a trip to New Orleans in April

For the first time since Jimmy started school, Lynn and Jimmy have different Spring Break schedules. Like all good college students he and a couple of friends are going to Florida for their break in March, but Lynn's break isn't until the middle of April...just a week before the ShopBot Jamboree.

An overnight train trip has been in the back of our minds for a while, so for her break we've decided to take a trip to New Orleans on Amtrak's Crescent. I've been to Mardi Gras a couple of times during college but must admit I don't remember much of it...Lynn's never been there before. The closest place that the Crescent comes to us is 4 hours away in Charlottesville, so we'll catch it there. It's a 23 hour trip so a sleeper seemed like a good idea, and as a bonus food and drinks are included with the sleeper ticket. Info on the Crescent's route can be found here.

Making a decision on where to stay in New Orleans is proving to be tough...there are so many choices. Since we won't have a car we want to stay somewhere that's "walkable", and staying in so many generic "chain" motels when travelling for work has me looking for a place with some character...the French Quarter seems like the place we'll end up. It'll be fun to spend some time in a city for a while, though after 3 days we'll probably be ready for the quiet of the Shore!

We'll post details as they evolve.