Author: Emily Gautreaux

Seven Tours You Can Take In New Orleans

What better way to get to know New Orleans than to take one of these tours? New Orleans is filled with rich culture and heavy history, so using a tour guide who is well versed with all the ins and outs of the city, coupled with a hefty knowledge of all the ‘ghosts of New Orlean’s past’, is a great way to see the sites.

Louisiana Travel put together these tours in New Orleans so you can get better acquainted with the Crescent City.

Step Back in Time: History Tours

New Orleans doesn’t have just any old history. This city has experienced it all – massive fires, cultural melting pots, a few spells, mischievous personalities, and so much more. If you know the right places to look, you’ll find that New Orlean’s past is represented all around you. Finding the perfect guide to enlighten you on the stories that are (literally) under your nose.

Eat Your Way Through New Orleans: Culinary Tours

Is it even truly New Orlean’s if there isn’t food? You can take one of many culinary tours that will take you to a few classic New Orleans restaurants and learning the history behind it. If you want a more hands-on experience, check out one of the city’s cooking schools, where you can try your hand at making jambalaya, corn and crab bisque, or barbecued shrimp.

Ride in Style: Carriage Tours

What better way to see the city than a carriage tour? Call for your carriage to pick you up from your hotel or head down to the Decatur Street side of Jackson Square and hop in! All you have to do is sit back in awe as your driver narrates stories from the French Quarter or Jackson Square.

Choose to Cruise: Riverboat Tours

Choose between the Creole Queen or the Steamboat Natchez and experience New Orleans history at it’s smoothest. Pick between a relaxing evening with dinner and a side of Jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland while cruising up the Mississippi River, or dive into history with the Chalmette Battlefield cruise, which starts at the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans and visits other historical combat sites.

Spook Yourself Silly: Ghost Tours

Get prepared to have a spookingly good time, because New Orlean’s has lots of ghosts. These nighttime adventures will take you to French Quarter locations best known for their paranormal activity. If you want to tour an actual haunted house, check out the Mystère Mansion/Haunted Mortuary, a neoclassical mansion built in 1912 with nine resident ghosts.

Walk Among the Dead: Cemetery Tours

Between cowboys, African slaves, and plenty of voodoo, New Orleans definitely doesn’t have a shortage of cemeteries. On one of these tours, you can wander historic cemeteries, visit graves, and learn about voodoo, including its root in West African cultures, Catholic influences, and its modern-day practices.

Distinguishing Designs: Architecture Tours

Mixed in with New Orlean’s rich and dynamic culture, you’ll find colorful houses, plant-filled balconies, and wistful courtyards. You will see influences from French, Caribbean, and Southern American styles and architectures, resulting in a unique style known from New Orleans. On one of these tours, you’ll see structures that range from modern to the late colonial era.

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8 Of The Best Holiday Travel Hacks

With Thanksgiving and Christmas here, everyone is rushing to find the best holiday travel deals. Traveling during the holidays can be really stressful, regardless if you’re going cross-country or a few hours away. Luckily, Travel + Leisure asked some of their editors for their favorite holiday travel hacks, and they definitely delivered!

  • Fly at odd times

“While setting an alarm for 4 a.m. may seem extremely painful the night before, booking a really early flight on notoriously busy days has often helped me avoid the relentless holiday crowds. Arriving with the very early risers will often yield a much quieter and more serene airport experience, in contrast to the mayhem that sets in by 10 a.m. around the holidays. Additionally, if you don’t mind flying on the morning of Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, the crowds are likely to be less chaotic than they would be on December 22nd or 23rd.” — Bailey Bennett, Audience Engagement Editor

  • Ship your gifts ahead of time

The TSA swears it’s okay to bring your beautifully wrapped gifts through airport security, but I don’t like taking any chances. And if you’re thinking about bringing a fancy Wüsthof knife set for your in-laws, you should know TSA will absolutely confiscate it: wrapped or otherwise. To be safe, ship your gifts before you leave. — Melanie Lieberman, Associate Digital Editor

  • Roll your clothes

“If there’s any time you’ll need more space in your suitcase, it’s during the holidays. Finding room for gifts—both the ones you’re giving and receiving—is the ultimate struggle, but one packing strategy that I find works pretty well is rolling my clothes. Instead of folding and stacking, roll and layer each item. You’d be amazed at how much you can pack into a carry-on. As a matter of fact, the technique works so well that I actually use it every day when storing clothes in my dresser.” — John Scarpinato, Editorial Assistant

  • Be prepared

“Whether you’re headed somewhere sunny or anticipating a white Christmas, winter travel is tough on your skin. Don’t just assume Mom will have everything you need waiting for you — stock up on helpful travel-sized products like moisturizers, hydrating facial sprays or oils, and sheet masks. (And be sure to hide them from prying siblings upon arrival, unless you feel like sharing.)” — Nina Ruggiero, Senior Digital Editor

  • Plan a staycation after the holidays

“Even a great family visit can be exhausting. Before you head back to the office, give yourself a day at home to catch up on laundry, go to the grocery store, binge your favorite show, or do absolutely nothing at all. You’ll feel much more rested and ready for the New Year than if you jump right back into work.” — Jessica Plautz, Deputy Digital Editor

  • Find a deal

Mr. Chrish Tkaczyk recommends this travel hack, “If your schedule is flexible and you’re not flying long haul, look for fares on the actual holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve, and you might find a valuable deal. Travel agents also have access to fares that you might otherwise not find doing a typical web search on KAYAK or Google Flights. And if you need a same-day flight, use the Get the Flight Out app (iOS only) from fare tracker Hopper.” — Chris Tkaczyk, Senior News Editor

  • Fly mid-week-travel hack

“Fare gurus have long suggested flying mid-week, as travelers can often score the best flight deals if they’re willing to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. This tip can also help beat some of the intense crowds that pack airports on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (both of which fall on the weekend this year). When I know I’ll be able to pass through security and board my flight without the crush of a few hundred added travelers in J.F.K. Airport, I’m able to relax and begin preparing mentally for the festivities and familial spats of the holiday season.” — Jess McHugh, Digital Reporter

  • Arrive super early 

“I tend to fly the day after Christmas (always in the a.m.) and in order to avoid ever missing a flight due to the snaking TSA security lines, I forgo an hour or two of sleep and get to the airport really early. That way you have more wiggle room in case there’s either traffic or lines. You might be tired, but there are plenty of lounge chairs to curl up in and coffee shops to grab a double espresso when you’re in the terminal. Definitely better than sleeping in and missing your flight home.” — Kira Turnbull, Photo Assistant

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Two Louisiana Educators Receive National Honors

According to Louisiana Believes, Steven Gamache and Jennifer Williams, two Louisiana educators, received the 2019-2020 prestigious, nationally recognized Milken Educator Award as well as the accompanying unrestricted check for $25,000. The two language arts teachers are among 40 educators nationwide to receive this year’s award.

Steven Gamache is an eighth grade language arts teacher at Paul Habans Charter School in Orleans Parish. He obtains a bachelors in English from Fordham University and a master’s in adolescent education from the College of Saint Rose. Aside from being the school’s lead ELA teacher, Gamache is also the coach to sixth and seventh grade ELA interventionists.

Jennifer Williams, a sixth grade language arts teacher at John Q. Adams School in Jefferson Parish, received her bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of New Orleans. She’s also the organizer of her school’s “Test Fest”, one of the schools biggest events.

Both Gamache and Williams were prepared for an assembly, celebrating their schools’ wonderful academic gains, when they were given the surprise of a lifetime as the Milken Educator Awards Founder, Lowell Milken, announced the true reason they were there.

“There are very, very few human beings walking the planet with the commitment, intelligence, sense of humor, thoughtfulness and integrity that Steve possesses. He’s the newest member of a very elite group and he deserves every accolade he received – and will receive – today and going forward.” said Tracy Blowers about teacher Steven Gamache in response to receiving the Milken Educator Award.

Watch the video for Steven Gamache receiving his award here.

Alena Alexeeva says about Williams, “Mrs.Williams is one of the best teachers. She is always thinking about the class and teaches her students well. She helps students understand a new topic easily and motivates her students to never give up. She also has very good methods in her class that make learning easy and fun.”

Watch the video for Jennifer Williams receiving her award here.

Winners of the Milken Educator Award are selected in their early to mid-career, with consideration of what they have already achieved, as well as the promise of what they will accomplish in their career. Aside from the $25,000 prize and public recognition, the award also includes being inducted into the Milken Educator Network, a community of more than 2,800 top teachers, principals, and specialists who have also received the honor of the award.

Winners of the 2019-2020 Milken Educator Award will also attend a Milken Educator Forum in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 26-28, 2020, where they will have the opportunity to network with their new colleagues and peers and elaborate and exchange ideas with both state and federal on the future of education.

The Award’s “Why Not Us” program will pair each 2019 recipient to a Milken Educator veteran mentor so they can explore, collaborate, and prepare new ideas for expanded leadership roles that better and solidify education practice and policy.

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The Best Ever Chicken Fajita Chowder Recipe

This winter, replace Taco Tuesdays with this delicious chicken fajita chowder recipe! It’s unbelievably filling and hits the spot on the cold, dark days of this season.

The best part about this recipe is you can make it two different ways! Taste of Homeshared their way of making this recipeusing a dutch oven, and this versionof the chowder can easily be made in a crockpot so all you have to do is throw the ingredients together and let the crockpot work its magic.

For your chicken fajita chowder, you’ll need the following:

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chopped boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 cups of frozen corn
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 10 ounces (1 can) green enchilada sauce
  • 4 ounces (1 can) chopped green chiles
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Tortilla chips, optional
  • Minced fresh chives, optional

Place your dutch over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, chopped chicken pieces, peppers, and onion and stir until the vegetables are crisp and tender.

Next, stir in the water, uncooked brown rice, frozen corn, the entire can of green enchilada sauce, chopped green chiles, and salt. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked and tender, approximately 35-40 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the dutch oven from heat. Stir in the Mexican blend cheese and sour cream until the cheese is melted. Top with chives and serve with tortilla chips.

If you wanted to add a twist to the ingredients, switch out the water for chicken stock (4 cups) and replace the rice with black or pinto beans! Yum! Crockpot instructions:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 can enchilada sauce
  • 1 can green chilies
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 pack of frozen corn
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream

Pour water, enchilada sauce, green chilies, diced onion, and chicken breast into the crockpot. Cover the crockpot, then turn on high for two hours.

After two hours of cooking, make sure chicken is cooked through, then remove the chicken breast, cut into pieces, and place back into soup mixture.

Now, add the frozen corn, uncooked rice, and green peppers. Stir the ingredients together, place lid back on the crockpot and continue cooking on low for three hours.

About ten minutes before eating, add the cheese and sour cream into the soup, and stir until the cheese melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Want to hear a life hack? You can make this recipe ahead of time (just keep the uncooked chicken separate!), put into a container or Ziploc bag and freeze for later (super easy meal prep!)! To reheat, just pop it into the microwave or a pot on the stove.

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The Visitor’s Guide to Vernon Parish, Louisiana

Vernon Parish, Louisiana is a beautiful town filled with history and culture, beginning with being part of the “No Man’s Land” area, a strip of disputed territory where the border of Mexico once was. Many lives were fought for, lost, and won on the soil of Vernon Parish, adding to the celebrated rich history.

Read on to learn how you can celebrate with the locals and make the most out of your time in Vernon Parish, thanks to this list from Louisiana Travel.

See the Myths and Legends Byway

Known as Louisiana’s Wild West, Vernon parish was once home to the Coushatta and Atakapa Indians and to outlaws and gun-slingers with names like Leather Britches Smith. The Myths and Legends Byway is a section of the Louisiana Trails and Byways and follows different travelers’ journeys. To find out what life was like as a traveler on the frontier,  begin at Burr Ferry and follow the scenic backroads through Vernon and neighboring parishes.

Tour the Leesville Main Street Cultural District in Vernon Parish

One of six in Louisiana’s nationally accredited main streets, Leesville is brimming with history. Visitors can walk at their own pace throughout the well-preserved historical buildings, like the Wingate and Ferguson Houses on display. You can find local goods every Thursday and Saturday at the 3rd Market Street or head to Gallery One Eleven, a co-op of contemporary and traditional local artists that showcase west Louisiana culture.

Have fun at MayFest

This annual festival takes place the first full weekend of May and brings in food vendors, face painters, craftsmen, and artisans from Louisiana and Texas. You can find hand-blown glass, pottery, homemade candles, and many other types of crafts and trinkets. They also showcase local musicians and well-known Louisiana artists like Tab Benoit and the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”, Irma Thomas. Check out this guide to MayFest for more information.

Hike in the Kisatchie National Forest, Vernon Parish

Taking up a portion of Vernon Parish, Kisatchie National Forest actually stretches out through most of central and west Louisiana. Here you can find endangered bird species and natural areas that showoff Louisiana’s backcountry. Make sure to check out Little Cypress Recreation Area if you’re into horseback riding, off-road biking, or boating.

Dine in at the Vernon Parish Restaurants

Get your fill of quality Louisiana-style southern food like gumbo and jambalaya, along with other homestyle dinners. Check out restaurants like The Mustard Seed, BJ’s Diner, BubbaQue’s BBQ, and Wagon Master Steakhouse.

Wander the Talbert-Pierson Cemetery

Cemeteries are no stranger to Louisiana, inspiring many myths and scary stories of Louisiana’s eclectic culture and the Talbert-Pierson Cemetery is no exception. It’s filled with 13 grave houses with tombs as it’s occupants that date back decades.

Learn the history at the Museum of West Louisiana.

The Museum of West Louisiana is filled with artifacts that capture the region’s history, housing everything from railroad memorabilia to Native American artifacts made from stone and clay. This museum also features a series of paintings made by World War II German Prisoners of War during their time at Fort Polk.

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Promising Outcome for Schools in the ESSA Plan

On November 6, 2019, the Louisiana Department of Education revealed performance data that detailed how well schools and child care centers across the state prepare their students, from birth to 12th grade. You can find the results online at the Louisiana School and Center Finder.  The public school scores that were announced signify a milestone in the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA Plan), which is a required effort to identify and improve struggling public schools. The results of the scores show promising outcomes for many of these struggling schools that were identified. According to this article from Louisiana Believes:

  • Struggling schools undergoing improvement efforts grew by an average of 4.8 SPS points, compared with 3.9 SPS points among other improving schools.
  • Of the 219 struggling schools identified by the state, excluding alternative schools, 43 schools–20 percent–improved a full letter grade, compared with 15 percent among all other public schools, excluding those already scoring at the “A” level.
  • Of 219 schools initially identified under the ESSA Plan as in need of comprehensive improvement, excluding alternative schools, 36 percent increased by 3 or more school performance score (SPS) points, 40 percent remained generally steady, and 24 percent declined by 3 or more SPS points. By comparison, 29 percent of other schools, excluding alternative schools, increased by 3 or more points.

These results are also a great indicator for the need of bigger improvement in struggling schools. Since the ESSA Plan requires Louisiana to identify struggling public schools, 571 newly identified schools have been added to this list of schools that have consistently struggling groups of students. These schools, which make up 44 percent of all of Louisiana’s public schools, are now required to develop plans for improvement pending state approval and funding. Out of those 571 schools, 89 have received a grade of “F” for two or more consecutive years and 25 have received an “F” for four or more consecutive years, reinforcing their eligibility for inclusion in the state-run Recovery School District.

“Today’s release provides early indications that school systems taking seriously their responsibility to provide a quality education for all children can make significant improvements, even in persistently struggling schools. The release also underscores the urgency of taking action. More than 45,000 students still attend a school rated ‘F.’ This can and must change.” said state superintendent John White.

This release is also effective in providing information for parents and communities with information on early childhood centers, which have been consistently showing improvement. Compared to the past year, 126 more early childhood sites achieved Proficient or above in the 2018-2019 school year. These results also indicate the necessity for expanding access to these high-quality programs, especially for children birth to age three. While 86 percent of economically disadvantaged 4 year olds have access to quality early learning, only 1 percent of our infants, 6 percent of our toddlers, and 26 percent of our 3 year olds do.

Based on the results, 271 schools have been recognized as in need of comprehensive intervention for the next school year and are required to submit their plans for school improvement. The other 300 schools are required to submit a plan for urgent intervention in regards to struggling persistently with groups of students and/or school discipline.

For more education related information, click here.