Val led us on an excellent walking tour through the Garden District after briefly stopping at the Lafayette Cemetery no. 1 and giving us many interesting facts. It is a bonus that he also happens to live in the district and has actually toured many of the homes we walked by. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours as we learned about the history of the area as well as the city.

We were unable to hear our guide at the beginning of the tour due to construction and maintenance workers at a nearby restaurant. Tour guides should have microphones. Also, the tour information intimates that we will be going INTO a cemetery which is not the case, so it's a little deceiving.

The day was perfect - not too cool, not too warm. This is a very walkable walking tour, and was led by a lovely young lady. Highlights are the types of architecture in the neighborhoods, some relevant insights into houses along the way, and of course picking out which houses belong to famous people. The downside was that this should have included the cemetery. There are some damaged graves in the cemetery, and that meant no access at all. We looked through the iron grates. The guide was well versed, most of the time pausing to be sure all of the group members caught up before she spoke. Unfortunately near the end of the tour she often spoke before the rest of the group could catch up or spoke while she was walking forward. Be cautious. The sidewalks around the closed cemetery are unsafe with tree roots exposed through the concrete