5 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Post here your recollections of our time in New Orleans. This includes the evening of arrival, the full day of riding streetcars, and the day of departure.

[KevinKorell]

We got into the city 1/2 hour late, and dispersed via cab or foot to our respective hotels. Wednesday will be a very long day, one on we hope to ace the entire streetcar system.

[KevinKorell]

We have done our streetcar riding, with one disappointment.

Once again I was thrown a curve as NORTA decided to:
(1) not run Upriver of Julia Street to John Churchill Chase, and
(2) not run Downriver of Canal, with the resulting open section of streetcar SHORTER than the distance we walked through the parallel Riverfront Marketplace mall.

I kind of expected (1), as I've been dumped at Julia before, with the operator telling me that only cruise ship passengers would be carried beyond there to the last station. Wonder why they show John Churchill Chase in the timetable as the endpoint if streetcars seldomly go that far?
Number (2) was a shock, as there was not before today or today anything on their website about the line being closed.

Rider alerts mention nothing of a Riverfront closure.

Other that that, we enjoyed the St. Charles Streetcar, and the two branches of the Canal Streetcar, plus the little shuttle on the Riverfront line that is about as long as the Riverwalk Marketplace mall that it parallels.

We also did the Algiers Ferry across the mighty Mississippi and back in order to kill some time. I splurged for the entire group.

I don't consider the NORTA streetcar system "aced" because we missed the best part of the Riverfront Streetcar passing through the French Quarter, including Jackson Square, the Moonwalk, French Market, etc.

Edited by KevinKorell, 21 July 2011 - 12:25 AM.

[KevinKorell]

We went our separate ways for dinner after a brief downtime to rest up and cool off. Nine of us had dinner at the buffet at Harrahs Casino. Very good filling meal! Now we are basically off Fest until we meet before our Thursday Amtrak trip on the City of New Orleans.

[NJCoastExp]

We went our separate ways for dinner after a brief downtime to rest up and cool off. Nine of us had dinner at the buffet at Harrahs Casino. Very good filling meal!

Now we are basically off Fest until we meet before our Amtrak trip on the City of New Orleans.

Fest moonlight ride on St Charles line was done by Mike, Steve and me.

[saxman]

I decided to opt out of the street car runs. I rode many of them last year anyway. I left on the Sunset Limited at 11:55 AM and although, I could have done at least one ride with the group, I realized the logic in getting my bags on the train would be difficult. That or store them in my hotel and be rushed at getting back to the hotel to retrieve them and get over to the station. So I rode the SSL to Lake Charles, and flew from there to Houston. I would have taken the SSL all the to Houston, and if anyone knows Houston it's not possible to get around without a car. Mine was parked at the airport, and my mom couldn't come pick me up either, so flying was the better option for me, instead of a $50 cab ride to the airport.