fat cooking when I get back to California. ;)
Posted by Lori at October 16, 2002 08:43 PM