Husky Bayou Weekend! Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!

September 8th, 2012

This is a road trip Huskies have been waiting a long time for. Huskies and Tigers will mix it up on the Bayou in 2012. The Huskies are hoping to turn things around against the Tigers. LSU has emerged victorious in both outings against Washington, the latest being the 2009 home opener at Husky Stadium. The only other time these teams met on the field was 1983 in Baton Rouge, with a similar outcome.

The Game is scheduled for September 8th, 2012. Our standard package is a three day-Thursday through Sunday event, though you are welcome and encouraged to stay longer to enjoy all that the Crescent City has to offer.

The total package price will come down to about $980 per person for air transportation, accommodations, parties, tours, and ground transportation. The only variable is the cost of airfare, which is your first step in the reservation process.

There are three components to this travel program.

1. Book Your air travel
2. Book your hotel
3. Book your Events Package
4. Book the Game Day Only Package

To get the lowest airfare and the best selection of optional tours, you should book early.

Game Tickets

Most Huskies know where they stand on the priority point system with UW Athletics. The 5,000 seats allocated by LSU to UW will be in high demand. I am not including game tickets for this game. I expect face value of these tickets to be in the $50-$75 range. Build that expense into the cost of your tour program.

Despite the demand, there are always options for purchasing seats to a game like this. Call your Tyee Friends now to see if they’re traveling. There is also Stubhub.com, which is a clearing house for buyers and sellers. Stubhub.com charges a premium, so you pay more than face value, but I would be surprised to see tickets for this game exceed $150 per seat.

Game Day

We won’t know start times until close to the event, but historically the early season games in Baton Rouge are played in the evening to avoid the hotter part of the day. We’ll be taking coaches from New Orleans to Baton Rouge with the expectation of arriving on campus 3 hours prior to kickoff to participate in the Pre-Game Cajun Party.

The drive from the Big Easy to Baton Rouge is 82 miles, which makes for about 90 minutes on the coach from the hotel to the stadium. Traffic can be an issue, which can slow to a crawl before and after the game, creating drives closer to 3 hours each way. To eliminate that scenario, we are contracting with off-duty police to provide an escort with lights and sirens in both directions. Nothing cuts through traffic like a police motorcade. A similar service was used from the rail station in South Bend to campus with outstanding results.

New Orleans

Beyond the football game and tour events planned for this group, there are a thousand more reasons to visit New Orleans. I’ve listed a few here:

Music

There are hundreds of live music venues scattered across the city. Bourbon Street, the Warehouse District, Algiers Point, and Royal Street are just a few places showcasing live music. From blues to jazz, you can find great music any night of the week. We’ll provide a list of venues and performers for the dates we’re in town.

National World War II museum

Just a short streetcar ride from the hotel, this new facility demands more than just a few hours. The museum has an exceptional D-Day landing area.

Food and drink

Gumbo, Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee, Muffellettas, and Red Beans & Rice are synonymous with New Orleans eats. If you haven’t had a freshly made beignet with your chicory coffee.

The Saints

Fans staying over until Monday will have an opportunity (schedule pending) to see the Saints play in the Super Dome. Details for this option will be available in May or June 2012.

Concerts

A full concert schedule will be published when they are made available, probably in the late spring of 2012. One venue of particular interest is the twilight concert series scheduled every Thursday evening through late October. The Mahalia Jackson Theater hosts a number of headline performers and live theater.

Try your luck

OK, I know we have a lot of casinos in the state, but Harrahs is just down the street from the hotel and is open round the clock.

Updated: Tuesday, February 7, 2012