Free Day (Outer Journey) Jan. 8

The day that everyone was anticipating has arrived. Having a free day to explore the city was part of the trip that everyone was excited about outside of our tour experiences. Being able to branch outside of the French Quarter and see other neighborhoods would allow us to see locations that we researched. Prior to leaving the hotel we stopped by concierge at the front desk to ask for assistance with using the trolley out to the Garden District. I honestly forgot about the hotel resources until we were planning our free day. They are a great tool that most people do not utilize. Leaving the hotel the weather was sunny to slightly overcast and upper 60’s, the perfect combination when exploring. Once on the green trolley line going to The Garden District my group and I began to research the location we should get dropped off at that would be most efficient with our time. Initially, when we began to enter the district the scenery was more run down. Apartment buildings and businesses were not well kept which had me worried if we made the right decision or not. Although, shortly after that we began to see homes that displayed large windows, wrap around porches, and tucked back behind intricate wrought iron fences. The Plantation and Victorian style homes displayed a simplistic elegance that made you stop at each home to study the various touches. On some homes porches were lined with wooden dowels while others had picturesque wrought iron that would see in movies. Each home gave you a glimpse of what homes looked like back in the 1800’s.