Day 1
Bus to Tuscaloosa to Board Amtrak for a lovely, comfortable ride to New Orleans
Lodging in the historic French Quarter at the Beautiful Bienville House, perfectly situated in the heart of New Orleans.
Day 2
Hot Buffet Breakfast at the hotel
A guided walking tour of the French Quarter, one of America’s oldest and most unique neighborhoods! You will see the “Vieux Carre” come to life as your guide explains its’ secrets and helps you understand its’ architecture, courtyards, gardens, food, music and art.
Free Time to explore and have lunch on your own. Return to the hotel to freshen up before meeting your bus and transferring to the Riverboat for a dinner cruise.
Dixieland Jazz Dinner Cruise - Dinner this evening includes Dixieland Jazz as you cruise the beautiful Mississippi on the Steamboat Natchez. Boarding in the French Quarter, we head downriver past the historic Riverfront while The Dukes of Dixieland perform the brassy, happy tunes for which this city is so well known.
Day 3
Hot Buffet Breakfast at the hotel
A city tour with a local step-on guide. On this driving tour we will see the elegant homes fo the Garden district, above ground cemeteries, the super dome and neighborhoods that were destroyed by Katrina.
Tour the National World War II Museum – From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, this museum exhibits a blend of personal accounts, artifacts, documents, photographs and original film footage. The stories of the dozens of amphibious landings and the thousands of me and women who made Allied victory in World War II possible are told through three floors of exhibit space. In addition, special exhibits draw on the Museum’s own collections, as well as relevant traveling exhibits to further illustrate and explore the war that changed the world. “Beyond All Boundaries” movie is included.
Canteen Dinner and Show – Enjoy dinner in The American Sector Restaurant following entertainment in BB’s Stage Door Canteen.
Day 4
Hot buffet breakfast at the hotel
Cajun Swamp Tour – After a short motor coach ride across the Mississippi River, take a fascinating boat trip into the Louisiana Swamps & Bayous. Experience the timeless beauty of South Louisiana in a custom-built swamp boat. Native guides will reveal the mysteries of the swamps and bayous and the Cajun “joie de vivre.” Observe the nesting grounds of alligators, egrets, raccoons, nutria, and many species of snakes. Some wildlife are more numerous during the warmer months of the year. Learn why our wetlands are disappearing due to coastal erosion and man’s efforts to correct the damage it has done and restore this vital habitat.
New Orleans School of Cooking - Tonight, we enjoy a cooking demonstration and dinner at the New Orleans School of Cooking. It’s entertaining classes and the Louisiana General Store are located in a renovated molasses warehouse built in the early 1800’s in the Heart of the French Quarter. Fun is a primary ingredient in their kitchen! Our Creole/Cajun experts teach New Orleans specialties such as Gumbo, Jambalaya and Pralines, and season them with history, trivia and tall, tall tales. It’s a “ga-ron-teed” good time for all.
Day 5
Hot buffet breakfast at the hotel before it’s time to meet the bus and transfer back to the Amtrak train station for a relaxing ride home.
