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New Orleans Tours

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Julia Rosien | 12/08/2007 - 10:00 | Add new comment

Getting to know this city is as easy as going for a walk

Do a little dance. Make a little love. Get down tonight. This is the Big Easy, after all.

The first time I visited New Orleans (pre-Katrina), I fellFrench QuarterFrench Quarter in love with the energy, the passion, the joie de vivre that defines the people who live here. My girlfriend and I walked from the French Quarter to the Garden District - an adventure that took us through some of the poorest sections of the city.

We walked past historic buildings, street sellers hawking sweet pralines, run-down tenement buildings, seedy coffee joints and plenty of people willing to stop and chat with us - and quite a few who saw us as a blight.

The history of New Orleans isn't an easy one - slavery, plagues, fires, floods - but the people here are amazingly resilient. It's almost as if each tragedy gives birth to a new way to celebrate life - Mardi Gras, African-Indian parades, saints holidays - and don't forget Zydeco and jazz musicians and Cajun food.

Walking New Orleans is as much a history lesson as it is a study in human behavior.

I'll fess up. I took a walking tour as well. Tour guides are gold mines of local culture and they love people who ask questions - it gets the group more involved - and they're more than willing to chat after a tour (maybe even share some local secrets over a beer).

New Orleans RemembersNew Orleans RemembersIf you've never been to New Orleans before, you'll have a different experience post-Katrina. The city has embraced its recent history and offers tours that will guide through the still-ravaged areas of the city. Voyeurism or a healing balm? If you agree forgetting this tragedy is equal to forgetting slavery, you'll understand why they do it.

My favorite tour company, Haunted History Tours, is recommended by the Travel Channel, Fox Network, A& E for its enthusiasm, knowledge and attention to detail.

I love that you can choose the part of New Orleans you want to get up close and personal with - ghosts, antebellum history, vampires or garden homes.

Have you been to New Orleans lately? What do you love most about the city?

Talk Back, Girlfriend and rate this post!

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Most Recent Comments

  • On Canada Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day, Julia Rosien said "Great to meet you as well, Terri. And yes, we adore the Bay of Fundy :-) While I'll agree it's no longer parka weather in your neck of the woods, it's not quite string bikini weather either. Shall we toast to it and let the beer warm us up? Happy St Paddy's Day! Julia"

  • On Canada Goes Green for St. Patrick's Day, Terri said "hey Travel girls, great to hear that you love our Bay of Fundy here on the east coast of Canada as much as you love Tim Horton's ...and, as a Bay of Fundy chick, I love the green tide analogy. For sure, there will be lots of fun times down here around St Paddy's day but I just want to send you a correction to say you certainly won't be needing a parka? to visit at this time of year. It's +8 to +10 degress Celius (that's in the 50s F for our American friends) - definitely well above parka weather. haha So nice that the birds are chirping and the maple sap is flying out of the trees and, ultimately, on to our pancakes. Happy spring! Terri the Bay of Fundy blogger bayoffundy.blogspot.com "

  • On Bonaire - Landsailing or Diving, Ann Phelan said "I love when folks visit our island and immerse themselves in the very cool diversions offered..thanks for sharing."

  • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Sad and heavy heart said "On a note about the roads of Totrola which are steep, and windy and narrow, all the more reason that tour vehicles should have regular safety checks, SEATBELTS (which dirvers should mandate use or not allow passengers to continue with the tour, driver's should go slow, and Princess Cruise Lines should do extensive background checks, and not hire people with the nick-name of Crash-Dummy."

  • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Jan said "We were also on the ship with our friends, had spent the day at the beach in Tortola where the slider on my Omega came off, "broke" and lost. I had just purchased it on board the ship the day prior. But nothing can compare to the loss of a family member. The Captain had everyones attention for the announcement. Captain Draper done a great job informing the passengers of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rumphrey family."