Rethinking New Orleans - Itinerary
Day 1 Tuesday
Arrive at Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) in New Orleans, where your Rustic Pathways staff members eagerly await you. Head to Home Base, settle in with your group, and have orientation and a group discussion. Welcome to New Orleans!
Day 2 Wednesday
Begin your community service work today with an organization focused on rebuilding the city’s schools. In 2005, New Orleans had some of the worst public schools in the country; today organizations are taking over the schools to create learning-based environments so the students can thrive regardless of resources. Give a full day’s work and spend the evening with live music and some coffee with chicory – you deserve it!
Day 3 Thursday
Continue your service project rebuilding schools, and sit down with school officials to see why it works. Visit a few public schools and see how they differ from the specialized schools that are becoming the norm! After working, head down to the Mississippi River for dinner and to catch the cool breeze. Summers are hot in New Orleans, and the nights are a welcome break from the sun and humidity.
Day 4 Friday
Wrap up your school project after another full day on the worksite, getting the kids ready for their new school year, which starts in early August. Fridays are fun in New Orleans – there’s always some live music to catch or a game of pick-up soccer!
Day 5 Saturday
Visit some local universities in the morning and get to know the Uptown neighborhoods of the city. Explore Bayou St John, the Lake, and Riverbend.
Day 6 Sunday
Find a festival, check out a second line, eat some beignets, stroll down Royal, or just spend the day relaxing by the shores of the mighty Mississippi.
Day 7 Monday
Your ecological service project will start on Monday. You will work with an organization that popped up to replenish the lively culture of the bayous and the Mississippi River Delta region. Get your hands (and feet!) dirty in the silt that built the delta and learn how the river’s course is changing and has changed over millions of years. See native wildlife and get to know the feel of this region, the people who live here, the slow-moving bayou lifestyle, and the Cajun food that someone’s momma made. This is Louisiana!
Day 8 Tuesday
Day two of ecological service will involve planting grasses and trees in the barrier islands throughout Southeastern Louisiana. There are many movements to preserve this land, the fastest depleting landmass on earth, so learn what ecologists and volunteers are doing to prevent this ecosystem from eroding into the Gulf of Mexico. Sit down with community members and see how this part of Louisiana is being affected by the oil spill and the salt water intrusion that is quickly taking over the area. After a long day in the dirt, spend some time relaxing with an iced tea or a sno-ball while heading back to the City that Care Forgot.
Day 9 Wednesday
Build a House! Many contractors and organizations are building houses, but some also focus on rebuilding communities and strengthening the bond between people and their places. New Orleans is a city of neighbors; people are friendly and want to get to know you! During breaks from your hammer, chat with neighbors and hear what the street used to feel like. Learn what these organizations are doing to foster a sense of community in a place that has been broken for more than six years. See what a difference one house can make to a family or block that needs it.
Day 10 Thursday
Continue your building project. Learn about the importance of a front porch and a back yard, and see what the different housing styles are like in the Crescent City. The typical house here is a “shotgun”, a long, skinny house with no hallways. Take a walk around revitalized neighborhoods and see the new homes that are being built, some in traditional style and some with a more modern approach. Talk with contractors about movements in building materials and how New Orleanians are embracing this movement with the help of subsidies and local initiatives. In the evening, enjoy live music and dancing!
Day 11 Friday
One more day building homes – you should be a pro by now! If the homeowners are available, spend time with them and envision what the home will look like with furniture and curtains, finally! After work, meet with a community activist who is taking his neighborhood into his own hands and bringing his neighbors back one by one. Dinner is jambalaya, then out for beignets at Café du Monde!
Day 12 Saturday
Spend the morning exploring a new neighborhood and learning about the rich European history that makes New Orleans unique. Catch a walking tour of the Quarter, spend the morning in one of the city’s great museums, or hang out on the Bayou. Check out the city’s local swing scene in the evening with some local bands’ weekly gigs.
Day 13 Sunday
Attend a concert in the park intended to support the recovery process. You may be lucky enough to be down here during one of the city’s great festivals celebrating Louis Armstrong, Gulf Coast fishing traditions, or Cajun culinary favorites. Take pictures with your new friends and experience one more time whatever it is about the city that you love most: music, dancing, history, food…
Day 14 Monday
The last day of service looks at blighted lots. New Orleanians are getting creative, planting gardens and trees here in the hopes that they can become public spaces or can add to the “green” feel of this city. Give a little bit more sweat and see what these spaces mean to neighbors. Have a final discussion with your group before heading out for a last night on the town, with live music, of course! Nothing like some funk music for a warm New Orleans night.
Day 15 Tuesday
Spend the morning with the friends that you’ve made, share photos, and think about what you would be missing if you didn’t know this crazy place. Make plans to come back – New Orleans has a way of keeping you, doesn’t it?
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
