Winter 2013: Busy Weekend

Where does the time go? Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone and we survived.
Saturday we went in to town to see how the party was coming along and found out we weren't alone.
The fun started when I decided to take the ferry into downtown instead of the bridge because of road closures near the Convention Center where the NFL Experience was being held along with a couple of other big events in the same area. When I got to the ferry there were a ton of people walking but not many cars. Strange I thought but maybe people were avoiding having to find a parking spot..... or maybe because the ferry was only carrying passengers today. Turn around and go back for the bridge.

We parked at Harrah's planing on taking the street car up to Bourbon street and knowing that even though parking for an event was $50 today we could play 30 minutes and get our parking free. You would be surprised the number of people you talk to who don't know this option exists even with all the signs they have advertising it.

First we took a walk over to the Verizon Boulevard to see if Joanne could get another picture taken at

the BASF tent.

She wasn't happy with the way this one came out. I think it's cute. However when we got there the line was a mile long, it's a good thing we went on opening night because everyone had shown up tonight. We were going to get some food because what we had the night before was very good but forget it, way to long a line. Time to head to Bourbon Street and get a drink.

The streetcar was packed and it was a very hot ride but for the senior 40 cent fare I couldn't complain. It's a long walk and we didn't want to start out tired. Bourbon Street was packed they way you would expect later in the evening. People in Raven gear cheering every time they met a similar group and 49ers people doing the same. The party was on.... people on the balcony's throwing beads, street artists playing instruments, jugglers, mimes and about a million cops. You don't need to worry about being hassled because as one cop told us last night while we were waiting for a bus "we let people come to Bourbon Street and act stupid all they want but we stop any trouble before it has a chance of getting started"

What's really impressive is to watch the way the Mounties and horses handle the crowds. We watched as EMT's went to the aid of someone who had fallen (few to many) and bloodied his nose. They formed a triangle around the patient to hold the crowd back and then when it was time to move the stretcher they walked sideways parting the crowd. People will stand in the way of a police car with siren blaring and lights flashing but you move a giant horse and watch people move. You know the horse is going to win and doesn't take no for an answer.

The picture isn't very good but you can tell how crowded it gets.

After a few drinks at Bayou Burger it was time to go back to Harrah's to play off our parking tab. The food looked good but there was a two hour wait for a table. Joanne met a girl who was a bartender up the street and told us to come some night and hear some of the good jazz they have at her bar.

We walked out to the end of Burbon Street and crossed Canal street to the Streetcar stop, bus after bus came by going the wrong way and after a while I made a comment to Joanne about it. A guy sitting on the bench near us heard me and said they aren't running any buses that way. It was getting backed up so the police shut it down. Time to start walking...........

Did I mention that we took the streetcar because it was such a long walk and my right knee has been bothering me with stabbing pain if I spend to much time on my feet. We took it slow and eventually we made it back to the Casino and then our luck changed. Our favorite machine was good to us. This picture shows a $102.00 payout on a 60 cent bet. We went back and forth for a couple of hours and quit when we were up $220.00 our original $20 and their $200. We took the money and ran.

Sunday was a repeat except I knew enough not to try to take the ferry. We parked took the streetcar and walked up Bourbon Street looking for a place to eat and watch the game. Every place was packed and after going quite a ways up the street we stopped to see the score at a bar and to buy a drink. While I was getting the drink I see Joanne talking to a bartender.... her friend from the night before. Joanne said we were looking for a seat and the girl went and got a bar stool and made room for us to sit at the bar. What luck to stop where someone knew us. We headed back at half time to make our way to the Casino before the crowds. While waiting for the streetcar which was running a cop told us about the blackout at the Dome. Our luck wasn't so good and after much up and down play we headed home for shrimp gumbo Joanne had made from fresh shrimp purchased just up the road from us.