ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 24, 1995 TAG: 9512260014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: guest column
SOURCE: STEVE HUPPERT
Like 20,000 other Hokie fans, my wife and I are heading for New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
At first I thought it was too expensive to pay $60 to watch a football game from seats where I will probably be lucky to see the field, much less the players.
Tickets at that price are not a great deal, particularly when the game is on national TV and your seats are so high you're looking down on the Goodyear Blimp.
On the other hand, Virginia Tech playing in the Sugar Bowl is history, and I should be happy to be a part of it.
I should also feel lucky that I got the $60 tickets. It was amazing to hear that after three days Tech had sold its allotment and then some.
When I told my wife that the trip would be too expensive, she said that we had always wanted to go to New Orleans and this was the perfect time. She said that Tech had never played in the Sugar Bowl, which was true, and that we might be too old to make the trip the next time Tech was invited, which was also true.
Don't worry about money, she said. That's why we have a credit card. I realize credit cards are great, but the results 30 days later are not. I am worried that by the time we get back to Christiansburg, the card will be so worn out that we'll need to send it off to Florida for a week of R & R.
The cost of our tickets is nothing compared to some of the other expenses. New Orleans is not a cheap city, and for tourists it can be a real wallet opener. I've heard rumors of high prices for draft beer and $6.50 for a hamburger and fries. I just hope we don't lose the card.
It's a wild city, too. This is the place where a pirate (Jean Lafitte) and a general (Andrew Jackson) worked together to plan the defense of the city against the British in the War of 1812. After they fought the battle, they found the war had already ended. (Fortunately, America won both the battle and the war.)
New Orleans, the Crescent City, is where the Mississippi ends and the Gulf of Mexico begins. It's known for its cajun cooking, cafes, and antique shops. It houses a zoo, an aquarium and Canal Street, one of the widest streets in the country.
But what draws the tourist, and on Dec. 31, what will draw the Hokie faithful, is the French Quarter. Known for jazz, good food and high energy, it's an area where anything goes.
People say that the biggest thing that you need to worry about is being mugged or robbed as you leave the French Quarter.
The way I see it, the only thing that they are going to be able to get from us is our credit card, and you know what shape that will be in after three days in New Orleans.
By then, my wife and I will be maxed out on all of the sights and high spots of the city.
By then, our credit card will be maxed out, too.
Steve Huppert is a guidance counselor at Christiansburg High School. He received his master's degree in counseling from Virginia Tech.
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