March 20, 2006
The Itinerary for New Orleans
Monday April 3, 2006
Welcome!
5:00 pm sharp - We will meet in the Bonnet Carr Room at the Hotel Monteleone. Your nametags will be found in the welcome packages in each of your rooms. You are kindly asked to wear them for admission to our venues. Ryan O’Dowd, one of the managers of the hotel, will welcome us.
5:40 pm - Shuttle starts to “Fire”, 1377 Annunciation Street, (1.73 miles, 6 minute ride from hotel) an exciting new restaurant in an old firehouse, where we will first enjoy an open bar and entertainment by the John Parker Trio. It will be a great place to greet old and meet new friends.
7:00 pm – Dinner will be served
9:30 – 10:00 pm – Return to hotel
9:30 am - Our 55 passenger bus will leave Canal Street at Royal, right down the street from the hotel. (Go out the front door of the hotel and turn left. Proceed for 2 blocks.) George Schmidt, a lifelong resident of the city who probably knows as much about New Orleans history as anyone, will give us a special tour of New Orleans. George is world famous history painter and an expert in figurative work, a brilliant raconteur, and a dear friend. You will see some of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina so you will have a better idea of what the city has gone through, and how it is rebuilding. George will show you historical sights and point out major parts of the city as we go through them.
12:15 pm - Return to the hotel to freshen up and have lunch at a place of your choice, with recommendations of the following: the Hotel Monteleone dining room, Central Grocery, Café Maspero, Red Fish Grill, Jimmy Buffets, and Irene’s.
2:00 pm - Try to be dockside the Natchez. There will be a steam calliope concert on the upper deck, and we will be sailing at 2:30 pm sharp. Aboard the Natchez you will gain a further sense of New Orleans from the great views of the Mississippi River. The Natchez will be back at the dock at 4:30 pm. It is a short walk to the Monteleone, where you can dress for dinner.
5:40 pm - Shuttle starts to the Preservation Resource Center at 923 Tchoupitoulas Street (1 mile, 4 minute ride from the hotel). Patty Gay, its director, a world-renowned preservationist, will greet us. She will give a brief history of what this organization has done in the past to help rebuild New Orleans, and how it is now vigorously at work to restore the architecture that was damaged by the hurricane. As a special treat, the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, 20 members strong, will be performing for us during cocktails, dinner, and after dinner. Dancing is really encouraged! They are an extraordinary group, perhaps the quintessential New Orleans spectacle you will see during your trip. Martins, a renowned store for gourmet foods and excellent wines, will cater our dinner. During dinner the members of the Orchestra will join us and will be seated among you. You will be able to glean a tremendous amount of local information from them, as they are genuine New Orleanians.
Attire: Gentlemen – Class jacket, white shirt, class tie, Ladies – equally appropriate attire.
9:30 – 10:00 pm – Return to hotel
Wednesday April 5, 2006
Morning: You have your choice of several great breakfast places – including the Monteleone Hotel dining room, and Café Dumond for beignets and coffee.
9:30 am sharp – Bus will depart at Royal and Canal to take us to the Garden District and will leave us off on St. Charles and First Streets. We will have a walking tour of the Garden District, led by three people who know the city as few others do: Peggy and Tad Wilson, two New Orleans natives active in the community and local politics, and George Schmidt, who will join us again. Divide into 3 groups and have fun!
11:30 am – Buffet lunch at Joey K’s, 3001 Magazine St (at 7th Street), a favorite neighborhood spot. We have the upstairs reserved for us. Use the time after lunch to explore Magazine Street.
2:00 pm - Bus will depart for Tulane University. Linda Carroll ‘71, one of the first female graduates of Princeton, will greet us. Her husband, Director Bruce Raeburn will show us around the world-famous Hogan Jazz Archives of Tulane University.
4:30 pm – return to hotel.
5:40 pm – Shuttle starts to the Plimsoll Club, 2 Canal Street #3000 (less than ½ mile, 2 minute drive from the hotel) at the top of the World Trade Center. The famous New Orleans Classic Jazz Orchestra will entertain you.
6:30 pm – Cocktails (open bar) and hors d’oeuvres, Dinner at 7:30 pm
Attire: Gentlemen – Class jacket, white shirt, class tie, Ladies – equally appropriate attire.
Thursday April 6, 2006
“…..Till we meet again some happy day!”
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