Super Bowl Blog Day 1: We made it to the Super Bowl mecca

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Super Bowl Sign on Bourbon Street (Brent Martineau)

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Super Bowl Sign on Bourbon Street (Brent Martineau)

Reported by: Brent Martineau

Email: bmartineau@ActionNewsJax.com

Reported by: Stuart Webber

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Published: 1/30 10:35 am

Updated: 1/31 12:09 am

NEW ORLEANS, La. - We made it to New Orleans. The mecca of the universe is the big easy because of Super Bowl XLVII, but it is a quiet Wednesday night in this party town. The reason for the quiet streets is because of the chilly temperatures.

Much like our drive to New Orleans, the winds are still blowing and the temperatures are now in the 40's. We can still feel the buzz of the Big Easy and the Super Bowl festivities that are a part of the week. It's the first time in 11 years the Super Bowl is here.

For the record, our drive consisted of 8 hours and 32 minutes with a 45 minute stop for lunch and one other pit stop for gas. We made good time. The temperature went from 80 degrees in Jacksonville this morning to 55 degrees when we first arrived in New Orleans at 7pm local time.

If you're keeping score at home, we consumed one coffee, one soda, several waters, beef jerky, skittles, pub mix chips, a shrimp poboy, shrimp tacos, and peanut brittle. We hope to get a run in tomorrow!

Lunch in the Panhandle

At the Florida-Bama border. (Stuart Webber)

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At the Florida-Bama border. (Stuart Webber)

MILTON, Fla. - Having driven through some rainy patches the Action-mobile is now void of pollen and Brent and myself feel more like storm chasers than sports reporters. The Florida leg of our journey is just about complete as we are more than halfway home on the trip to New Orleans.

For me this feels a lot like deja vu having just made this similar drive last week to Mobile for the Senior Bowl. As I type this we pass Bagdad, FL the home of Masters champ Bubba Watson an fellow PGAers Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum. Next stop Pensacola!

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And for Stuart, too.

MARIANNA, Fl. -- After consuming excessive amounts of peanut brittle it's safe to say the Action-mobile is in high spirits at the moment. The drive to New Orleans continues as we near the halfway point. It's been a productive couple of hours so far with a conference call in the books as well as some research for next weeks National Signing Day.

The sun is attempting to peek through the clouds but for the most part it's still pretty dark out with wind gusts continuing to mess with the Rav4. Fear not as Brent steers us through danger on the way to the Big Easy. More updates from the drive to the Super Bowl coming up!

The Action Sports 360 team is on its way to the Super Bowl. (Stuart Webber)

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The Action Sports 360 team is on its way to the Super Bowl. (Stuart Webber)

MADISON COUNTY, Fla. -- Super Bowl trip weather report. Hanging tight to the wheel while we experience super windy conditions. It's like a dust bowl in the wide open country near Madison County.

I'm driving but we're making Stuart do work. He is making calls for our itinerary for National Signing Day one week from today.

On the road to New Orleans

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Brent buckled up with his coffee cup.

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The Action-mobile is on its way to New Orleans and we'll be providing a look by the numbers along the way. One hour into the trip we've covered 56 miles with plenty more to go along I-10. Brent Martineau has the coffee flowing as is the norm. We've yet to crack open the snack bag but all signs point to that happening sooner than later.

For me this is an exciting venture and a first opportunity to cover the Super Bowl while Brent has been there once before covering the New York Giants in 2002. Coincidentally that's also the last time New Orleans played host to the big game. The Big Easy has become something of a second home to the AS360 crew with trips to the Sugar Bowl and Jags preseason game already in the books. Expect more updates from the road as we head west!

Super Bowl XLVII

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Super Bowl bus is loaded up and leaving the Action News studio on this Wednesday morning. Stuart Webber and I are on the way to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII which you can watch on CBS47 on Sunday, February 3rd.

Before we depart, we have to pass along condolences to our teammate and good buddy Dave DeCandis. Dave was scheduled to make the trip today, but he lost his grandmother on Tuesday and is headed home to be with family.

We should arrive in New Orleans tonight around 8pm after a couple of potty breaks and stops for Diet Coke. We will have a report from the Big Easy tonight, you can also catch us over the next five days on the Action News family of stations and on the web and on twitter (we have a special section to make it easy for you to follow us). Make sure to follow us on twitter @actionsports360.

We hope to catch up with several Jags players, the new brass and other celebrities who show up during Super Bowl week.

super bowl, new orleans, ravens, 49ers

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