Bayous, Backroads, and The Big Easy
September 25-30, 2022
Tour Number R45537
6 Days-5 Nights-7 Meals
With the spotlight on New Orleans this tour will also feature a visit to Oak Alley Plantation, a thrilling swamp tour, a Creole Plantation home, a slave cabin and the beautiful gardens of Bellingrath. Don’t miss the bus for this new tour to the deep south!
Day 1: Today we set our sights toward the deep south and the grand city of the Bayou, New Orleans. Our overnight will be in Birmingham.
Day 2: This morning we will depart after breakfast and travel first to the west bank of the Mississippi River and enjoy a tour of Mardi Gras World. Here you can see artists and sculptors as they create floats, costumes and props. Next we arrive in New Orleans and check into the Drury Inn Hotel in downtown New Orleans for our three-night stay. Relax, unpack and enjoy the hotel’s kick-back reception and remainder of the evening at your leisure. B
Day 3: This morning after breakfast we will meet our local guide for a tour of The Big Easy, including the French Quarter, the Garden District and Lakefront. This afternoon we will visit the National World War II Museum. From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, the exhibits here are a blend of personal accounts, artifacts, documents, photographs and original film footage. The stories of the dozens of amphibious landings and the thousands of men and women who made the Allied victory in World War II possible are told through three floors of exhibit space. In addition, see the show “Beyond All Boundaries,” a unique and powerful 4-D cinematic experience available nowhere else in the world. It tells the tale of the Greatest Generation’s journey from Pearl Harbor into the fire of epic battles to America’s final victory in the “War that Changed the World” in the words of the veterans themselves. This afternoon you can visit the French Quarter, explore the many shops and local vendors, sample a world-famous Beignet at Café du Monde…whatever your pleasure. Enjoy an included dinner this evening at one of the local favorite restaurants. B,D
Day 4: After our breakfast we set our sights for Plantation Country! Today we will explore two of Louisiana’s most famous and historic plantation homes along the Great Mississippi River Road and learn about their stories, secrets, and occasionally…spirits. We will enjoy Cajun and Creole food, a thrilling swamp tour and create lasting memories. First we will tour Laura: A Creole Plantation including the plantation home, the 200-year old sugar plantation and a slave cabin. Lunch and a tour of Oak Alley Plantation are next. This quarter-mile canopy of giant live oak trees, believed to be nearly 300-years old, is an impressive avenue leading to the classic Greed-revival style antebellum home…a spectacular setting! Later we will enjoy a unique journey back to the early days of Louisiana bayou and swamp explorations on a Swamp Tour. We return to New Orleans for our last evening in the city, to enjoy at your pleasure. B,L
Day 5: We’ll depart this morning after breakfast and set our sights for the lovely Bellingrath Gardens and Home. Walter Bellingrath was one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the south and with his wealth built the estate garden and home. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and this 800-acre estate has been called the Garden Spot of the South. After our visit we will continue to our overnight destination in Birmingham. B
Day 6: Today, our New Orleans and more adventure will come to a close as we plan to arrive home early this evening. B
Tour Package Includes:
Roundtrip Transportation via Croswell’s Deluxe VIP Motorcoach, Five (5) Nights’ Accommodations, Five (5) Breakfasts, One (1) Lunch, One (1) Dinner, All Sightseeing and Attractions as mentioned above, All Taxes and Gratuities on included meals and lodging, All Luggage Handling
Tour Cost Per Person:
$1199.00 Double Occupancy
$1099.00 Triple Occupancy
$1599.00 Single Occupancy