Louisiana
Independent New Orleans: Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre
Program No. 21665RJ
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Independent New Orleans: Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre
Independent New Orleans: Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre
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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
Included
11 meals (
5B, 3L, 3D
)
4 expert-led lectures
6 expert-led field trips
2 performances
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
New Orleans, LA
Independent New Orleans: Jazz, Jambalaya and Joie de Vivre
Jan 24 - Jan 29, 2027
Program Number
21665
Day
1
Hotel Check-in, Program 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:
Please note: your program will take place during Mardi Gras season. The city will be more crowded than normal, as there are several scheduled parades that take place each weekend leading up to Mardi Gras. Please expect more traffic than normal to get in and out of the city, and budget your time accordingly.
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
New Orleans Jazz Class, FQ Walking Tour, Hermann-Grima House
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
The walk through the French Quarter will take 1 hour and 45 minutes with stops along the way (approximately 14 blocks). The walk from lunch to Hermann-Grima House is 2.5 blocks. The house has 4 steps to get inside through the back courtyard. The 2nd story enslaved quarters requires 20 steps. New Orleans’ sidewalks are narrow, uneven, bumpy, and contains potholes. Mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can be accommodated with careful navigation. Scooters cannot be accommodated.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
This morning, we will have a local professor who is also a musician will use vintage clips and soundtracks to introduce the music of New Orleans. We’ll learn about the many cultural influences that have gone into music that spread worldwide, including the roots of Jazz and its evolution.
We will then take a guided walk through the French Quarter to learn about the history and of the area.
We will then take a guided walk through the French Quarter to learn about the history and of the area.
Lunch:
At the celebrated Court of Two Sisters, we’ll settle in for a true New Orleans delight, a jazzy lunch. 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. While eating, tap your toes to the music of the restaurant’s resident Jazz trio.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we will walk a couple blocks over to 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.
The the rest of the day is open for free time.
The the rest of the day is open for free time.
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
One must be able to sit through an hour long class, walk 1.5 blocks to a parked motor coach, and walk up 3-4 steps to board it. New Orleans’ sidewalks are narrow, uneven, bumpy, and contains potholes. Mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can be accommodated with careful navigation. Scooters cannot be accommodated. The motor coach city overview trip will last 3.5 hours with stops to get out along the way. There will be a 45 minute break to stretch at City Park Sculpture Garden.
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 motor coach 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. Stops along the way may include: 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.
Following the city overview motor coach tour, we will head back to the hotel.
Next, we'll board a motor coach 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. Stops along the way may include: 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.
Following the city overview motor coach tour, we will head back to the hotel.
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:
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.
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/ Performance, School of Cooking
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
One must be able to walk 1.5 blocks, and get up the stairs of a parked motor coach. The WWII Museum is self-guided and at one's own pace. It is a very large museum that requires 3-4 hours of walking and standing. There are scattered benches available for sitting. Wheel chairs can be rented at the Front Desk (though they are limited in number and cannot be guaranteed; they do not take advanced reservations on wheelchairs). The walk to dinner will require 3.5 blocks in each direction on sidewalks.
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 American Sector restaurant in the WW II Museum.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we will have a couple more hours to explore the National WW II Museum. For those who are interested in art, we also have access to the neighboring Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Donated by businessman Roger Ogden and other collectors, the museum houses a private collection of over 4,000 works of art depicting outdoor scenes and southern life. Here you will see southern artists' paintings, watercolors, sculptures, prints, and photographs.
We will then make our way back to the hotel via motor coach. Upon arrival, we will have a lecture/ performance by a jazz clarinetist who performs Dixieland and Trad Jazz.
We will then make our way back to the hotel via motor coach. Upon arrival, we will have a lecture/ performance by a jazz clarinetist who performs Dixieland and Trad Jazz.
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
Architecture Class, Garden District Tour, Free time
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
One must be able to walk 1.5 blocks, and get up the stairs of a parked motor coach. (30 minute drive). The Garden District walking tour will require an hour of walking (8 blocks), however one has the option to stay on the motor coach and skip the activity. Sidewalks are narrow, uneven, bumpy, and contains potholes. Mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can be accommodated with careful navigation. Scooters cannot be accommodated. The walk to dinner is 4 blocks in each direction.
Breakfast:
Breakfast will be served at a buffet in the hotel.
Morning:
This morning, we will have an introductory class on 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 board the motor coach and make our way to the Garden District. Along the way, we will be 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.
We’ll board the motor coach and make our way to the Garden District. Along the way, we will be 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:
At a local restaurant.
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.
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
Program Concludes
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out is 12:00 PM.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
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!
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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Please Note:
This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Jan 24 - Jan 29, 2027 Itinerary Differences:
We will be going to Mardi Gras World instead of Hermann-Grima House.