<p>Looking for a recommendation for a tour. On parents weekend, we were thinking of doing some kind of tour with the siblings early on Friday when DD is still in class. They have never been to NOLA before. I see there are plantation, voodoo, hauntings, katrina and swamp tours. Which did you like best??? Kids are 17 and 14.</p>
<p>We did a tour the spring we were checking out the campus with S, who was then 17.
We ended up doing one that was more focused on the main areas of NOLA, which included the French Quarter, stop by one of the famous cemeteries (St Louis #1?), Garden District, etc. It did not include anything about Katrina as this was the spring prior. It was a great overview for those of us unfamiliar with NOLA and a perfect 1st tour. We were staying in the Quarter at the time. While I don’t remember the specific name of the tour company, it was one that was highly recommended by travel guides/hotels in the area. It was done in a very small van type vehicle to easily navigate some of the narrow streets (May have been a Grayline type tour). The tour guide was very knowledgeable, funny, and helpful. Highly recommend. After doing the baseline tour, I then would recommend a swamp tour. I’ve never done one of the haunting type tours, so perhaps that would be a bigger hit with the kids.
PS. S ended up choosing Tulane and was a Katrina freshman. He (and we) loved his NOLA experience overall. I do think that the tour of the city really gave him a nice historical perspective that, taken with his on-campus visit, started his love affair with the city.</p>
<p>We did a tour that took up a good part of the day, like 8-5. It included Laura Plantation, Oak Alley, and a swamp tour. Lunch was supposed to be at a nice spot on one of the bayous, but it was closed that day so we had lunch at a pretty basic local diner. But it was good solid Cajun food and we enjoyed it. We thought it was a great day. It had been years since I was at Oak Alley and I had never been to Laura, which I thought was quite interesting. I will see if I can find the name of the tour company and post it for you, although I have heard few complaints about any of the main ones.</p>
<p>I like the looks of this one. [Home</a> Confederacy of Cruisers](<a href=“http://confederacyofcruisers.com/]Home”>http://confederacyofcruisers.com/) Kinda quirky and different, though I think I might wait until later in the year when it cools off a bit. I too am thinking tour on Friday while D finishes her “NOLA Experience” stuff.</p>
<p>That does look interesting Frog, but to even suggest that my teens get on a bike may be the end of me! It might mess the ones hair, or the other might get sunburned. We might get a block before the revolt if I could even get them on the bike in the first place. LOL I agree that you might want to wait until it is cooler. The heat would do me in.</p>
<p>I wanted to add a follow up to this thread. H and I did the Confederacy of Cruisers bike tour ([Home</a> Confederacy of Cruisers](<a href=“http://confederacyofcruisers.com/]Home”>http://confederacyofcruisers.com/)) and I gotta give it a rave review. (D wanted us to go away and not seem too needy while she finished up her last day of the NOLA Experience last Friday.) It is a great intro to New Orleans in all its quirkiness, and SO much cooler (figuratively speaking) than a bus tour. Our tour guide (Laura) was a young woman with a great sense of humor, good patter and general affability. She began with an overview of some features that make NOLA unique. The tour is easy, covering maybe 5 miles over 3 hours on big, wide-tire beach cruisers. (A pregnant grandmother could do it!) There are pit stops for drinks, a tour of a cemetery (if the group desires) and plenty of local color in Marigny, Bywater and St Roch. Even tho I had some misgivings about the heat index it was still great and they provide everyone with bottled water too. I recommend you drag the offspring along too next time you visit, because I KNOW they will learn a few new things while having fun (even if by then they are NOLA know-it-alls.)</p>
<p>I really give you kudos for doing that in the heat!! I was dying just walking around campus. Well, on Sunday anyway. It was the worst day I think. Still, that just had to be hot. Glad you enjoyed it though.</p>