Mardi Gras

Our good times begin today with the opportunity to become acquainted with all your new friends on the coach. With our usual stops today, we will arrive in St. Louis, MO in the late afternoon. Happy hour included tonight. Dinner and evening are your leisure.

Breakfast included this morning. It is an easy day today, continuing south. Our destination will be in Jackson, MS. We will be staying at the beautiful Drury Inn. Happy Hour included tonight. Dinner and evening will be at your leisure.

Breakfast included this morning. We meet our guide late morning. A complete Cajun buffet lunch is included. After lunch, we will go to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to see exhibits and the swamp. Our home for four nights is the Drury Inn in Lafayette. Dinner is included this evening.

After breakfast this morning (included in tour) we will have a local guide join us for a tour of the fascinating city of Lafayette. We will check out Moncus Park - huge open air market that has Louisiana products and Cajun music. Then onto the Alexandre Mouton Plantation and Gardens - home of their first Democratic Governor, with previous Mardi Gras King and Queen costumes on display. We will then tour the St. John’s Cathedral, cemetery and see the 500 year old mighty Oak. Lunch is included at the Acadiana Superette - authentic Cochon de lait Cajun meal in a restored grocery store. We will then check out the workshop at Martins Accordion. Dinner is included before we watch the Krewe of Bonaparte Parade (free food and beverage samples at the parade).

After breakfast this morning (included) we will meet our guide. We will go to Jefferson Island, where you will see the Rip Van Winkle Gardens, watch a short film, and tour the Joseph Jefferson Mansion. We will travel to St. Martinville, where the Cajuns settled in 1765. Here you will see the Catholic church and the Evangeline Oak and hear the Evangeline story. Lunch is included today. Next, we'll go to Vermilionville - Lafayette’s largest attraction. This village is what Lafayette looked like 200 years ago; restored homes, boatshed, wood- working shop, blacksmith shop, church, and gar- dens. Enjoy the Cajun/Zydeco band with dancing. Dinner is included. Evening is at your leisure.

After breakfast this morning (included) we will meet our guide. Our first stop today will be at Avery Island, there are many types of plants and wildlife in the gardens. Alligators are usually seen here too. Here, you will have a jungle gardens tour, a tour of the Tabasco Factory, two museums and the country store. Lunch is included. Then onto Kon Rico Rice Mill, the oldest rice mill in existence. There is a large country store with coffee and free samples. We will then head to New Iberia, where we will tour the Shadows on the Teche Mansion on the Bayou Teche. Before dinner (included), we will tour the Evangeline State Park. After dinner, we will attend the Queen Evangeline Parade.

Breakfast included this morning. We will check out this morning and then meet our guide for one last parade, The King Gabriel Parade. Lunch is included. This afternoon, we will travel back to Jackson, MS. We will stay the night at the Drury Inn. Happy Hour is included tonight. Dinner and evening are at your leisure.

After breakfast this morning (included) we will be traveling back to St. Louis, MO for our night stay at the Drury Inn. Happy Hour is included this evening. Dinner and evening are at your leisure.

Breakfast included this morning. All good things must come to an end, but we hope you’ll cherish the memories of this tour for a long time to come.