OPTIONAL EVENT TOUR - NEW ORLEANS CITY & OAK ALLEY PLANTATION TOUR

New Orleans is like a good memory that rests easy on your mind – the music is sweet, the food divine, the atmosphere captivating, and the pace is definitely more leisurely. We hope you joined us as we explored all that makes New Orleans America's most European city.

As you ride past beautiful Jackson Square, your tour guide will reconstruct the first days of the old French City. The sights and sounds of the mighty Mississippi River, St. Louis Cathedral, The Cabildo, and the Pontalba Buildings are just some of the highlights of this area. You will continue past the French Market and the U.S. Mint.

Next we will arrive on Esplanade Avenue, the outermost boundary of the French Quarter, you will see a stunning display of fine Creole homes with delicate wrought iron fences and balconies. You'll visit St. Louis III Cemetery for a short walking tour. It is often called "the city of the dead" because of its above ground tombs. Across from Bayou St. John, you will see beautiful City Park with its lush greenery and scenic lagoons. Located on the parks grounds is the New Orleans Museum of Art set among the overhanging Live Oak trees and Spanish Moss. In City Park we will stop for coffee and beignets at Morning Call Coffee Stand. If you want a little more to eat, they offer some local foods for purchase.

Your tour guide will give a "locals" chronology of events leading up to Hurricane Katrina and the days immediately following. You will travel through Lakeview, one of the hardest hit areas of New Orleans. You will witness the revival of our beautiful city by citizens who refused to give in. You will see Lake Pontchartrain and view the massive pumping station in the 17th Street Canal.

From there we will travel to Oak Alley Plantation, the Grand Dame of River Road where you will tour the home and grounds. At the time Oak Alley was built, the River Region sugar industry was flourishing, and a chain of stately plantations and their homes lined the banks of the Mississippi. Too many of these plantation homes since have been devoured by the passage of time, exposure to the elements and mankind’s struggle to move on, but Oak Alley remains as a testimonial to the old South's golden age. There is a simple authenticity about her grandeur that reassures and frees the mind to contemplate and appreciate all facets of her existence. She offers the enchantment of one way of life without compromising the significance of another.

An optional light lunch was available for purchase at the Plantation Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor during this stop.

The next part of the journey will take us back to the city to the old town of Carrollton and the route of the St. Charles Streetcar. You will pass Tulane and Loyola Universities as the ancient oaks of Audubon Park come into view. The heart of Uptown showcases some of the city’s loveliest neighborhoods, while the Garden District is distinguished by its Greek Revival architecture and splendid gardens.
 

DETAILS

We met in the Royal St. Charles Hotel lobby at 9:15 a.m. The tour departed at 9:30 a.m. and lasted 6–6 1/2 hours.

The cost for the tour was $78 per person, and included: an air-conditioned motor coach, a licensed Tour Guide, entrance into Oak Alley Plantation, and coffee with beignets at Morning Call Coffee Stand. All participants received a special HK gift.

While lunch is not provided, there were two opportunities to get refreshments – Morning Call Coffee Stand in City Park, and at the Plantation Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor.

ORDER ONLINE

To join the New Orleans City & Oak Alley Plantation Tour, you needed to order by November 15, 2017.

Hope we saw you in New Orleans (Nawlins) in 2018!
Laissez les bons temps rouler
(Let the good times roll)

HK Mardi Gras

EVENT LOGO MERCHANDISE

EVENT OFFERINGS & REGISTRATION

EVENT PIECES

HOP & HK UK CHARITY RAFFLE

OPTIONAL EVENT TOUR

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

PHOTO ALBUMS

ROYAL ST. CHARLES HOTEL