Louisiana
Independent New Orleans: Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre
Program No. 21665RJ
Get to know New Orleans as you explore the French Quarter and Garden District, take in a jazz performance, learn to cook Cajun-style and enjoy plenty of time to explore on your own.
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
10 meals (
4B, 1BR, 2L, 3D
)
4 expert-led lectures
7 expert-led field trips
2 performances
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Program Registration & Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Hotel check-in 4:00 p.m. Easy walking inside hotel; at your discretion if you’d like to go out.
Afternoon:
Program Registration & Orientation: 4:30 p.m. Check the message board for the location to register with the Road Scholar program staff, which is also where the Orientation session will take place. Prior to departure, you’ll receive a digital welcome packet in your account with an up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. As a special bonus, we will provide a voucher to use at a popular jazz club as well as the Cabildo and Presbytère, part of the Louisiana State Museum. This is a Road Scholar INDEPENDENT program. It is designed for participants who want high-level Road Scholar instruction, a few group activities, and who are capable and comfortable setting out on their own for a significant part of the day/night. There will be several hours each day of educational content. Most meals will be on your own (excluded from the program cost) to have what you like, and there will be substantial free time for personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
6:00 PM in the hotel, we will enjoy a plated and served welcome dinner with a complementary glass of wine/ beer/ cocktail; coffee, tea, and water. Additional beverages are available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure. Live music fills the Carousel Bar & Lounge overlooking Royal Street right inside our historic hotel — a French Quarter landmark since 1886. The Carousel evokes a spirit of fun with the renowned Merry-Go-Round, the city’s only revolving bar. Live music continues on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
Day
2
Architecture Lecture, Garden District, Sazerac House
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking up to 6 blocks in the Garden District.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll have an introduction to the architecture and diversity of New Orleans. Architecture is an expression of culture. We’ll learn how different nationalities and ethnicities — such as immigrants from Europe and the West Indies — influenced local architecture and contributed to the “gumbo” of our society. We’ll then board the motorcoach and become immersed in New Orleans architecture. We’ll learn about various types of iron works, architecture, and historic homes with some stops along the way. Next, we will set out on a walking field trip with a local historian in the aptly named Garden District, one of the loveliest neighborhoods in the country. It was laid out in 1832 for incoming, well-to-do Americans who were not interested in mingling with native New Orleanians. The feeling was mutual! Grand houses were built on large lots in this lush setting.
Lunch:
Enjoy delicious New Orleans cuisine at a local restaurant and order from a select menu.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we will make our way back to the French Quarter to visit the Sazerac House. Here, you are free to explore and learn about the history of the Sazerac cocktail and how spirits played an important role in New Orleans' culture. There will be a couple of hours of free time to relax before dinner.
Dinner:
Dinner is on your own this evening. We have left this meal free for you to experience whatever restaurant or cuisine you desire. Feel free to ask your Group Leader for restaurant suggestions. Reservations are strongly recommended if you plan on eating at one of the more popular restaurants in the French Quarter.
Evening:
At leisure. Experience nightlife in the French Quarter. If you’re a music aficionado, there are lots of options. We have provided a voucher (drink included) for Fritzel’s European Jazz Club. The French Quarter has something to offer for almost every interest and taste.
Day
3
New Orleans History, City Tour, Sculpture Garden, Free time
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Walking up to 6 blocks in Garden District.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll begin the day with a lecture on the history of New Orleans, a virtual walk from the founding of the city in 1718 to the present day. Our instructor is a native New Orleanian who knows its past and present inside and out. Next, we'll board a motorcoach and continue our delightful introduction to New Orleans as our instructor points out significant sites and reveals more about the city’s people, traditions, and unique culture. We’ll make stops at highlights along the way, including: Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, City Park with its magnificent oak trees and Sculpture Garden, and one of the famed and mysterious above-ground cemeteries where the departed — from pirates to voodoo queens — are interred.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Following the city overview, we will head back to the hotel. We have left this afternoon and evening free for you to explore the French Quarter and visit any museums or sites you desire.
Dinner:
Dinner is on your own this evening to experience any cuisine you desire.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy more of the New Orleans' night life, music and culture or have a night in and relax at the hotel. If you haven't used it yet, your voucher for Fritzel’s is good any night of the week.
Day
4
WWII Museum, Jazz Lecture, Free Time, Cooking School
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach, being able to stand and walk for a few hours in a museum, walking according to personal preference during free time, walking 5-6 blocks to get to dinner.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
Formerly known as the D-Day Museum, the National World War II Museum was founded by eminent historian Dr. Stephen Ambrose, author “Band of Brothers” and other best-sellers. A self directed exploration will takes us through three buildings that house exhibits highlighting the role of participants from world leaders to the everyday men and women whose contributions helped to win the war, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Many items in the vast collection — such as uniforms, weaponry, vehicles, medals, diaries, letters, artwork, photographs, and other mementos — are on display while thousands of records and archives are available to scholars for ongoing research. We’ll also see the film “Beyond All Boundaries” narrated by Tom Hanks. Through first person accounts and amazing special effects, we’ll take a journey through the war that changed the world.
Lunch:
We will have lunch at the hotel this afternoon.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we will have a lecture/ performance by a jazz clarinetist who performs Dixieland and Trad Jazz. We have left the rest of this afternoon free for you to visit more sites in the French Quarter or relax at the hotel before dinner.
Dinner:
We’ll dine at the world renowned New Orleans School of Cooking. Here an expert local chef will teach us how to cook Creole and Cajun cuisine, as they explain the difference. We’ll see the preparation of a traditional dish, then have it for dinner. For dessert, we’ll sample the best pralines in town!
Evening:
At leisure. Experience more New Orleans night life, music, and culture. The French Quarter really does have something to offer for almost every interest and taste.
Day
5
French Quarter, Hermann-Grima, Free Time, Farewell Dinner
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Being able to walk an hour through the French Quarter with stops along the way. The Hermann- Grima House has 4 steps to get inside through the back courtyard. If one wants to walk up to the enslaved quarters, one must walk up 20 steps.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
This morning we will take a guided walk through the French Quarter to learn about the history of the area. The walk will end at the Hermann- Grima House. The Hermann- Grima House is a 19th Century fully furnished home that includes a courtyard garden, horse stable, open-hearth kitchen, and slave quarters. As we are guided through the house, we will learn about the lives of both the Hermann and Grima Families, as well as the enslaved people who resided there.
Lunch:
We have left this meal free for you to experience more of New Orleans' cuisine. Try a New Orleans Po-Boy, a famous Muffaletta, or have a picnic on the Moonwalk by the mighty Mississippi. The choice is yours.
Afternoon:
Free Time. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend using the vouchers we have provided to explore the Cabildo and Presbytère flanking St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. All were constructed during the Spanish period (1795-1799). The Cabildo was the center of government. The Presbytère, built on the site of what had been the residence of Capuchin monks, was used for commercial purposes. Both are now key components of the Louisiana State Museum. The Cabildo displays artifacts of American history as well as rarities such as Napoleon’s death mask. The Presbytère’s interactive exhibit on Mardi Gras traces our annual celebration from its origins to the present day with an exquisite collection of artifacts and memorabilia. Another exhibit expresses Louisiana’s saga of resilience in the face of disasters. You could also spend your afternoon strolling along Royal Street with its antique shops, visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, go for a ride on the paddlewheeler “Natchez” — last authentic steamboat on the Mississippi — or any of the may other opportunities to experience our people, cultures, and celebrations.
Dinner:
At a fine New Orleans eatery, we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner together. Share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.
Evening:
This evening, you will have one more opportunity to hit the town and enjoy New Orleans Jazz. Then prepare for check out and departure following our final event in the morning.
Day
6
Jazz Brunch, Program Concludes
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
BR
Activity Note
Walking 4 blocks to 9:00 a.m. brunch and back.
Brunch:
At the celebrated Court of Two Sisters, we’ll settle in for a true New Orleans delight, the Jazz brunch. The elaborate buffet offers tasty hot and cold New Orleans favorites from eggs any style to Creole jambalaya, grits and grillades, gumbo, classic desserts, and much more. Coffee, tea, and water are included, other beverages are available for purchase. Tap your toes to the music of the restaurant’s resident Jazz trio. Enjoy this final dining and musical experience with a broader and deeper understanding and appreciation of our city, the one and only New Orleans. Please note that the jazz brunch will occur between 9:00-10:30 AM. Our hotel check-out is at noon. Please plan you flights accordingly. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys back home!
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