Re: Tour of New Orleans

The garden district is an area of New Orleans noted for the homes and the gardens. The "garden" you are talking about that suffered heavy damage in Katrina was City Park. City Park is huge and many of the great old live oaks were destroyed. They have recovered nicely and this is where the massive plantings of Louisiana irises have taken place for many years. Inside City Part is the Sculpture Garden and in the sculpture garden is a large bayou and pond area. The irises were planted along the bayou and around the pond. The Greater New Orleans Iris Society GNOIS has a display bed of choice Louisiana irises inside the sculpture garden, near the pond. The City Park also contains the Art Museum and near the Art Museum is the "Big Pond" and irises have been planted all around the pond. The best time to see City Park is in late March and early April when the Louisiana irises are blooming. The SLI convention next year is in NO during bloom season and includes tours of City Park, Longue Vue House and Gardens and other local private gardens, including the garden of a GNOIS member who goes out into the swamps each year during bloom season and collects native Louisiana irises. He grows more species Louisiana irises than anyone I know of.
The tour we are contemplating as part of the Fall AIS board meeting will consist of: 15 passenger bus will take 14 at a time to French Quarter. After all have assembled at French Quarter we will: 1. Tour a local well know cemetery with registered tour guide and wife of Pat O'Connor who is very knowledgeable of NO, the French Quarter and the cemeteries of NO. 
2.  Tour the French Quarter with guides
3. Eat lunch at a restaurant in the French Quarter (on your own - meal not included)
So far it looks like the cost would be about $30 each. This includes rental of the van, gas, tour guide, etc.
It is an approximately 15-20 minute taxi ride from the hotel to French Quarter. The van or vans, depending on number taking tour, will allow us to transport from hotel to downtown and back to hotel.
Be sure to allow time to visit the National WWII museum. It is one of the best I have ever seen. They offer two different 4D movies that will an experience you will remember. One is about the war in Pacific and Europe. The other is a movie, 4D, where you are on the last mission of a WWII submarine in the Pacific.
There are many tours available in the NO area, to include swamp tours on boats. They are very interesting and a chance to see many varmints up close and personal.
If you have never been to NO, be sure to spend an extra day or two visiting the sites. If you are a party animal, the French Quarter at night is something to see, especially on a Friday night or Saturday night. NO also has a great aquarium and an I-MAX that show an imax movie of the destruction of the wetlands by the hurricanes. A great move. 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Ron Killingsworth


On 6/18/2013 13:16, cheryl deaton wrote:

Dear Paul & Ron,
I will definitely enjoy a tour of New Orleans, especially if it contains a
trip to the park that was damaged by Katrina and has had a good recovery of
the Louisiana irises there.  Online there was a 3 hour bus tour that included
the garden district, French quarter and swamp for $40 but you never got off
the bus. I would be willing to pay more than that for a customized tour, with
lunch in the French quarter?  There would be 2 in my party and either day
would be good, but I need to know which day so I can make reservations.
Friday would probably be best so I can go home Sunday afternoon.
Cheryl


From: pwgossett@juno.com
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:11:31 +0000
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: [AISdiscuss] Tour of New Orleans

Dear Folks,

In Dallas I was asked by several people if there would be an organized tour

of New Orleans during the Fall Board Meeting.  I have asked Ron Killingsworth
to do some checking on it for me since he lives in Louisiana.  He has done
some checking and has found a person to be our tour guide.  Before we go
further, we need some information from you who will be attending the board
meeting in New Orleans.   We need to know if there is interest in arranging
and taking the tour.  Most likely we would do the tour on Friday late morning,
early afternoon, or Sunday.

1)  Would you be willing to pay for a tour of some of the New Orleans sites,

like The French Quarter, visit a cemetary and maybe some other places?

2)  How many would be in your party?

3)  When would you like to take the tour?


Please respond.

Thank you,

Paul

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