Well, my feelings were a little bit hurt by whoever advised "skip New Orleans," but I'll get over it.

If you/they DO come here, there's a lot more music available than in the French Quarter, most of it better. The new happnin "strip" is along Frenchman Street just outside the Quarter, and many of the best clubs with the hippest local music are scattered all around town. There are several weekly "must-see" events on different nights, and of course the schedules are different every night, so you really just need to check what's up as the date approaches.

Shoot me a PM and I'll provide my e-address and cellphone number. I can't offer a place to stay, and might not even be able to meet in person at all, but I'd be more than happy to advise/consult about how to best enjoy a visit here. As the date approaches, I'll be able to check out exactly who's playing where on the nights in question and help you make choices based on your preferences/tastes.

If you have internet access and speakers on your laptop, you can listen to our great local radio station WWOZ-FM at www.wwoz.org ~ there's a complete "Music Calendar" read on the air at the top of every odd hour (Central Time). There are probably nightly music schedules in text form at that website, too, as well as at Offbest Magazine's website.

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I would have thought that driving on the opposite side of the road would present greater difficulty than any difference between the suspensions, or whatever, of UK vs US vehicles. It's not a problem on the open road, but when you're in city traffic, making quick decisions while negotiating various zigzagging turns, a person could get disoriented. I know I'd be real nervous about driving in, say, London, without a lot of prior practice on the left side of back roads and the streets of smaller, slower, towns.

I'd advise renting a midsize sedan, not an SUV, for two people plus however much luggage they can bring across the ocean for such a trip. You'll spend much less on gas, be safer thanks to a lower center of gravity, sit in comfort, and probably have a better sound system and less road noise. Plus, the rental charge will probaly be significantly less. What doesn't fit in the truck can easily fit in the back seat; in fact, you'll probably want to keep some things handy in the back seat, where the passenger can easily reach ~ get a cheap styrofoam ice chest at your first convenience-store/gas-station stop and fill it with ice, drinks, snacks, etc.

You can figure on driving 70-80 mph on the interstates between cities ~ just keep up with the faster traffic without being the very fastest vehicle on the road, and you should be safe from getting busted.

On the other hand, where the interestate highways pass though cities, be prepared for delays, stop-and-go traffic, etc., if you arrive at the wrong time of day. I-10 through Houston is particularly difficult.

Lafayette & Beaux Bridge, etc., lie on the road between N.O. and Houston and are definitely worth exploring. (However, I'm no expert to advise you about what to see and where to go in that area.)