| Your Daily Itinerary |
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| Day 1 | Depart St. Paul about 8:30 am (or other points on the train route earlier or later) aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder for the journey east to Chicago. Change trains in Chicago to board the legendary City of New Orleans train for an overnight journey. |
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| Day 2 | Arrive in New Orleans in mid-afternoon, settle into your hotel and get ready to tour the Big Easy. |
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| Day 3 | Tour world famous Bourbon Street, with its carnival atmosphere, jazz clubs and tasty creole cuisine. Board a trolley and tour the French Quarters and its amazing neighborhoods. In addition tour Mardi Gras World. Learn the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Take a closer look at the spectacular floats and props. |
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| Day 4 | Today tour the city from another perspective: take a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River and dance to the strains of jazz music while you soak in the local culture. |
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| Day 5 | Visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum to learn about the roots of jazz in New Orleans. Shop in the the outdoor French Market. Then it's off to the Aquarium of the Americas, with its wonderful collection of marine inhabitants. |
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| Day 6 | About 3 pm resume the overnight train journey northward. Enjoy dining in the classic dining car and the sights of western Mississippi. |
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| Day 7 | Arrive in Chicago this afternoon, and while waiting to change trains you can take a short tour of downtown Chicago. Then it's back on the Empire Builder through Wisconsin and Minnesota. Twin Cities participants arrive in St. Paul around 9:30 pm full of pleasant memories of our southern adventure. Those going on to western MN or North Dakota arrive home next morning). |
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