Merry Christmas Eve,
Only two days until we meet at the Amtrak Train Station.. just an update we have lost 3 CSC members on this trip... due to various reasons, so we are down to 13, we will miss them. It was to late to transfer tickets.
Weather will be rain, rain, and more rain, bring your rain gear. The temperature is showing to be high 60's and low 70's..... See you Wednesday December 26th. Barb
Thank you to Dee Campbell for catching my mistake!!! The train departs B'ham at 12:08 Central Time..... not 10:00 a.m. ( I must have temporally lost my mind)?
Be at the station at 11:00 a.m central time!!!! So sorry.... Barb
Hello NOLA Travelers, only 11 more days until we all meet up at the Amtrak Station in Birmingham, Alabama ** Google shows two address** 1819 Morris Ave. B'Ham, 35203 & 1 19th St North, B'ham, 35203. However I have driven by and either one will get you there, ** please note Amtrak is in the same building with the Greyhound Bus terminal GET THERE EARLY!!! OUR TRAIN DEPARTS AT 10:00 a.m. Central time, 11:00 Eastern time. I would suggest being at the train station no later than 9:00 a.m. Central Time. There is a 3 level parking garage within walking distance of the station. I would suggest parking there. *** this is crazy but we are all on one "group" ticket (in my possession). They will issue individual tickets when we arrive and show ID! Please make a photo copy or take a picture of your ID to have with you. We had a member of the Steamboat Trip that lost her drivers license and was not able to board the return plane with the rest of us.
When we arrive in NOLA, we will take taxies and Uber to the Royal St Chares Hotel located at 135 St. Charles Ave. 70130.
* For those of you going on: Our NOLA Haunted Pub Crawl is Thursday night December 27th, be at the Tujague Bar located at 823 Decatur Street no later than 7:45 to meet our tour guide for the 8:00 p.m. tour.
* For those of you going on: The Harbor Jazz Sightseeing Cruise be at the Toulouse Wharf on later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday December 28th. to load for the 2:30 cruise
*** group dinner is at Daisy Duke Restaurant 121 Charles St. @ 6:30 p.m. on Friday night.
* For those of you going on: The St. Louis Cemetery #1 tour be at 1010 Conti Street, NOLA no later than 10:45 for the 11:00 tour.
After the information above the rest of the info below is not new.
P.S. PLEASE BE PATIENT with me, this is my FIRST TRAIN TRIP!!! YA'LL are my "Virgin" group!!! any help or advice would be greatly appreciated... Barb
CSC members will take over New Orleans, LA December 26-December 30, 2018
Please read-New Info: Group Dinner, Friday Night December 28, 2018, @ Daisy Dukes Restaurant, 121 Charles St. 6:30 p.m. for menu choices go to www.daisydukesrestaurant.com. Thank you to Co-Captain David Satterfield for arraigning the dinner for the group. ** of course you are NOT obligated to attend, however please let us know if you are NOT going to join us.
Co-Captain David Satterfield and I have been working on some excursions for when we are in NOLA, *** Please note*** book your own tours (that is IF you want to), there is no "Planned Group Tours". I am giving you info and you can go online and purchase if you so choose. Here is what we have so far, David and I thought a "New Orleans Ghost Pub Crawl Tour" would be fun for Thursday night December 27th. I have just gone online and purchased my ticket for the 8:00 p.m. Ghost Pub Tour. If you want to join me, go to Ghostcitytours.com, follow the prompts. If you sign up for the newsletter you will get a promo code for a $2.50 discount which made my ticket $23.80. If you choose to NOT sign up the ticket is $26.45 including tax. *** Make sure you go to the correct date in the calendar. This is the most popular tour and you must book ahead, It will not be available when you get there. The tour allows 28 people, so far I am 1 of 28. I am also going to book a "Cemetery Tour" for Saturday December 29th @ 11:00am. I will have to "call" the tour company on this one. I was not able to book online for this. I have spoken with this tour company via phone and I was told that the City of NOLA only allows one tour a day now for the Cemetery, due to vandalism the cemetery is now closed to the public. This is the only way to see this very beautiful historic cemetery. * I will update after I call tour company on how to book your tour. * I will book a restaurant for a "group" dinner on Friday night for all of us.
David Satterfield has information on a 2 hour Jazz Steamboat Cruise for Friday December 28th at 2:00 p.m. *** (must be on Toulouse Wharf no later than 1:45 p.m.)*** the cost is $34. If you have interest in the Jazz Steamboat Cruise please let me or David know just so we will know how many are interested,** again will send info for you to go online and book your own ticket. Barb-423-902-6095, David-423-488-6189.
On another note**** PICK POCKET**** Make sure to keep your credit cards and cash in a secure place on your body... usually a front pocket or around your neck is the best.
Update on Cemetery tour, I called to book my tour and at this time they would not allow me to book just one(1) ticket, they said I must book two or more the cost of this tour with tax is $21.15. If you go online to book and book two tickets please let me know, then they will allow me to book just one. Because there is no one else booked this far out they will not let me purchase just one (1) ticket> "go figure"? the phone number is: 888-859-5375. IF you are able to book this one on line *** make sure it is the "Cemetery Tour" at 11:00 a.m... the site jumped me to a totally different tour that starts at 8:00 p.m. that is NOT the Cemetery Tour.
I know this is long but necessary... more from me later on NOLA,
Barb Wise-Trip Captain
David Satterfield-Co-Captain
Amtrak Train Departs from Birmingham, AL on December 26, 2018... train departs at 12:00 noon so be at train station; Amtrak, 1819 Morris Ave. B'ham, AL 35203, 205-324-3033 at 10:30 a.m. to have time to park and check in.
BAGGAGE Carry on allowance: 2 bags at 28x22x14 and NOT to exceed 50lbs per bag. 2 smaller bags at 14x11x7 inches and NOT to exceed 25lbs per bag.
We have 16 CSC members on this trip that have paid for the round trip train ticket. We cannot take anymore CSC members at the group rate and the extra group seats have been released back to Amtrak. IF you want to go on this trip I will provide phone number to Amtrak for you to make your own reservations. This trip was announced via several emails with information of the deadline to register for the group rate. The hotel Royal in New Orleans does have a few rooms left with the group rate, the rooms will be released back to the hotel on November 1, 2018.
There are no planned group tours or activities in New Orleans, you are free to plan your own outing and tours.
New member David Satterfield is Trip Co-Captain and has been to New Orleans multiply times will offer suggestions. I will also research tours and excursions, please if you have an idea for some tours and excursions let me know.
IMPORTANT BELOW---PLEASE SEE
If you are one of the 16 CSC members on this trip; go to the registration form above left and registrar for this trip. You will be able to sign the release form online and I need you to do this.
Thank You,
Barb Wise
barbwire@flash.net
423-902-6095