<p>My H & I took our first air trip together ever, this past summer to Outsidelands( music festival at Golden Gate park) in S.F.
We had a great time ( except for me on the plane),even though we didn’t do half the things we wanted - but it validated my decision to book things around events.
When we try and schedule things otherwise, my H won’t set a date" because they might need him at work", so I have learned to buy theatre tickets or whatever in advance and then just say- this is when we are going.
;)</p>
<p>He has never been east of rockies, and we both have been wanted to go to New Orleans.
When I saw that * Pearl Jam* was going to be playing along with * Aretha!- Jeff Beck* and all the zydeco & cajun bands that H loves, I thought that even though I wasn’t planning on another trip next year- it sounds like a must do. ( plus I figure, I can schedule our flight later- so I don’t feel weird about having a couple of those relaxing alcoholic beverages for the flight)</p>
<p>Has anyone gone- ? I have always heard about people going to Mardi Gras- but that just sounds too crazy, I think a Jazz fest- sounds perfect.</p>
<p>If you love music, you’ll love jazz fest! People in my part of the country love it! Jazz Fest is alot more laid back than Mardi Gras. A friend of my daughter’s family went and brought their disabled son in a wheelchair to see Billy Joel and they had a wonderful time even navigating amongst the crowd with a wheelchair. Just the people watching would be entertaining. The only thing known to put a damper on Jazz fest in years past is when it’s rained since it’s all outdoor stages but the bands still play.</p>
<p>I hope your trip materializes and it’s a great adventure! That’s very exciting since your hubbie has never traveled east of the Rockies.</p>
<p>I have only been to MO, and that was when I was three yrs old- my mother recently wanted me to go to a family reunion, even though she wasn’t going, but taking a trip with my brother and sister in a small metal container in August sounded like not so much fun. </p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement- there seems to be so much to see there, and I am even finding instructions on how to get around with public transit.</p>
<p>Plus the people watching has got to be a change from the Northwest where we all look at everybody elses feet.</p>
<p>I went in 1985 with a friend and loved it. I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Dr. John, and many more I can’t remember at the moment. During the day, it was held at a fair ground/race track; at night, it was all over the place. Since I was reasonably young back then, I particularly enjoyed places like Tipitina’s, which were open until around 4 am!</p>
<p>I really hope we can figure out how to afford this- I would love to go to New Orleans- it seems so exotic for a couple who have lived their entire lives in Seattle.</p>
<p>I forgot that I did go to Colorado Springs for my brothers graduation from college about ten years ago-I was never so happy to find a Starbucks- it was a shock not to have an espresso stand every 300 ft.</p>
<p>Jazzfest is great! I’m a misplaced New Orleanian who grew up a stone’s throw away from the Fairgrounds. That’s not a euphemism. Last time I was home during Jazz Fest time, I was peeling potatoes in my mother’s kitchen, listening to the sounds of Bob Dylan coming through the kitchen window. </p>
<p>the music line up is phenomenal! It’s amazing to think that you can get so much music for so little money. I’m not sure what a day’s pass costs now, but we used to pay about $25.00/day. I know that the after Katrina prices have had to rise. Even so, it’s a great value. I always make a point to listen to the smaller acts, rather than the headliners. There are no bad acts.</p>
<p>The crowds are amazingly friendly and laid back; it’s a festival for everyone. We used to take the kids when they were little, and I’m the over protective type! The food concessions are out of this world, and there is a juried crafts show.</p>
<p>The thing to remember, especially since you’re from the Pacific Northwest, is that May is very, very hot and very, very humid in Louisiana. Be prepared! Pace yourself, and get out of the sun by spending some time in the gospel tent. I hope you get to go. Jazz Fest is New Orleans at its very best!</p>
<p>That sounds fun- I saw that by donating money to WWOZ, you can get a pass good for the entire festival and while we only went one day to Outsidelands to save money( and because I was determined to get the best seats to see Pearl Jam, I didn’t get to see much else- a little bit of Tom Jones and more Incubus than I could take), but there seems to be so much to see that I think it would be worth it to go for the whole thing- I saw that some people camp- but I wasn’t so sure about that- especially since we wouldn’t be driving.</p>
<p>EK never been but it sounds like the perfect trip…you definitely deserve it. You have been through a rough patch. Enjoy both planning the trip and going on it. I find that when I’m having a hard time something on the horizon to look forward to helps immensely.</p>
<p>“I forgot that I did go to Colorado Springs for my brothers graduation from college about ten years ago-I was never so happy to find a Starbucks- it was a shock not to have an espresso stand every 300 ft.”</p>
<p>This made me chuckle because that’s one of the first things that jumped out at me when I visited downtown Seattle, a Starbucks every way you turned…and that’s not a bad thing! I’ve visited Seattle several times for work over the years and the scenery is just beautiful, so different than the flat land down our way. Seattle was where I first experienced edible flowers in salad…my first trip there as a young 20’s something, we went on a dinner cruise and I thought they were joking at first when they said you could eat the flowers in the salad… little Southern girl come to town.</p>
<p>I second mamazilla on being prepared for the heat and humidity. That’s the one reason I wouldn’t want to camp for Jazz fest…no air conditioning to return to at night!</p>
<p>H and I have gone to the jazz fest in NOLA several times and loved it. Poster who warned of the humidity was right. I kept assuming that by night the humidity would let up–it didn’t!</p>
<p>NO sounds exotic-we are now thinking about taking the train for one way- we could go from Seattle to Chicago and then down on * The City of New Orleans*
so romantic- I love trains.</p>
<p>My daughter was just telling me about a friend who visited Tulane a year or so after Katrina, when she was applying to med school and her host apologized because it was so dead, because they were still recovering.</p>
<p>Her friend was laughing because a “quiet” Thursday night in NO, was more lively than the middle of Sat night party in Portland Oregon
;)</p>
and more Incubus than I could take), but there seems to be so much to see that I think it would be worth it to go for the whole thing- I saw that some people camp- but I wasn’t so sure about that- especially since we wouldn’t be driving.</p>