feet_on_the_street
Jul 2011
I went with my boyfriend on two of the Strange True Tours on my first visit to New Orleans. We did the "Strange New Orleans" tour in the evening and the "City of the Dead" cemetery tour the next morning. My advice would be to do these tours as soon as you arrive in the city. That way, you know the story behind what you'll be seeing for the rest of the trip. The tour is amazing. If you're a history buff, Jeffrey's well-researched expertise will definitely keep you interested. If you're not a history buff, Jeffrey's anecdotes along the way will keep you entertained.
I've been on several walking tours in different cities around the country, and what makes Strange True Tours special is the passion that the guide has for his city. I like to research the cities before I visit, and while I heard many things during the tour that were familiar, I learned some incredible new things that I doubt I would have read about in any tour guide. I laughed a lot and at times felt heavy-hearted (not all aspects of history are happy, but it's still very important to know).
After going on both tours, I feel like I made a new friend in New Orleans. I'm definitely going to go on some more tours through Strange True Tours on my next trip to New Orleans, which will hopefully be soon!
A few tips: Wear comfortable walking shoes because many of the old French Quarter streets are uneven. Wear a hat for all daytime trips in the summer. Jeffrey brought umbrellas for us to use on the cemetery tour (he is that cool!). Take a bottle of water. Jeffrey covers a lot of information in a small amount of time (about 2 hours), and a lot of it you will want to remember. You might want to bring a pen and paper to jot down book recommendations and other notes.