I am a retired guy in SoCal, a Cal grad, and football season ticket holder. However, since my retirement 10 years ago, my wife and I go to one game a year at a storied stadium or school. Three years ago we had tix for an LSU night game but lost our rooms, rental car etc., to a double set of hurricanes you folks had. We're going to try to get to LSU this year. In the last couple of years, we have coupled our college game with a pro game. 2009, Wisconsin, then Green Bay on Sunday night. 2010, A Michigan game then Bears v. Packers at Soldier field on Monday night. You get the idea. Here's the question. If we can couple an LSU night game with a Sunday Saints game, is the logistics of driving from Baton Rouge to New Orleans on Sunday mornig douable? Don't want to get up at 0 dark thirty if we don't have to, but don't mind an early start start. Thanks, and I hope you don't mind me checking in with questions off and on. Got to get to Death Valley.
Also a SoCal resident. When I go to LSU games, I always anchor in New Orleans. You can take a cab to the airport and rent a car as early as 6am. Drive to LSU and find parking, there is plenty of free stuff if you don't mind some walking. Drink all day, use the game to sober up (because you can't buy alcohol in Tiger Stadium), then drive the very easy 80 miles back to New Orleans, return the car and go back to the city for late dinner/boozing/hotel. I do this every year, and I like it better for the following reasons: 1) It's really hard to get a hotel in Baton Rouge during an LSU football week, much easier in New Orleans 2) There are way more things for an out-of-towner to do at night in NOLA vs BR Do this, and you'll wake up Sunday morning within walking distance of the Saints game.
Easily. You could even stay in New Orleans the night of the LSU game. I'm not sure what game day traffic is like heading to New Orleans from Baton Rouge, but on a regular day, it's about an hour or so.
Baton Rouge to New Orleans is about an hour with nothing going on. Baton Rouge after a game on Saturday night can be three hours to get out of the parking lot, depends on the game. Baton Rouge to New Orleans on Sunday I would leave three hours before the game; the hour trip, save 30min to find parking and then pregame. Several variations on the theme include flying into New Orleans early to get started, say fly in Thursday. That way Saturday when you wake up you head out of New Orleans and get to the LSU game early, early, by 10am-ish for a night game. The kick is if 'they' change the game to a day game, so use caution when planning this option. Good luck! Keep asking question if you have them.
Flying into New Orleans will be cheaper 99% of the time. If I were you, I would stay in New Orleans, drive up for the game, and then drive back down to New Orleans after the game. As one poster said, it does take awhile for traffic to clear out after a game. Therefore, I suggest parking downtown Baton Rouge and taking the shuttle bus to the game. Catch the shuttle bus back downtown. Thus, eliminating the traffic issue, at least most of it. If you want to stay in Baton Rouge to experience the city, stay at the Holiday in Downtown. Historic hotel on the river. Very nice and you can hit up third street for eats and drinks the night before the game. BTW, you and your wife are living my dream my friend.
Thanks so much for the advice Typically what we do is fly to where ever we're going on Thursday then use Friday to visit the school, check out the town etc. Using NO as a base would coomplicate this a little but it still seems douable. Maybe stay in BR Friday night, if we can find a room then back to NO after the game on Saturday. If you're wondering why I'm starting to plan now when the Pro Schedule doesn't come out until March something, it helps fight off the depression surrounding the end of the football season. I like NASCAR, but it doesm't fill the void.
Saints have alot of good home games this year. Bears, Colts, Texans, and of course the hated falcons, bucs, and panthers.
Nah...stay in Baton Rouge then. I would stay downtown like I sugested. Baton Rouge is a fun little city, there is not as much to do as New Orleans, but it is still fun.
You can easily do both. I have friends with season tickets to both LSU and the Saints and do it every weekend. It's about an hour and fifteen minute drive.
The biggest concern I would have is the lack of home games this season. We only have 6 with the best being Florida and Auburn. My bet is both of those will wind up as day games unless there are losing records involved. Even if Auburn or Florida are 0-fers it still brings out the best in the Tiger Nation. Kentucky possibly if they have a winning record coming in. Arkansas is at the end of the season and will be played on Friday (day game) after Thanksgiving. Nothing like Tiger Stadium on Saturday night but if it is a late enough start the mystic takes over at sundown. Northwestern St and Western Kentucky round out the home games and those will be weak crowd games at best. Hopefully a Saints home game coincides there somewhere.
