Greed, power and corruption. Voodoo Queens, Pirates and Duels over honor. Is it a plot from a dramatic, historical television series? No, it’s the history of New Orleans. I am a bit of a history buff and enjoy touring cities I visit. During our recent visit to New Orleans, the kids and I explored the city with our own personal tour guide, David Hedges, the NOLA Tour Guy. He works independently and features a revolutionary type of tour, one based on tips, not a set price. United Europe Free Tours offers these types of services and he believed he could offer the same services in New Orleans so everyone could afford a customized tour.
We began our tour at the St. Louis Cathedral, build in 1720 and recognized as the oldest cathedral in the United States. We stepped into Jackson Square Park and were treated to stories of intrigue and corruption as we learned more about the founders of New Orleans. I noticed the kids, usually bored when I impart historical facts upon them, were hanging onto every word. As we continued, we learned about the first French settlers and the Creole people, who placed great importance on wealth and honor, and created ornate buildings to showcase their high standing in society.
David, a history major in college, was very knowledgeable and able to answer any questions we threw at him. One of the advantages of having a small tour was we were able to go at our own pace, ask questions, and spend more time at areas that interested us. I had questions about Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, and the kids were curious about Jean Lafitte, the pirate. We were given in-depth information that brought the historical figures to life. Did you know Marie Laveau had sickle cell anemia which kept her from contracting yellow fever, a disease that killed thousands in New Orleans? This added to her mystique because she was able to treat people inflicted with the disease without catching it herself.
Halfway through our two hour tour we stopped by the Royal Blend, a coffee shop with one of the few public courtyards in the French Quarter. Because it’s so hot, I recommend purchasing a large cup of their speciality, Blood Orange Lemonade. It’s only $2 and is incredibly refreshing. Also, because of the lack of public restrooms, after making a purchase, they allow people to use their restroom. It’s a good place to sit, people watch and have a light lunch.
We ended our tour at the outdoor French Market, first used by indigenous people to trade their wares with the earliest settlers and now a place to purchase a souvenir, fresh produce or a snack. David, our New Orleans Tour Guy, gave us insider tips on low cost options to shop, eat and visit before we parted ways. He also provided me with directions to places I wanted to visit. The kids and I were fascinated by the history and discovered several places we would not have known about if we hadn’t taken the tour. David also offers tours of St. Louis Cemetery and The Garden District.
Our family received a complimentary tour for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to
your site? My blog site is in the exact same area of
interest as yours and my users would certainly benefit from some of the information you present here.
Please let me know if this alright with you. Thank you!
Please do some research, David worked for a company called Free Tours by Foot and was relieved of his position. He did not ‘bring the concept’ to New Orleans. He did it to spite his former boss.Someone needs to fact check……
Thank you for your response, Jeffrey. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and will certainly look into this. However, I don’t believe that I said he “brought the concept” to New Orleans, merely it was a revolutionary idea.
I love reading about your trip… the pictures are amazing and I SOOO WANT to go to New Orleans now.. need to add this to my bucket list… thanks for sharing and it sure looked like ya all had a blast.
New Orleans. Hmmm….another must add to my travel bucket list. The French Quarter interests me.
Wow what a great tour concept! I’d love to see this happening in more major cities around the US! He sounds like a great tour guide with a gift for storytelling!
Looks like an awesome trip! When I go, I’ll have to come back to review this to make sure we hit the hot spots!
This sounds like a fun adventure! We’ll have to check him out if we are down there sometime.
This looks like a lot of fun and something that my entire family would enjoy. A tour guide would make me feel like I’m really on vacation since they would take care of a lot of the planning of what to do! 🙂
I never thought of getting a personal tour guide, but that is an awesome idea! It sounds like a fun trip.
What a unique way to do a tour! Sounds like you had a lot of fun and learned some interesting history in the area.
These sites are absolutely gorgeous! I’m sure you and your family had a wonderful time and it is evident from the photos that you all did!
I love all the history! New Orleans is definitely at the top of my list for family vacation destinations.
I’m so jealous of all of the fun you had. We’ve been dying to head to New Orleans but things just keep popping up. We’re going to have to get a tour guide when we get down there!
Oh my goodness! I would love to have a nola tour guide!! We found when we went to a new location it is always helpful to take at least one guided tour of the location because you are better able to find the good stuff from someone who really knows. Then you can explore on your own afterwards. We did that when we went to Paris and found some amazing places we never would have visited on our own.
I love New Orleans. I was only there once, when I was 18, but I’ve always wanted to go back. Very cool tour, and I love the pictures!
When we lived in MS, my husband and I drove down to NOLA every few months. It’s a gorgeous city we miss so much. Thanks for hipping me to this tour!
you are making me so sad i’ve never been to NOLA