7 Days Out...Things to Do in Baton Rouge

Well it's hard to believe that we are a scant 7 days out from our latest Freeloader Tour. The city of Baton Rouge does not know what will hit it 165 hours from now.

Because time is precious I have combed the always reliable internet for places to visit when we hit the town:

Bars
Tigerland - This includes Reggie's, The Tiger, Dublin's, Fred's
Location: Near LSU across the railroad tracks on highland rCrowd is of course college aged so thats what they cater to. Music is your typical booty shaking and rap music combined with country and other dance songs.(no real theme)

The Chimes
Location: Original is Just outside the North gates of LSU. New location On Coursey Blvd. see map to Highland location, see map to Coursey location
About: This is one of the best and most popular places in town. Has a great restaurant, atmosphere and the largest selection of beer in town I'd say. Attracts people of all ages but its so close to LSU it has a large crowd of college students. All a good crowd though and a prime place to hang out. Good bar that supports LSU sports and has a great restaurant. Right next to the popular Varsity theatre and all the Chimes st. hole in the wall bars. Largest selection of beers in town!! A good place for all ages and excellent food.

Varsity Theatre
Location: Just outside the North gates of LSU.
About: A great bar which host a variety of events. Been around forever. The Varsity has concerts by some of the biggest names in alternative/rock music.

Georges Restaurant & Bar
Location: Four locations around Baton Rouge.
About: Georges is about as traditional a tavern as you can find in Baton Rouge. They have a very good bar style food menu and a host of good beer and alcohol available. If you're looking for a good place to go sit, have a drink and relax after work then this is a good place for you.
Friday

GameDay Review by New York Times from 2004...good stuff (I edited out all cultural activities)
Friday
Color Up
First, the costume. Stop by the L.S.U. campus for a leisurely stroll on the oak-shaded paths and stock up on at least one piece of school-branded purple and gold attire — the bare minimum for game day. Hit the racks at the L.S.U. Bookstore on the first floor of the Student Union building (225-578-5137).

Under the Overpass
L.S.U. comes by its party school reputation honestly, which means that Baton Rouge depends heavily on good bar food. Head out to George's Restaurant (2943 Perkins Road, 225-343-2363), a low-slung brick building in the shadow of a highway overpass, and get ready for a night of outstanding Louisiana barroom specialties. Start off with a cup of rich chicken and sausage gumbo ($3.95), chunky with smoked sausage and soothing on a brisk autumn night. Other portions are anything but controlled: a platter of thin-cut fried catfish filets ($7.75) could easily feed two; the Doug's Special ($8.95) — a hamburger steak topped with gravy, ham, cheese, grilled onions and bacon — weighs in at more than a pound and is a savory, glorious mess for the fearless carnivore.

Saturday
It Takes a Village
By now, you're ready to enter Death Valley, preferably by taxi. Since L.S.U. home games attract crowds of more than 90,000, it's best to leave the driving to the professionals. Yellow Cab (225-926-6400) has the largest fleet in town. Ask the driver to drop you off at the southern edge of Tiger Stadium. The area around the stadium becomes one big party zone. In "Touchdown Village," tailgating goes into the realm of performance art. Expansive parking lots are packed with colossal motor homes, each decked out with amenities like commercial deep fryers, high-wattage karaoke machines, keg-sized refrigerators and big-screen satellite TV's. Well-off L.S.U. fans seem to share a dream — to bring their living rooms within shouting distance of the stadium, whether or not they have a seat inside for the game.

Saturday Night Lights
As game time nears, throngs of fans move toward the gates, signaling prime time for scalpers and last-minute ticket buyers. For unranked or unpopular teams, tickets are easy to find, but for conference rivals or historic enemies (like Alabama or Ole Miss), you can either auction off your firstborn or head for a nearby sports bar. To the south, there's the multi-screen newcomer, Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar (3838 Burbank Drive, 225-757-8010), with a wraparound bank of plasma screens and the electrifying ambience of a stock exchange trading pit. Closer to campus, the Varsity Theater (3353 Highland Road, 225-383-7018) has TigerVision projected on two large screens, comfortable balcony seating, and three bars, no waiting.

Baton Rouge Cultural Attractions
None.

So that's a primer for next week. I will have a handheld GPS with key locations programed in so we can be efficient with our bar hopping...

Hawk