Welcome to the "Big Easy"

The en-route city I think I'm most excited about this summer is New Orleans, LA. SUS '12 (Southern US. (my route name)) will spend a total of 6 days in NOLA. 1 day off, to rest our legs/run around and explore as much as we can in 24 hours, & 5 build days! I'm most excited about NOLA for several reasons.

1. My dad graduated from Tulane with his MBA & has talked about how great New Orleans is.
2. After Katrina the city was left in ruins, and still, almost 7 years later has not completely recovered. I'm excited to be able to make an impact, no matter how small, and perhaps help one more person move back into their house.
3. Mmmmm, Cajun & Creole food. Rice & beans anyone? Jambalaya? Thank goodness we'll be biking there. I'll have earned my self a po'boy or 6 and some beignets by the time we make it there. :)
4.  The picture is chalkboard paint on an abandoned house in NOLA. Each line asks what a person wants to do before they die. As the wall is filled it is wiped clean & visitors can start fresh. Candy Chang, the creator, wants to one day create a book of all that has been written. You can check out more about the wall here.
5. Reason #3 repeated. Eat. Repeat. Nom. 

So, time for some facts about New Orleans, LA!

NOLA flooded post Katrina

• New Orleans has several nicknames, NOLA (A combination of New Orleans, Louisiana), The "Big Easy", & some less well known ones include The Crescent City, The City that Care Forgot, Americas Most Interesting City, Hollywood South, & The Northernmost Caribbean City.
• 1 of NOLA's most famous areas include the French Quarter, an area which contains the famous Bourbon St.
• The Port of New Orleans is the 5th largest in the US based on volume of cargo.
• Studies show that approximately 70% of pre-Katrina populations have returned to New Orleans, except, in areas that did not flood that population is 100-110% of the pre-Katrina population.
• The state of Louisiana, rather than have counties within the state have their "version" which they call parishes. New Orleans is part of the parish of Orleans.
• Street cars are still an active method of transportation in NOLA & there are 3 active lines within the city.

St. Charles Avenue

• NOLA ranks 8th in the nation in bicycle & pedestrian transportation & is claimed to be a very bicycle friendly city!!!
• The Canal St. Ferry runs between the heart of the city & Algiers Point across the Mississippi River, and has been running continuously since 1827.
• NOLA boasts such famous people as Tennessee Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Reese Witherspoon, Tyler Perry, Louis Armstrong, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, &  Eli & Peyton Manning.
• The NOLA montage from above includes pictures (clockwise from top left) of St. Charles Ave.,  A streetcar passing Loyola of New Orleans & Tulane University, NOLA Skyline, Jackson Square & the French Quarter.
  
  
  & 62 days 'til SUS '12!