July 12, 2016 - Fun Facts about New Orleans & The MLB FanFest and Home Run Derby!

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 20 DAYS

16 Fun Facts About NOLA

WOW - today was an early one - had to be on the road by 7:15 to rendezvous with the girls' barn friends for car pooling.

Trust me, I'm not in any way complaining as it saves me a day of hanging out for six hours, and instead I can get some much needed work done around the house.

I've been on quite a whirlwind of organizing and cleaning the past few weeks.  It's sort of a late Spring cleaning. lol.

This is clearly and exciting week for Tanya as she both attended the All-Star Game in San Diego and is headed off to Vegas in four short days!!

As for me, I'm leaving for New Orleans in 20 more days.  So very excited!  I previewed my five day trip last month, but in case you missed it, HERE IT IS!

Today, let's take a look at...

16 FUN FACTS ABOUT NEW ORLEANS

1. New Orleans was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville in 1718, naming it after Philippe II, Duke of Orléans who was Regent of the Kingdom of France at the time.

2. Bienville chose the site of New Orleans due to its location along a sharp bend of the Mississippi River that created a natural levee against hurricanes and the flood-prone river.

3. The original city of New Orleans was built in a rectangle block that is today’s French Quarter; it was centered around the Place d’Armes (Jackson Square.)

4. In April 1803, New Orleans became a part of the United States when Napoleon sold all of the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. under the Louisiana Purchase.

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville - founder of New Orleans in 1718.

5. New Orleans grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, and Africans. This growth was fueled by the global popularity of sugar and cotton, which were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city, and traded worldwide through the port and city of New Orleans.

6. Louisiana is the only state that does not have counties. Instead, Louisiana is broken into 64 political subdivisions called parishes. 

7. New Orleans is famous for Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” which is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

8 . The first Mardi Gras celebrated in the United States actually took place in Mobile, Alabama, in 1703, rather than in New Orleans.

Louis Armstrong (credit: hotelmonteleone.com)

9. ​New Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz music, an “energetic or vigorous”mixture of African and Creole rhythms with European styles and instruments.

10. New Orleans barber Buddy Bolden is credited with inventing jazz music in 1891.

11. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome (commonly called The Superdome) — located in New Orleans’ Central Business District — covers a 13-acre expanse and has a diameter of 680 feet, making it the largest fixed domed structure in the world.

12. Beignets are a popular sweet treat in New Orleans made from deep-fried dough sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Other popular foods include muffulettas, red beans and rice, po’boys or gumbo.
​
13. The city of New Orleans, also called "The Big Easy" and "The Crescent City" is pronounced “New or-lins” or “new or-lee-yuns” but not “naw-lins” or “new orl-eens.” 

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome (credit: www.mygnrforum.com)

​14. Alcohol is available in New Orleans at any moment of the day and drinking alcohol out of a plastic cup  is allowed on the street.

15. New Orleans is the birthplace of singer Louis Armstrong, writers Truman Capote and Anne Rice, as well as TV personalities Reese Whiterspoon and Ellen DeGeneres.

16. New Orleans holds the honor of inventing both craps and poker. 

I am so looking forward to our visit to "The Crescent City" in less than 3 weeks.

During the week in August of our trip, there are two festivals (among several more throughout the month) that will be taking place:

August 1-31: COOLinary New Orleans 
During the month of August, experience cuisine that delights your palate and is an integral part of the history and culture of New Orleans. This annual culinary tradition features specially priced prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus.

There are more than 80 participating restaurants across the city of New Orleans participating.

​CLICK HERE for a list of these.
​

August 5-7 – Satchmo SummerFest
Satchmo SummerFest 2016 will take place over the weekend of August 5-7, in its new home in Jackson Square, right in the heart of the French Quarter. 

Outdoor events at SatchmoFest feature live bands on two different stages, starring some of New Orleans’ top musicians. Many of them will pay their tributes to Armstrong and his music.​

Click Here for more information.

Temps at this time generally range from a low of 75 to a high into the low 90's, so I'm anticipating some HOT weather!!

Can't wait to eat those beignets!!

Back tomorrow with some local fun!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 4 DAYS

A FanFest Photo Album

HELLO HELLO HELLO

and

GREETINGS from San Diego!

Before I go any further today happens to be my sister Jet's birthday (yes only 3 days after my brother's birthday), so I want to wish her a big

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I do try to be around for as many birthdays, and big holidays as possible, and I never miss any of the kiddies birthdays - EVER!

But there are times when I happen to miss the July birthdays - which are Michael's, Jet's, and Dave C's.

This week in July is generally when the MLB All Star Game is happening at one of the 30 Baseball stadiums around the country, and ever since 2008 I've tried to make it to each of them.

Of course there have been exceptions and other things have come up.
But I really do try, and it does bother me when I can't...

I'm not a girl who really believes in regrets, I believe in learning and personal growth from these experiences.
The reason I'm even mentioning regrets is because the MLB All Star Game was held at AT&T Park (San Francisco) back in 2007, and although
I really really really wanted to go...for some reason I didn't.

Never having been to an All Star game before that and having been to San Francisco countless times - yet for some reason I just didn't go.

(And not that I would've missed Jet's birthday that year, as the game was on July 10th)

This bugged me. Truly truly bugged me. Even to this day it bugs me.

Why the heck didn't I go?

I don't even have a good answer for this one - but I didn't.
I did however make sure that I went the very next year, and after realizing just how much I love the event and festivities I have tried to go every year since! 

Now low and behold, this year the game and festivities are only a couple of hours from home - so I was plenty stoked to be able to tell my sister that I would in fact be with her on her birthday this year...
And then I found out (looked at the calendar), that her birthday July 12th falls on a Tuesday - and the game is ALWAYS on a Tuesday! UGH

So it was rather difficult for me to do, but since 
I ALWAYS keep my word, so I said that I would miss this years game!

Nevertheless, we came down here for an extended weekend (still feels like Sunday to me), and we are participating in all of the other events and festivities - which have been AWESOME!

In fact, Cosette who has only been to one other All Star Game (2010), and a couple of other FanFests has said that she doesn't ever want to miss these events again, and that she is truly bummed that we aren't going to be at tonight's game.
Keep in mind that she is a Yankees fan, but that she is not a baseball fan.
So that is saying a lot about MLB All Star week!! 

​Now for a photo recap of yesterday:

In our hotel lobby (c)travelincousins.com

Horton Plaza (c)travelincousins.com

Sipping delicious Watermelon Juice (c)travelincousins.com

Pepsi Block Party (c)travelincousins.com

Pepsi Block Party (c)travelincousins.com

Pepsi Block Party (c)travelincousins.com

Gaslamp District (c)travelincousins.com

Downtown San Diego (c)travelincousins.com

Going to the FanFest (c)travelincousins.com

FanFest (c)travelincousins.com

FanFest (c)travelincousins.com

Auction at the FanFest (c)travelincousins.com

FanFest Fun (c)travelincousins.com

Batting at the FanFest (c)travelincousins.com

Stealing a base (c)travelincousins.com

Photoshoot for Baseball Card (c)travelincousins.com

Our Baseball Cards (c)travelincousins.com

Checking my swing (c)travelincousins.com

In the clubhouse (c)travelincousins.com

Sure I can catch! (c)travelincousins.com

World Series Trophy (c)travelincousins.com

World's Biggest Baseball (c)travelincousins.com

Going into the stadium (c)travelincousins.com

At the stadium (c)travelincousins.com

Fighters flying above us! (c)travelincousins.com

(c)travelincousins.com

Somebody is sleepy! (c)travelincousins.com

(c)travelincousins.com

MLB Shades (c)travelincousins.com

Cheering (c)travelincousins.com

(c)travelincousins.com

Giancarlo Stanton - Home Run Derby winner (c)travelincousins.com

Go Team (c)travelincousins.com

(c)travelincousins.com

Great Fun! (c)travelincousins.com

Petco Park (c)travelincousins.com

Downtown San Diego (c)travelincousins.com

Little Italy (c)travelincousins.com

That was our long and very fun filled day!

Now we are off to go see the Red Carpet Parade, and then head back to OC for some Birthday festivities!!

Catch ya back here tomorrow,
​-T