Louisiana
New Orleans at a Slower Pace for Women
Program No. 25116RJ
Discover New Orleans at a slower pace as you explore the city’s historic districts with other women, learn about Cajun cooking and visit the famed National World War II Museum.
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
13 meals (
5B, 4L, 4D
)
7 expert-led lectures
3 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Orientation, Intro to New Orleans Lecture
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
Checking into hotel. There is easy walking inside the hotel; walking distance is at your discretion if you’d like to go outside. There is an hour long class after dinner that requires sitting.
Afternoon:
Starting at 4:00 p.m., check the message board for the location to meet with Road Scholar program staff, which is also where the Orientation session will take place. Prior to departure, you’ll receive a digital welcome packet in your account with an up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information including all of the room locations. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from the Group Leader as well as local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. As a special bonus, we will have vouchers to use at a popular jazz club, as well as the Louisiana State Museum.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We’ll be joined by a guest speaker for an introduction to the French Quarter, during which we’ll learn about history, culture, traditions, celebrations, and people. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
New Orleans History, City Field Trip, Jazz Performance
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
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 will park 1.5 blocks away from the hotel as they are not allowed to park or drive in the French Quarter. One must be able to get on and off a motor coach with stairs. The motor coach trip will last 3.5 hours. Dinner reservations will require a block of walking in each direction.
Breakfast:
At 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.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll take a field trip via motorcoach with expert commentary for an overview of the city. We’ll make stops at highlights such as Jackson Square, Louis Armstrong Park, Bayou St. John, Lake Pontchartrain, and 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.
Dinner:
We will walk to a local restaurant.
Evening:
After dinner, we will return to the hotel for a lively jazz concert by a local ensemble.
Day
3
New Orleans Music, New Orleans Authors, Cooking Class
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
One must be able to sit in a chair for 3 hours (2 classes, broken up with breaks). The walk to dinner will require 3.5 blocks of walking in each direction on narrow, uneven sidewalks. Mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes can be accommodated with careful navigation. Scooters cannot be accommodated. It is advised to take a taxi to Jackson Square (if going during free time). The walk is 6 blocks- half a mile in each direction.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, 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. Following this lecture, we'll have a presentation from another speaker on New Orleans' authors, past and present, who have written about the fictional and non-fictional city. We’ll get the scoop on their personal lives, where they gathered, what they ate and drank, as well as their literary personas — which were often one and the same!
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. We’ll have vouchers 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.
Dinner:
From the hotel, we will walk to the world-renowned New Orleans School of Cooking, where an expert local chef will teach us how to cook Creole and Cajun cuisine and explain the difference. We’ll see the preparation of a traditional dish, then have it for dinner. Recipes will be supplied so that we can take some New Orleans cuisine “home” with us.
Evening:
At leisure. If you’re a music aficionado, there are lots of options. We have provided a voucher for Mahogany Jazz Hall, or you can go on your own to any of the other great choices. You might like to take a stroll along Bourbon Street to see some of the colorful locals and occasionally even more exotic tourists. Or feel free to just relax at the hotel. The French Quarter has something to offer for almost every interest and taste.
Day
4
Architecture Lecture, Garden District Walking Tour
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Monteleone
Activity Note
One must be able to sit for an hour long class, 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 if they would like to sit out that 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.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll have an introduction from a local expert 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. Continuing our expert-led exploration, we’ll set out via motorcoach to 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 that encouraged the development of beautiful gardens. Here, we will take an hour-long walking tour pointing out different styles of buildings.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. Feel free to explore the Cabildo and Presbytère if you didn't have time to do it yesterday, or visit many of the other sites that New Orleans has to offer.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
World War II Museum, 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. 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 group will take the motor coach again, that evening to dinner.
Breakfast:
At 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 of ‘Band of Brothers’ and other bestsellers. A self-directed exploration 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 will 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:
At a restaurant located in the WWII Museum.
Afternoon:
Free time. You may return to the hotel to freshen up or remain in the French Quarter for more exploration on your own.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
6
All About Mardi Gras, Program Concludes
Location:
New Orleans, LA
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 12:00 PM. There is an hour long class that requires sitting.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
For our closing session, we’ll have a presentation on the “real” Mardi Gras by a native New Orleanian who will dispel the myths and misconceptions you’ve read and heard about. We expect to finish by 10:30 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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