Ellie Horvath
Ride the routes of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parade, along levees and under the canopy of live oaks on Cycle of Life’s new Big Easy Bike Tour. Each day brings new areas to explore, from the French Quarter and neighborhoods of lavish mansions to backcountry bayous and historic towns and plantations up the Mississippi River. Covering up to 240 miles over six days on flat bike paths and roads, the tour is ideal for recreational to intermediate riders. The Big Easy Bike Tour sets out Nov. 13, 2021, starting at $2,995 per person based on double occupancy with all accommodations, meals, guides, van support and an airboat tour included.
“New Orleans is known for its vibrant, yet relaxing atmosphere and our new Big Easy Bike Tour is no different,” said Elli Sias, owner of Cycle of Life Adventures. “Join us this fall as we take in the area’s food, music, architecture and history – we’ll ease our way along parade routes and through city parks, into nearby bayous and up the Mississippi.”
The tour starts and ends in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the city’s oldest neighborhood. On the first day, ride Mardi Gras parade routes, respectfully tour old cemeteries and pedal under the leafy canopy of live oaks in the Garden District.
Leave the bike behind on the second day and take an airboat tour that explores the meandering bayous of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, seeing the swamp’s abundance of wildlife and exotic plants up close.
Depart New Orleans on day three, following levees and the Mississippi River Trail upstream to the Houmas House Plantation in Darrow, where self-guided tours of the expansive grounds and gardens are available.
On day four, visit the National Hansen’s Disease Museum, which honors leprosy patients who were once quarantined there, then cycle across the river to the Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site to tour the lock system and continue downstream to the Nottoway Plantation in White Castle.
Start the fifth day touring the gardens and grounds of the Nottoway Plantation before pedaling through Donaldson and Napoleonville to the Oak Alley Plantation, one of the most photographed plantations in the U.S.
On the final day, shuttle across busy bridges back into New Orleans, then finish by riding along Lake Pontchartrain and through beautiful parks within the city.
For more information about the Cycle of Life’s new Big Easy Bike Tour, visit https://cycleoflifeadventures.com/tour/new-orleans-big-easy-bike-tour/.
Cycle of Life Adventures
Cycle of Life Adventures offers bicycle tours across the United States, including 45-day cross-country tours, 20-plus day “Epic” tours, weeklong trips and three-day “Fundo” adventures. The 2021 tour schedule includes trips along the East Coast from Maine to the Florida Keys, down the Mississippi River, across the country’s Southern Tier, through the Colorado Rockies and many more. Tours include accommodations, meals, guides and van support. For more information, visit https://cycleoflifeadventures.com/.
