Visit Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mobile, and New Orleans on this 8 day spring tour. Enjoy the Cajun Country with visits to antebellum homes, plantations, and state parks.
DAY 1 - Fly to New Orleans / Coach to Baton Rouge
Fly to New Orleans and transfer by motorcoach to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana. Check in for a 3-night stay, then get together for a cocktail party prior to our Get Acquainted dinner at a local restaurant. It’s time to let the good times roll! Drury Inn, Baton Rouge, LA (D)
DAY 2 - Cajun Country Tour
Drive west to nearby Lafayette and St. Martinsville, in the heart of Cajun Country. Visit the Martin de Tours church to view the Evangeline Statue & Oak marking the spot where the legendary heroine waited for her lover, Gabriel. See an Acadian house at the State Park. Next, tour the famous Tabasco Pepper Sauce factory. Later, visit the Martin Accordian Factory prior to an authentic Cajun dinner at Mulate’s. Kick up your heels with a little Zydeco music & dancing. Drury Inn, Baton Rouge, LA (B,D)
DAY 3 - Day Trip to Natchez
Today travel north to Natchez, Mississippi, one of the most charming towns in the deep south. The broad, tree-lined boulevards are graced with more than 40 antebellum mansions. Learn about a bygone era pre-Civil War, when cotton was king and Natchez was a great seaport. Enjoy a city tour and visit three restored historic mansions. Relax over lunch, fine southern cooking at the Carriage House Restaurant in Stanton Hall. Time for shopping before we return to Baton Rouge for cocktails & a free evening. Drury Inn, Baton Rouge, LA (B,L)
DAY 4 - Baton Rouge to Mobile
This morning, tour Baton Rouge and view some of the city's highlights, including the past and present Capitol Buildings, the new and old Governor's Mansions, LSU Campus and the city center. Then motor south along the Great River Road and marvel at the plantations, working farms, and shipping activity along the levees and bayous. Stop at Houmas House for lunch and to tour this Civil War era plantation. Then cross huge Lake Pontchartrain arriving in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Stay 2 nights in a highrise, harborview hotel. Marriott Renaissance, Mobile, AL (B,L)
DAY 5 - Bellingrath Gardens
Enjoy a morning tour of Mobile. This lovely city, with its live oaks, restored mansions, and old Ft. Conde is a delight to visit. Just south of Mobile is the Bellingrath Gardens with its 60 acres of flowers -- a fantasy of color! Also tour the home of Mr. & Mrs. Walter Bellingrath, with its opulent furnishings and fine porcelain collection. Return to Mobile and relax at your hotel prior to a special dining experience - a seafood dinner at Felix’s Fish Camp. Marriott Renaissance, Mobile, AL (B,D)
DAY 6 - Mobile to New Orleans
Travel west along the Gulf Coast and across part of Lake Pontchartrain to the “Big Easy”, New Orleans. Arrive at the New Orleans Cooking School for a fun filled culinary class including lunch. It doesn’t get any better than this. Then check into our highrise hotel right on Canal Street, just steps from the French Quarter, a perfect spot for your two night stay. Marriott New Orleans , New Orleans, LA (B,L)
DAY 7 - City Tour / Mardi Gras World / Farewell Dinner
Today enjoy a tour of New Orleans where the old French, Spanish, and Creole splendor are preserved. Learn about the old French Quarter, marketplaces, wharves, dueling places, millionaire homes, and dramatic gardens. See Jackson Square, the Garden District, Saint Louis Cemetery, & City Park. Then visit Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, where all the best parade floats are built & stored. Tonight, enjoy our Farewell Dinner at a fine local restaurant. Marriott New Orleans, New Orleans, LA (B,D)
DAY 8 - Free Time / Fly Home
Free time to explore the city on your own. Choices include the Cabildo, Pontalba, and Presbytere museums, the Gallier House, Natl. WWII Museum, IMAX theater, or shop at JAX Brewery & RiverWalk. Then, arrive at the New Orleans airport for your return flight home. (B)
Arrival Time: Please arrive at New Orleans Airport no later than 4:00pm
Departure Time: Please depart New Orleans Airport after 2:30pm