My wife and I have visited New Orleans many times, but its history was something of an impenetrable jumble until we took this tour. Our guide, John, did a remarkable job of explaining the distinct periods of the city's history and pointing out the legacy of each period on every block. He exhibited an irrepressible enthusiasm for his adopted city. HIs tour and restaurant recommendations were, without exception, on target. The 1850 house was simultaneously thrilling and sobering, as you ponder the contrasts and nagging similarities between antebellum and contemporary America.