As one of thousands of families that left the city of New Orleans to avoid Hurricane Ivan, we chose Baytown because of the good experience at a local hotel during a previous evacuation in 1998. Upon trying to make reservations at the Best Western in Baytown, we were told that we had to do a 3 night minimum at a cost of $69.00 a night. I am familiar with minimum stay requirements, however, this was not a big sport event, weekend, or even a holiday. In the eastern part of New Orleans where I live, area hotels went out of their way to accommodate evacuees from the Florida area during two previous hurricanes. Their kindness was publicized in the newspapers and on television. Next time, my family will just travel the extra 20 miles to Houston. Although, we were evacuees rather than tourists, money is spent in the communities where refuge is sought.
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