Tours of New Orleans Reveal Area’s Diversity

New Orleans, like une femme fatale, has so many seductive aspects that a visitor can feel, well, bouleverse (overwhelmed). As a result, APA has planned 53 different tours to give members and their families attending APA’s annual meeting not only some perspective on the many fascinating things that a person can do in the New Orleans area, but a means of pursuing such adventures.

The following is a sampling of the numerous and enticing tours that will be offered. Surely it will convince you that such tours will be the easiest and most pleasurable way to get to know New Orleans.

• Canoeing the Louisiana Wetlands (Tour 1) will give participants a chance to canoe along waterways that are bordered by bald cypress and through which that infamous pirate Jean Lafitte paddled long ago, and to keep their eyes peeled for exotic birds and reptiles. All canoes will be equipped with lifejackets, and a guide will provide paddling instruction as needed.

• Mississippi Magic and Mardi Gras Mystic (Tour 2) will provide a visit to Destrehan Manor, the oldest plantation home still intact in the lower Mississippi Valley, and the Mardi Gras Museum, which contains an extensive array of Carnival memorabilia, photographs, videos, and costumes. In the museum visitors can step into a New Orleans street scene filled with the sights and sounds of Mardi Gras or climb on a Mardi Gras float.

• The Photography Focus (Tour 8) will offer photography buffs a chance to get some splendid shots of New Orleans’ wrought-iron balconies, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, and other enchanting scenes. What’s more, a professional photographer will be on hand to offer tips on capturing the city’s true essence. All you need to join this tour is your camera and the desire to take some memorable pictures.

• Plantation Parade (Tour 11) will transport visitors to two historic Greek Revival mansions near the Mississippi River. One is Houmas House, surrounded by moss-laden oaks, flowering magnolias, and the scent of sweet olive. It was also the setting for the Bette Davis movie thriller “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” The other is Nottoway Plantation, the largest plantation home in the South. This “American castle” was begun in 1849 by one of New Orleans’ most successful architects and, upon its completion, boasted 64 rooms, intricate lacy friezework, hand-painted Dresden doorknobs, and hand-carved marble mantles. Lunch is included in the tour.

• Swamp Fest on the Bayou (Tour 13) will have guests hop on Coast Guard–approved boats and take a ride down a bayou—a sluggish, marshy Louisiana waterway. While on board, visitors will learn about the people who live and work along the bayou. And then they will disembark at a pavilion on the bayou to enjoy a bayou celebration. A band will play Cajun music, couples will perform Cajun folk dances, and guests will be invited to join in.

• Mardi Gras Magic (Tour 32) is designed for youth, ages 13 to 17, who want to enjoy some of the magic of Mardi Gras even if it isn’t Mardi Gras time. They will be transported across the Mississippi River by ferryboat to visit Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. There, they will see gigantic parade floats, design and create their own Mardi Gras masks, and enjoy a traditional Mardi Gras party.

• Cajun Cooking—the Spice of Life (Tour 34) will lead to the Jax Brewery, with large windows and open terraces overlooking the Mississippi River, the French Quarter, and the Central Business District. Participants will learn, in just three hours, how to cook some of the sumptuous dishes for which New Orleans is famous, such as jambalaya and chicken and andouille gumbo.

• Southern Comfort in the Garden District (Tour 43) will kick off with breakfast in the Commander’s Palace Restaurant, in the heart of the Garden District. Commander’s Palace is a fanciful turquoise and white Victorian building, complete with turrets, columns, and gingerbread. Guests will then stroll through the Garden District, with its quaint and imposing homes, shady oaks, and flowering magnolias. They will also visit two historic homes opened exclusively to them.

Moonlight and Jazz on the Mississippi (Tour 51) is for you if you liked “Showboat,” one of America’s oldest and most enduring musicals. Visitors will take a trip down “Ole Man River” in a replica of a late 19th-century riverboat. And yes, it will take place in the evening. A Dixieland band will also play jazz during the trip, and a Creole buffet will be served.