November 11, 2023

We woke up in New Orleans and after breakfast its time to disembark from the Mississippi Viking, which was a very comfortable and well run river boat. Our luggage has been transferred to our hotel the Monteleone in the French Quarter.

We head from the boat to the Historic New Orleans Collection. We are welcomed by the CEO Daniel Hammer, then are treated to presentations by Dr. Libby Neidenbach, titled, “Yet She is Advancing”: New Orleans Women and the Right to Vote 1878 – 1970″ and Eric Siefferth on the traveling exhibit that tells the New Orleans civil rights movement, “The Trail they Blazed”. We are guided on a tour of the exhibits which gives us insight in to the history of New Orleans. We then are off to Muriel’s restaurant for a “casual lunch” then we walk through the French Quarter to our hotel.

After hotel check-in we did a short tour of the French Quarter to take in some of the interesting characters that make this place so interesting.

That evening we toured the Gardens district to view some of the majestic old homes on our way to the famous restaurant Commander’s Palace. We were joined by Boysie and Joy Bollinger, who are the major donors and leaders of the expansion of the World War II Museum. Boysie gave us insight into the journey of the creation of a major attraction in New Orleans.