***Please note update as of October 18***

When I went to cancel another Hilton reservation for November today, I noticed that my previously booked MSY Homewood Suites stay was somehow "missing" from the "my reservations" list...so I called the hotel and was informed that "I never should have been able to book that weekend online" and that they didn't yet know if they would be accepting any additional guests in December due to existing contracts with current clients. Further, I was told that they are not taking February reservations yet. While there may be several venues open again, and more will open by December, it's apparent from talking with and hearing comments from locals that it will take well into the New Year before even the mostly unscathed Quarter is ready to again receive visitors en masse.

I'm also hearing that local and federal relief agencies already have too many "volunteers" as it is, and that "one or two day" volunteers are highly discouraged from coming down due to the logistics of getting them organized for a such a minimum time commitment. With these developments, I am uncomfortable continuing to organize this Do. Although it was (I thought) a great idea at the time, it's becoming glaringly evident from comments and information that I've received in the past few days that this would be a somewhat "premature" trip back to the Big Easy, which is still anything but for most of its' residents. So, it appears my optimism has been tempered by the reality of the situation in New Orleans for the foreseeable.

As AA is giving full refunds (for future flight credit into July of next year per the AA website), so I believe at this point I'm going to "take the money and run"...and allow the Crescent City more time to catch her breath, more time for her to return to the grandeur, hospitable and welcoming destination that she so richly deserves to, and will, once again become. Just not this quickly.

That said, if anyone still wishes to attend and/or take over coordinating this weekend, please post here; I'll ask that this thread stay open until early November, at which time the others that were signed up will have time to make a decision for themselves as to whether to still go, or let this thread, and the Do, resurrect itself at a more appropriate time.