KreweNews

Webinar Summary of Summit Program Available Online

Looking for a great overview of the 2008 Legislative Summit in New Orleans? Today, we recorded a free, online event highlighting the program, the tours, social events, kids program and some great information about the city of New Orleans.

At only 36 minutes long, the presentation features NCSL staff and a representative of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. All you have to do is grab your favorite beverage, go to your computer, turn on your sound and click on the link found on this page that says "encore presentation." The event, called a Webinar, will play out on your screen.

We welcome your feedback. Post a comment below and let us know if you have any questions that we didn't answer at today's event. And, if you haven't yet, go ahead and register for the meeting!

Tour: A Taste of the Vieux Carré

If you're a guest attending NCSL's 2008 Legislative Summit in New Orleans, you can take part in a unique experience to explore the heart of New Orleans  and indulge in and enjoy the flavor of Creole Cuisine.

A Taste of the Vieux Carré introduces you to the historic beginnings of the city.  Discover the folklore, customs and unique architecture of this European corner of America.  Stand in Jackson Square and take in the sweep of structures that comprise the largest concentration of historic buildings to be found in North America.

Then, at the New Orleans School of Cooking, learn how to recreate the magic that is New Orleans cuisine. Enjoy highly entertaining patter about life in New Orleans as our lively Chef teaches you the steps in preparing Creole delicacies. Local specialty dishes such as Gumbo, Andouille Jambalaya and Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce will be demonstrated. Sample some of these delicacies as you enjoy a relaxing lunch, following the presentation. Pralines and recipe cards to take home are a perfect finish to this cooking delight!

For only $150, guests get our History, Highlights and Hope tour and one of three other offered tours, (such as A Taste of the Vieux Carré) as well as admission to the two social events, access to each day's continental breakfasts and admittance to many of the Summit's sessions.

Space is limited! Register today.

Tour: Perspectives of Antebellum Life

While most antebellum homes evoke images of hoop skirts and white columns, Laura Plantation, built in 1805, presents a different view of Creole life. The plantation is one of two being featured for guests of NCSL's 2008 Legislative Summit in New Orleans. On this tour, Perspectives of Antebellum Life, guests get to visit two unique Southern sites. At Laura Plantation, learn of major events and the day to day lives of the inhabitants; both slave and free. It is here that the first written record of the American fable Br’er Rabbit was discovered.

The other plantation on the tour is Oak Alley. The Southern days of old are captured at one of Louisiana’s most photographed Southern Mansions, which have been brought back to life in numerous Hollywood movies. Its magnificent allée of 28 well spaced Live Oaks form a natural canopy and provide a dramatic setting for the mansion.

For only $150, guests get our History, Highlights and Hope tour and one of three other offered tours, (such as Perspectives of Antebellum Life) as well as admission to the two social events, access to each day's continental breakfasts and admittance to many of the Summit's sessions.

Space is limited! Register today.

New Orleans City Tour: History, Highlights and Hope

Whether this is your first or fifteenth trip to New Orleans, we believe the one you take in 2008 will be the most memorable.

If you sign up for NCSL's guest program, you'll have an opportunity to see historic New Orleans and learn how the city is recovering from Hurricane Katrina. This all part of the History, Highlights and Hope: City Tour being offered for guests at NCSL's 2008 Legislative Summit.

Your journey begins downtown in the Vieux Carré, moves past Jackson Square and the old French Market, all virtually untouched by Katrina. Ride through the Upper and Lower 9th Wards, neighborhoods ravished by wind and water. Witness for yourself the inspiration of Harry Connick, Jr. as you tour the Musicians’ Village, a symbol of hope and renewal.

Travel along Esplanade Avenue to visit one of the unique little “Cities of the Dead.” View the sites of major levee breeches in Lakeview, where floodwaters stood for three weeks. Through sheer guts, determination and hard work of the owners, homes and business are springing back to life.

Next, sit back and relax as you journey back downtown via St. Charles Ave., and rejoice in the return of the oldest streetcar line in the county.  All of the stories and facts will leave with you a real sense of New Orleans’ true spirit, its proud history and rich culture. 

For only $150, guests get this and one of three other offered tours, as well as admission to the two social events, access to each day's continental breakfasts and admittance to many of the Summit's sessions.

See New Orleans like you have never seen before. Register today.

Saturday Swamp Tour Fun for the Entire Family

We've got a great treat to close out the 2008 NCSL Legislative Summit in New Orleans.

Kids from five to 105 are encouraged to take part in our "Braving the Bayou: Swamp Tour and Wetlands Restoration Project," which takes place Saturday, July 26.

Voyage deep into the swamps of Louisiana aboard a flatboat that will cruise through  meandering and mysterious bayous (once the site where the infamous Pirate Jean Lafitte stored his booty!) See egrets, raccoons, water snakes and of course, alligators!

After the excursion on the open water, the group will head back to solid ground for a picnic lunch. Enjoy the beautiful outdoors and help preserve the wetlands--one of the most important ecosystems in America--by planting vegetation in a nearby national park. Home to many species of animals and plant life, the coastline and wetlands play an important role in protecting civilization against various natural disasters, including hurricanes.

The tour is part of NCSL's Kids Krewe youth program, but also may be purchased as an option for adults and families.