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Join us for a quick holiday getaway to one of America’s most interesting cities: New Orleans, Louisiana. Our local guides will introduce us to the culturally rich, diverse, musical, and fascinating city they call home. We’ll explore gay New Orleans’ history and quirky holiday traditions together!
We’ll be met at the airport and transferred to our clean and spacious hotel right in the French Quarter. Settle in, slow down, and relax. Tonight we mingle with our guides and meet new friends over cocktails. We’ll stroll out together on an exploration of “The Big Easy” with a fine Welcome Dinner nearby.
Each day begins after breakfast at our lovely hotel. Today we’re off to visit Houmas House Plantation and Gardens (so much more than just a tour of a grand antebellum estate). Experience the southern splendor of “The Sugar Palace” when you step into 16 rooms filled with period antiques and Louisiana artwork. Enjoy 38 lush acres of gardens, ponds and a majestic live oak alley. Feel the delightful breeze off the Mississippi and navigate through the shadows of ancient oaks. As we’re guided through the mansion with its artwork, artifacts, and antiques and discovering the beauty of the immaculate gardens and grounds, we will realize what a unique experience this is. We may even be inspired to take some antebellum decorating ideas home! We’ll have lunch at the estate before returning to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Tonight we’ll be on our own to walk and explore the French Quarter. Dinner options abound, and our local guides will have suggestions to suit your tastes!
This morning we’re taking a two-hour walking tour about town, an interactive exploration of New Orleans’ rich gay history and current LGBT community. What are the origins of Southern Decadence? We’ll find out! How did Gay Carnival evolve? We will teach you! Let’s peek at the homes and watering holes of Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, learn the gay connection to the JFK assassination, and discuss the tragic Upstairs Lounge fire of 1973, which changed the LGBT community forever (and much, much more). We’ll take a break for lunch on our own at our choice of local bistros and restaurants. Coming together again this afternoon, we’ll take a whimsical visit to Mardi Gras World! Colorful props, like a gigantic jovial jester, fiercely realistic alligators, and a gorgeously exciting Marilyn Monroe (with skirt flying) greet one and all to this amazing fantasy factory. You will even view the most awesome floats ever built for carnival – the Orpheus 140-foot triple-tandem sea monster “Leviathan” and the 240-foot quintuple-tandem “Captain Eddie’s S.S. Endymion,” with tens of thousands of fiber optic lights. After a brief introduction by a knowledgeable guide and a spirited video about the history of Mardi Gras and the company, we’ll play dress up! That’s right, you can dress up in authentic, ornate carnival costumes. We will tap into our imaginations, if we would like to be a gentleman we can wear a regal coat of armor, or perhaps don sequined headdresses, gowns, and the imagine ourselves as the Queens of the ball!
You’ll have time for a little beauty rest this morning, for today we’ll be meeting a bit later, in order to enjoy Farewell Brunch together at Arnaud’s. Located steps off of Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, Arnaud’s is renowned for a beautiful dining experience. The Sunday Jazz Brunch is a grand tradition; music and an open bar complement Creole dishes elegantly served. After brunch we hope you’ll take a disco nap, because we will start off our last night together with an escorted excursion to the magical “Celebration in the Oaks” at City Park. This is prime New Orleans kitsch, a local’s favorite for the holidays, and one of the most fun lights festivals you will see. New Orleans’ famous oaks are swathed in hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights; breathtaking displays are scattered throughout 25 acres of the Park. We will take a train ride together through glittering light exhibits, see the animated Cajun Night Before Christmas display and, of course, New Orleans’ iconic snowman Mr. Bingle – a holiday character beloved by generations of New Orleanians. Ride the carousel and the other rides, roast marshmallows in a “snow” storm, even eat fresh, hot beignets. There’s so much holiday fun to be had here, and we can still be home in time to tear up the town if that’s our pleasure on our last night here.
We’ll say goodbye today, but we think you’ll be back. This magical and mysterious city draws her visitors back again and again. We can’t wait to see you next time!
Price includes: Accommodation for 4 nights in the French Quarter; 3 breakfasts, 1 grand brunch, 1 lunch, 1 Dinner; vehicle transportation (if necessary) and entrance fees for activities outlined in the itinerary; and services and accompaniment by knowledgeable local guides during group activities. HE Travel provides complimentary Medical & Evacuation Insurance for every US Resident on our group tours who does not have other coverage. Not included: Airfare to/from New Orleans; transfer to/from Airport; 1 lunch and 3 dinners; Alcoholic beverages except those shown as included in the itinerary; Gratuities for local guides or activities; items of a personal nature. Optional Tour Choices: $550 Single Supplement (for solo travelers who wish to enjoy a private bedroom and bathroom)
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