Made it to the Big Easy!

At our hotel, waiting for the Cab!

Well here I sit in my motel room just a few blocks away from the NO Convention Center. Getting ready for the International Convention of Rotary International. Kim and I got here yesterday via Southwest Air from Reno. It was an uneventful trip except for the fact that Kim left the boarding passes for our connecting flight out of Phoenix somewhere in the Reno airport between the check in desk and security! It was not really a problem, as it was a simple matter to get new ones issued there at the gate in Phoenix.

We took a cab to the hotel we are staying at. Kim had a great suggestion and we offered to share a cab with a couple of other folks who were staying close by. Saved about 30 bucks!! The Residence Marriott is wonderful, we shared a suite last night with four fellow Rotarians from home. We slept on the hide-away, but check into our own room with another couple this afternoon.

Ben and Angela, our friends made the reservations for us!

Kicking off our 2011 Rotary International Convention.

Last night we all went to dinner at a cool little place called the "Upperline Cafe". Some Rotarian Friends from the Carson/Minden area made reservations, and so we had a table of eight. Wow what a meal!! I had a 3 course "Taste of New Orleans" dinner. Turtle soup, andouille gumbo, duck ettoufee, fried green tomatoes, Cane river shrimp on corn bread with jalapeño jelly, pecan pie, or Thomas Jefferson Creme Brulette! Oh, and a little claret to wash it down with! It was incredible, along with our tour guide cabbie "Burney" who was a real prince. Born and raised here. All we had to do was ax him any question we wanted about the local lore and he had the answer!

Kim has our camera (imagine that!), so I will have to add pictures to my next post. She is at a "cooking class" in the French Quarter. Gets to watch someone else cook then have a taste. She just texted that she was having a blast and that it looked good!

That's All!