new orleans

Three years in a row now I’ve attended one of the largest photographer’s conventions in the country, gaining momentum with more friends joining in! Last year there were 3 of us in San Antonio, this year I had 6 other roomies. Plus we met up with other girls from the online forum we all are members of. Last time I was in New Orleans it was for the college football national championship in 2004 (for the 2003 season though) when Oklahoma lost to LSU. Talk about heartbreak. We were in college, road-tripped down there, and it was fun overall. I just remember the humidity and how awful the people were to us. I went with an open-mind this time and really enjoyed myself. The humidity was at bay until the last day we were there, it was in the 70s the entire time, a far cry from the snow that’s now on the ground in New Jersey!
 

Sunday night we went to the Swamp on Bourbon Street for a fabulous party put on by a lab. We got to throw beads onto Bourbon Street and even started the party dancing on stage. Thank goodness no one has posted the video or photos!
 

One of the Kelly’s and I went back down to Bourbon Street on Monday to take photos with our real cameras! But I can’t pass up photos with the iPhone too! We heard musicians and stumbled upon a MLK Jr. parade. The high school band was by far my favorite, but I loved seeing all the cheerleaders, majorettes and I’m not sure what else starting at the age of 4.

Proof that I went to the trade show. The photo of the other Kelly and I with the moo book is a re-enactment from last year.

I was feeling cruddy so I went back to the hotel, but stopped to take a few photos along the way. The home in the tree is a sculpture done by a local artist for us to always remember Hurricane Katrina. I had a hard time being at the convention center and not thinking about all the people who lost their lives down there. I vividly remember the videos and stills from those horrible days after. But luckily tourism is alive and well in New Orleans.