billytea, are you into fish too? Amphibians? Albino alligators?

I've checked through the Louisiana zoo and aquarium websites already. The white alligators (IIRC, it's not an albino, it's leucistic - blue eyes instead of pink - and once appeared on the Jeff Corwin Experience) is a drawcard. But I think I'm going to plump for Minneapolis. To me, the selection is more exotic.

Dana, do you want me to do NO, or you?

You've been working on it, haven't you? I'm happy to toss in more pros and cons, but organization is not my strong suit at the moment.

Personally, I don't understand why "But it's NEW ORLEANS" isn't convincing people. Hmph.

(That's a joke. Please don't defend your city preference to me.)

That bookstore that Neil Gaiman deals with. DreamHaven?

Oh, yes. And ocassionally sightings of the Man himself. As well as ocassional Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange, Walter Mondale....

billytea, there's also The Como Zoo, which has everything that the MN Zoo doesn't. Also, a Japanese Tea Garden, which I adore.

Przewalski's horse

Oh, yeah! I love it. And otters. I love the otters.

That's a joke. Please don't defend your city preference to me.

What if my defence is "It's NEW ORLEANS"?

I've already written you off as a wrong-headed crackpot. And I think I decided that most of New England is imaginary anyway, so la la la I can't hear you.

Besides, who wants an F2F without Laura-n-Brendon?

Smooches Nicole

Thanks juliana and other fact gathering folk. For me #1 advantage of any city is large group of Buffistas. Then again, I am notoriously easy.

Personally, I don't understand why "But it's NEW ORLEANS" isn't convincing people. Hmph.

I'm sayin'. I guess we've got cons of weather and what else? Maybe too much to do?

I've already written you off as a wrong-headed crackpot. And I think I decided that most of New England is imaginary anyway, so la la la I can't hear you.

I'm in Pennsylvania. Anyway, I've never been to Louisiana either, so NOLA works ok. Just, I'm more likely to go there even given a dearth of Buffistas, but Minneapolis, NSM. By that logic, incidentally, I may start pushing for Iowa.

juliana, add what is, I think, the only branch of Last Call - Neiman Marcus' outlet store, where you can everything from Badgeley Mischka evening gowns to 18th century pottery from China at prices reminiscent of Target - in that entire time zone.

This I did not know. If I have to sacrifice my first born (or a goat with Topic!Cindy), I will get there. Somehow. Someday.