For five days, Upper School English teachers Kailey Cole and Katie Jones Espinales led students through the city of New Orleans in Rhythms and Roots: Exploring the Art, Music, and History of New Orleans.

After arriving in the city on Monday, we ate dinner at Mulate’s Cajun Restaurant, where we were able to not only taste the Cajun cuisine, but also watch music and dancing live. Here, we were taught line dances while the band played in the background.

During our second day in New Orleans, we explored the city’s treasures with a bus tour through the French Quarter—one of New Orleans’ most famous neighborhoods—and a visit to the New Orleans Jazz Museum. We also grabbed a bite to eat at the Cafe du Monde, where we tasted the famous beignets.

On the third day, we visited one of the city’s most unique attractions, the Cajun Pride Swamp Tour. The trip consisted of a boat tour down one of Louisiana’s bayous, where we spotted various wildlife: alligators, turtles, and raccoons. The tour was a success, ending with each person getting to hold a baby alligator. The day concluded with a touch of nostalgia—a trip to Dave & Buster’s.

On the last day in New Orleans, we visited the Whitney Plantation and had a guided tour where we learned what life would be like for an enslaved person working on the sugar cane plantation. The experience was eye opening and gave a new perspective on the city’s history.

With both informational and exciting activities throughout the trip, students loved the project. “I really liked holding the baby alligator,” senior Lia Ruiz said. “It was a cool experience that I would never have in Chicago.”