Health Physics Society
Deep South Chapter

Contact: Lorraine Day day@lsu.edu


HPS 2005 Mid-Year

Feb 13-16, 2005
Marriott Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana

This information is provided to give you the chance to explore the 2005 HPS Mid-Year meeting venue. New Orleans is a fascinating, unique American city. There is so much to see and do, that we can only touch on its singular heritage, cuisine and architecture. Through these web pages we hope to introduce you to the city that is New Orleans to guide you as you make your individual plan to attend the meeting.

Meeting Venue:

The site venue for the 2005 mid-year meeting is the New Orleans Marriott Hotel, centrally located on Canal Street, close to everything: the Harrah's Casino, the French Quarter, Canal Street Shops, the Aquarium, the Mississippi River Boats, Jackson Square and the famous street cars. The hotel boasts some 1300 rooms. High speed internet connections are available in all rooms and meeting spaces. It has 80,000 square feet of meeting space. There are 34 meeting rooms, a 27,000 square foot ballroom as well as 30,000 square feet of exhibition space. The hotel is a perfect venue for a great meeting in a superb location.

Rooms have been reserved at the Marriott Hotel at the rate of $139.00 per night. A few Government rate rooms may be available.



Literary Landmark

The Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal Street in the heart of the historic French Quarter, is one of three hotels in the U.S. named a Literary Landmark. The other two, located in New York City, include The Plaza and The Algonquin. The designation was made by the Friends of Libraries USA and the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

The list of illustrious authors who have stayed at the Monteleone include: Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty, Winston Grooms and Richard Ford. Joseph Blotner, Faulkner's biographer, has written that the Monteleone was Faulkner's favorite hotel.

To commemorate this designation, a display window with books and memorabilia is located to the left of the front entry. Books displayed include:

Visit this display on your visit to New Orleans.



Nature Center one of this Country's Best

Named one of the top five urban nature centers in the United States, the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center is a hands-on learning experience that welcomes visitors of all ages. Located only 20 minutes from downtown New Orleans, the Nature Center combines the best in environmental education with interactive fun.

Plan to spend a day walking three miles of beautiful hardwood bottomland forest (one mile of the trail is a handicap and stroller accessible boardwalk) and visiting the many educational exhibits the center offers. The 86-acre site introduces the visitor to the unique and intriguing environment of South Louisiana.

The Interpretive center houses live swamp critters and fascinating wildlife exhibits. A teaching greenhouse showcases colorful flora and fauna native to Louisiana.



Cheap Fun Stuff to Do

Short on cash? No problem. There's plenty to do in New Orleans without breaking the bank. Any of these activities are available for a very small price.

Farmer's Market

A walk through the Crescent City's Farmers Market is an opportunity to awaken every taste bud, every sense.

Here the visitor finds vegetables grown by local farmers and sold directly to local restaurateurs and home cooks. Local patrons make these visits a weekly ritual. Seasonal delights from succulent Pontchatoula strawberries, ripe exotic mushrooms and herbs, a vast array of lettuces and greens or Gulf delicacies of shrimp, oysters and the catch of the day are sold to eager gourmets.

Freshly baked pastries, delicious homemade ravioli stuffed with sumptuous fillings, hearty jams and jellies and other ready-made foods are also available. Brightly colored flowering plants and elegant orchids are a feast to the eye, and offer a delightful touch to any setting.

Local chefs - celebrities in their own rights - are often seen at the markets buying for their restaurants and homes. These talented chefs demonstrate their culinary expertise on the market grounds and often generously share their knowledge and cuisine with their audience.



Louisiana's Largest Casino

Looking for the best casino in Louisiana? Well, welcome to Harrah's New Orleans. The readers of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Gambit magazine recently named Harrah's New Orleans "Best Casino" in Louisiana this year.

Harrah's New Orleans captured numerous other awards in all three publications including Best Casino, Best Slots, Best Video Poker, Best Blackjack, Best Craps, Best Roulette, Best Baccarat, Best Slot Club, Best Casino Promotions, Best Cash Back, Most Innovative Slot Floor, Best High-Limit Slot Floor, Best Poker Room, Best Table Tournaments, Best Slot Tournaments, Best Hosts, Best Slot Service, Best Champagne Brunch at the Magnolia Buffet, Best Casino Bar at Satchmo's, Best Parties/Special Events, Best Must-See Attraction, Best Theme, Best Shopping, Best Costumes and Hippest Casino. Isn't it time to see what all the fuss is about?

Harrah's New Orleans is the number one attraction for non-stop excitement! Located in the heart of downtown New Orleans, Harrah's 100,000 square feet of wide-open, pure gaming exhilaration is just steps away from some of the world's finest hotels, five star restaurants and most electrifying venues to entertain just about anyone.

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

The Audubon Zoo's sister attraction is the $40 million Aquarium of the Americas, rising above the Mississippi River at the foot of Canal. The Aquarium harbors more than 7,500 species of fish, ranging from tiny, four- eyed anableps to 450-pound sharks.

The half-million gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit teems with sharks and all the undersea life that thrives around the barnacled pilings of a simulated oil rig. A wide acrylic tunnel allows visitors to walk "inside" a Caribbean coral reef. There's a walk-through Mississippi River habitat, replete with indigenous river creatures like the prehistoric garfish, our very own glitch in evolution. A mist rises in the Amazon rain forest where a 20-foot waterfall and tropical foliage provide the ideal climate for Anaconda snakes, poisonous frogs and stunning, exotic birds.

The Aquarium also offers a microlab where visitors can feel the blade of a swordfish and the teeth of a sawfish; a touch pool where sea cucumbers, hermit crabs, and baby sharks are available for hands-on inspection; and a discovery pool, where magnifiers enable close-up viewing of anemones, sea urchins and other creatures.