Author: Emily Gautreaux

Tips for Exploring a City When Traveling Alone

While it can be quite exhausting to even consider traveling alone, be wary of falling into the pitfall of staying in your hotel room, defaulting into turning your vacation into a staycation all because the brunt of the planning falls on you. Instead, refer to this thoughtful, curated list from Elite Daly of the best things to do when you find yourself alone in a new city with an itch to explore.

Begin by recognizing how much of a leap it is for anyone to venture out on their own to book a solo trip and ride that extroverted spirit to see all the sights that the city has to offer. In order to be successful at seeing, eating, and experiencing the unforgettable, you’ll indeed plan so that your trip can be unmistakably worthwhile.

  1. Take Yourself Out to a Restaurant 

Every city has its toted have-to-try spectacle of nourishing allegiance or remarkable unique hole-in-the-wall that you just have to try for yourself, and with food capitals like New York City, Portland, or New Orleans, an entire trip can be made just for restaurant tours. So, the first thing to do when traveling alone in a new city is to plan our next stop while enjoying a sushi roll or açaí bowl. By diving right in and enjoying a meal in solitude, you allow yourself to find your bearings while taking in the subtle nuances of people-watching and plate-cleaning.

  1. Take Public Transit

Speaking of finding your footing while exploiting when traveling along, there’s no better way to learn a city’s population, geography, and efficiency than hopping on the subway, train, or clean-energy bus transportation. While there are plenty of benefits to following a traditional paper map or holding your palm to your ear to follow the cues of a speakerbox, consider a smartphone app or realy taking care to pay attention to metro and municipal bike paths when traveling from appointment to new experience, that way your trip is as efficient as it is fulfilling.

  1. Visit the Local Planetarium
    Usually set in a dome that favors revered silence over group discussion, local observatories and planetariums are a great way to spend an afternoon in memorizing awe of the oft-too missed stars above our heads. Take in a constellation, light show, or simply an electric view of the night’s sky in an indoor experience that allows you to take things at your own, measured pace. PAy attention to what matters most to you, not those in your party, as your interests are the only ones that matter when you’re face-to-face with astrological markings in sight of a majestic viewing stage, such as the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
  2. Take a Drive Out to Nature

Yes you traveled to a new city for a specific reason, but if you can find the time in an afternoon to rent a car and take in the unique offerings of the surrounding geography, please do so! Every city will have a heralded restaurant, science center, and have-to-see event, but it’s in nature and the outdoors of a nearby coastal town or national park where you’ll truly find the unmissable sights you crave. Make an effort to find the time to visit nearby waves, waterfalls, and wondrous sights that are just a few minutes’ drive away from the bustling metropolis of your hotel receipt.

  1. Join a Sightseeing Tour

There’s something to be said about a gathering of people opting to be a part of a collective that wants to do a very “touristy” thing, so why not embrace it? It must be popular for a reason right? When traveling along, consider booking a ticket, grabbing a camera, and getting a first-hand treat of learning all about the most iconic landmarks, urban legends, and sightseeing treasures that you’ll undoubtedly be asked about once back home.

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Tulane Introduces Louisiana Promise Program

Louisiana high school students attending Tulane University next year from low and middle-income families will be doing so without the burden of student loans, with the introduction of the Louisiana Promise Program, as reported by Article from WWLTV.   

These students admitted to Tulane as full-time freshmen will be meeting the school’s “full financial need,” a program with an income threshold of $100,000 in adjusted gross income. However, this is not simply to say that Tulane University, the New Orleans-area private research institution, will be giving each freshman who meets the threshold a “full ride.” Instead, this achievement traditionally means that the families of those qualifying will only pay the amount determined by FAFSA, the Free Application For Federal Student Aid.

The amount that families of those applying will be expected to pay is determined by the family’s income, as each year families fill out the FAFSA, listing their adjusted gross income, obligations, and assets. A formula determines the amount that a family can afford to pay toward a college tuition, with the cost being as low as $0 in some cases.

However, starting with next year’s incoming class, these families will be paying toward their freshman’s education without applying for or taking out student loans, which many in the state rely upon.

Louisiana Promise No Loan Assistance Scholarship is the name of Tulane University’s comprehensive plan to make higher education institutions more accessible to all Louisiana students. In addition to the financial aid commitment, the initiative also establishes a new college prep center in New Orleans as well as access to Pre-College Summer Programs. Said programs provide 50 full scholarships to select students who have been nominated by a counselor, teacher, or community-based organization to attend the two-week residential program.

Applicants to the Louisiana Promise program need only be Louisiana residents who have graduated from a Louisiana high school and whose families make less than $100,000 a year. Those applying will have to first be admitted as a first-time, full-time freshman for a Fall Semester, beginning in Fall 2021, and they’ll need to qualify for Tulane need-based Scholarships by April 15th.

In addition to the scholarship aspects of the program, Tulane University is also expanding its reach in the New Orleans metro area by establishing a new college prep center aimed at engaging first-generation students as well as those who have been underrepresented, never considering attending Tulane or other selective universities as a viable option for them.

This center will run a free program directed at teaching students about the college application process, navigating the financial aid process, and preparing students to take standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT. The center will also educate interested parents about the university application process while connecting them to other families who are new to the process and well-versed in what is required.

Highlighting the program’s mission, Tulane President Michael Fitts said, “Louisiana Promise is a commitment to our state and community to make higher education more accessible, if a Louisiana student’s dream is to come to Tulane, we don’t want financial concerns to be a barrier for them to become a part of the Tulane family. These programs will help keep the state’s best and brightest students in Louisiana.”

As only 11 percent of all Tulane undergraduate students come from Louisiana, the program is also an effort to raise that number by expanding the school’s reach to new demographics.

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell celebrated this effort made by Tulane to bridge the gap between the University and low income Louisiana students by saying, “I want to applaud Tulane University for its launch of the Louisiana Promise program, which will create pathways for Louisiana high school students to attend Tulane. This builds upon their investment that I have the honor of committing to through the Mayoral Scholarship program.”

For more education related information, click here.

Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey with Crisp-Skin & Gravy

The act of cooking a turkey is quite intimidating, but there’s always a reliable solution to be found in the art of spatchcocking, as fully outlined in this recipe from SeriousEats.  A spatchcocked roasted turkey ensures that both the white and dark meat are cooked evenly, the skin is delightfully crispy, and the entire operation is finished rather quickly, much to the delight of any nearby salivating dinner guests.

Spatchcocking is the traditional method of removing a turkey’s backbone in order to flatten its body before cooking it in the oven. This flatter shape ensures that the meat is cooking more evenly and more quickly, allowing the legs to reach a safe eating temperature without sacrificing the integrity of the breast by overcooking it. This method is an easy, reliable avenue to take if you want to impress your family with the juicy, moist turkey meat that lies beneath an incredibly crisp skin.

Ingredients for Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey:

  • 3 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 12 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 whole turkey (12-14 lbs), butterflied while preserving the backbone, neck, and giblets
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ quarts low-sodium homemade (or store-bought) chicken or turkey broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour

Directions for Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey:

  1. Begin the process by adjusting the oven rack to the middle position as it preheats to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan with aluminum foil and scatter about two-thirds of your onions, carrots, celery, and thyme sprigs across the pan’s bottom. Place the slotted broiler rack or wire rack directly on top of the vegetables.
  2. After patting the turkey dry with paper towels, rub all surfaces with 1 tablespoon oil and season it liberally on all sides with salt and black pepper. Tuck the turkey’s wings behind the back, and place the bird on top of the rack, arranging it so that it doesn’t overlap the edges. Then, press down on the breast bone to flatten the breasts slightly.
  3. Transfer the turkey to the oven and roast, rotating it occasionally until an instant-read thermometer registers at 150°F in the deepest part of the breast, and the thighs register at at least 165°F, all together about 80 minutes.
  4. While the turkey is roasting, make the gravy by roughly chopping the neck, backbone, and giblets. Heat your remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan over high heat until it’s shimmering, then add the chopped turkey parts, and cook it while stirring occasionally. When it’s lightly-browned, after about 5 minutes, add your remaining onions, carrots, and celery, continuing to cook until the vegetables start to soften and brown in spots. After about five minutes, add your chicken stock and remaining thyme and bay leaves, bringing it all to a boil and reducing it to a bare simmer. Allow this to cook for about 45 minutes, wherein you’ll strain it all through a fine mesh strainer into a 2 quart liquid measuring cup. Discard any solids and skim off any noticeable fat from the broth’s surface.
  5. Melt your butter over medium-high heat in a 2 quart saucepan, add flour, and cook it, stirring until the flour is golden brown (about 3 minutes). Constantly whisking, add your broth in a thin, steady stream until it’s all incorporated, then bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until it’s all reduced to about 1 quart. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover it up, keeping your finished gravy warm.
  6. Once the turkey is cooked and removed from the oven, transfer it to a new baking sheet, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before you carve it. Carefully pour any collected juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, skimming off excess fat and whisk it into your gravy.
  7. Carve your turkey, serve it alongside your gravy, and enjoy!

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Community Foundation of Acadiana Celebrates 20 Years

This November marks the 20th anniversary of the Community Foundation of Acadiana and their effort to connect the generous public of the region to build lasting legacies and improve their communities; this notable milestone was outlined in a featured piece in the Advocate.

Created in 2000, the Community Foundation of Acadiana is now the third largest community foundation in the state, and its work falls into the two categories of stewardship and civic leadership.

CFA is different from other nonprofits, as it’s not the end beneficiary, meaning they help donors establish funds and direct their dollars to make grants to churches, schools, and other entities and nonprofit organizations. In addition to this CFA organizes civic engagement opportunities for “the betterment of communities” across the Acadiana area.

This year with the fondation activating its Acadiana Disaster Response Fund following Hurricane Laura and remaining active in Hurricane Delta’s aftermath, the primary mission of the foundation has become more important than ever before. This is because donations to this fund are being used to support organizations that are working with people and communities most affected by the storms.

Raymond Hebert, the CEO of the Community Foundation of Acadiana, remarked on the foundation’s granting of more than $50 million in disaster/emergency response funds over a span of 20 years. He told The Advocate, “we are not a disaster organization, but over the years, we realized that a significant number of dollars with which people entrusted us would benefit organizations to help people affected by disasters and emergencies.”

In addition to storm relief, the foundation is continuing to work with those organizations assisting people and communities affected by the COVID-10 pandemic, as CFA has made more than $1.5 million in pandemic-related grants this year alone. Even after working across two decades, the foundation isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

These effects from both the multiple storms and the pandemic are expected to last for many months, causing CFA to already begin making plans for 2021’s South Louisiana Giving Day, which is “not a CFA fundraiser,” Hebert explained. “It is a fundraising tool CFA champions that helps provide access to all area nonprofits, churches and schools. It’s a powerful social media-driven endeavor that these organizations can use wisely as a strategic part of their own fundraising efforts.”Registration for the event opens in January with the Giving Day taking place on May 6th, 2021.

Another of the foundation’s major ongoing projects is the establishing of local affiliates in each parish in which CFA serves: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Vermillion.

In addition to this, CFA partnered with The Brown Foundation in Metairie, Louisiana to establish the Leaders in Law Enforcement Awards. Annually, one Louisiana Sheriff’s office and one district attorney’s office are awarded and recognized for doing innovative, creative, and effective work. This year, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the 40th Judicial District Attorney’s Office were awarded with a $25,000 cash award underwritten by the Brown Foundation.

Hebert reflected on the impact of the community foundation by stating, “over these 20 years, we have learned about a lot of things we can do that were never on our radar before. We live in a very entrepreneurial area. People are not afraid to take some risks and be creative, and I think that spirit carries over into their philanthropy. We are pretty creative and pretty nimble, so we are able to do much to help people achieve their philanthropic objectives.”

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Museum Travel Destinations Worth Exploring

It’s high time to stop thinking of museum travel as only afield trip destination and to start seeing them as a must-visit stop on your next out-of-town vacation, date, or weekend get-a-way with this list of the top American cities with museums, as per a curated list from The Travel.

Museums are a prime location for sightseeing no matter if you’re interested in the sciences, arts, history, or general oddities. Additionally, each city on this list is a hub of great culture, food, and the general “must-sees” found on any travelor’s itinerary, but it’s the museums and the exhibits and collections within that will be the unforgettable sight you’ll be bragging about experiencing.

New York City

It’s an obvious choice, but New York is a city packed to the brim with all things distracting and life-changing, but particularly it’s the museums that the Big Apple offers you shouldn’t pass up. The largest in the city are those that you’ve heard of before or have seen in film; they’re the American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Guggenheim Museum, and the 9/11 Memorial.Though, if you’re more interested in an off-the-beaten-path stop, try out the Tenement Museum or the New York or the New York Transit Museum.

Washington D.C.

The nation’s capital has plenty of museums for lovers of history and all else as the city is brimming with so many to visit that many often plan entire trips just to stop and see as many exhibits as possible. Some notable locations of course are the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of National History, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. If you’re still craving can’t miss content, then book a your at the White House to top off your educational D.C. trip.

Chicago

The Windy City might be in the middle of the country, but it’s far from the middle of nowhere, and it houses some truly iconic museums. If you’re traveling with a family in particular, then be sure to try out the Field Museum and Sue, its famous exhibit of the largest T-Rex  ever discovered. Other stops you should check out are the Chicago History Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, and especially the Museum of Contemporary Art to round out all the best in learning and culture that Chicago has to offer.

Los Angeles

Heading to the west coast, Los Angeles has a lot to offer in the way of significant museums, and it’s likely that you’ve seen them on the silver screen before. Every traveler in L.A. swears by the Griffith Observatory, and they’re not wrong; it’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight, especially if you’re able to catch one of their special events sprinkled throughout the year. While in town, be sure to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, and the California Science Center for all the history, art, and science that Hollywood has to offer.

Seattle

The Pacific Northwest rounds out this cross-country collection of can’t-miss museum stops, and Seattle is just the progressive, hip city to do so. The Museum of Pop Culture should be at the top of your itinerary for those looking to have their knowledge of what’s been popular across the decades rewarded. Let your inner-nerd flourish with exhibits dedicated to Minecraft, Prince, Pearl Jam, and many more. Moving into the more traditional types of museums you can find in this interesting city, be sure to stop into the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, the Museum of History and Industry, and the Seattle Pinball Museum where your ticket of admission is also an excuse to play any game in sight!

 For more travel related news and information, click here.

EBR Public Schools Beginning Meal Delivery

This month, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System is adapting its plan to create a meal delivery plan to provide to virtual students. This plan will conveniently deliver meals directly to families, as reported in an Advocate article this month.

Since the return to in-person instruction took place earlier this fall semester, many school systems in Louisiana have been providing students with their daily in-person meals as well as additional “shelf-stable” and “fridge-safe” meals for the students’ at home or virtual learning days. With this plan, students in East Baton Rouge Parish schools attending in-person classes as a part of a hybrid schedule and students electing to stay home to learn virtually would have to come to school to retrieve the meals in-person.

Logically, this is an inconvenience for the full-virtual students, but all that changes in November 2020 with a new delivery service provided by the school system of East Baton Rouge Parish, and the service is expected to continue through the end of the school year in May 2021.

Nadine Mann, the Director of Child Nutrition for EBR schools expressed the dire need for a change in procedure as 30% of the district’s 12,000 students are learning strictly from their homes, making it a struggle for the school district to feed them. She told The Advocate, “I’m not really doing justice in providing meals to those students. The students in the virtual environment are entitled to meals as well.”

Starting in November, eligible families will be sent a link to an online signup form that will need to be completed by 5 pm each Thursday in order to receive a week’s worth of meals the following week.

Taylor Gass, a spokesperson for the school system reported that families will have to “re-register” each week due to the influx of students returning to in-person instruction and to ensure that drivers have the most up-to-date delivery addresses.

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March closing school buildings across Louisiana, Mann’s staff has served grab-n-go meals on various school campuses, shifting over time to distributing a week’s worth of meals at once time. The return to in-person instruction has decreased the number of meal pick-ups, especially with all public schools in EBR resuming daily instruction on Oct 19th.

Initially, Mann considered utilizing school buses to deliver meals, but because of the number of perishable items, such as items with meat requiring refrigeration, the state health department rejected the proposed idea. After brainstorming with Emily Chatelain, the founder of the Three O’Clock Project, an afterschool meal program, she learned about TDP Group LLC, a company run by local restaurateur Jeff Landry. The group has a fleet of refrigerated trucks as well as a useful routing software to guide food deliveries effectively. TDP trucks will deliver meals once a week Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm.

Like the curbside meals provided by the district, the meal delivery plan will provide home-delivered meals that are put together by the school system’s Child Nutrition department using “the same food,” remarked Mann. “It’s our product that we would normally cook in our kitchens.”

Meal boxes will include a combination of cereal, fresh bread products, frozen entrees, canned fruit and vegetables, and shelf-stable milk, totalling five lunches, five breakfasts, five suppers, and five snacks. The only catch is that meals cannot be left on a doorstep, as someone must be present to sign for the package. If no one is present when the truck arrives, Landry’s company plans to retry later in the week.

The meal delivery plan will be seen as a relief to many families, as most of society’s necessities have shifted to a delivery-model given recent national changes, and it’s a comfort to know that the youth of Baton Rouge will be receiving meals alongside their at-home learning.

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