Special Events Archives - Travel Frances

Tucson, AZ: Things to Do

Tucson

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Tombstone – Museums, Attractions & Tours

When I visited Washington DC as an adult, it had a profound effect on me. I didn’t get to tour all of the places below, but I was able to visit over half. I will experience the rest on my next visit. My absolutely favorite place was the Newseum, which closed at the end of 2019. I have high hopes that it will open again.

- Arlington National Cemetery
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Decatur House on Lafayette Square
- FDR Memorial
- FBI (Tickets needed in advance)
- International Spy Museum
- Jefferson Memorial
- Library of Congress
- Lincoln Memorial
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
- National Geographic Museum
- National WWII Memorial
- Newseum (now closed)
- Pentagon (Special request)
- President Lincoln’s Cottage
- Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Capitol
- United States Holocaust Memorial & Museum
- United States Mint
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Washington Monument
- White House (Special request)

There are many walking (and other) tours to take in DC, but I had one of the best walking tours in my life with DC Design Tours. They offer historical tours with a focus on architecture, urban planning and design.

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Philadelphia, PA: Things to Do

The rich history in this city includes intriguing museums and deeply important walking tours:

Museums (Indoor/Outdoor):

- Battleship New Jersey
- Betsy Ross House
- Carpenter’s Hall
- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
- Fort Mifflin
- Franklin Institute (for science nerds)
- Benjamin Franklin Museum
- Independence Hall
- Liberty Bell Center
- Museum of the American Revolution
- Mutter Museum (for medical nerds)
- National Constitution Center
- National Liberty Museum
- Penn’s Landing
- Penn Museum (Archaeology)
- Philadelphia 9th St. Italian Market
- Reading Terminal Market
- Shofuso (Japanese Garden)
- United States Mint

Walking Tours – Many to choose from:

- Constitution Walking Tour (local)
- Context Travel (worldwide)
- Franklin’s Footsteps Colonial Walking Tour (local)
- Philadelphia Trolly Works (local)
- Viator (worldwide)

Events – The Philadelphia Folk Festival in August has been happening for almost 60 years! Worth the experience!

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Independence, CA: Things to Do

Things to do – It’s all about history here. Especially at Manzanar. Just allow yourself to feel everything that comes up as you transport yourself back to WWII:

- Manzanar National Historic Site is the current site of the Manzanar War Relocation Center, which was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during WWII.
- Manzanar Pilgrimage during the last weekend in April each year is quite a powerful and amazing experience, especially if you are a history buff. People from all over the country attend the pilgrimage each year.
- Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine is great if you are a western movie buff. Really fun and informative. There were hundreds of movies and TV shows filmed in this area. Fun trip down memory lane!
- Lots of hiking in this area. Mount Whitney is spectacular.

New Orleans, LA: Things To Do

Walking Tours – This is a great city for walking. I’ve done many walking tours – the ones that stand out are cemetery and French Quarter tours

- Abel Tours does a great Music & Heritage Tour.
- Civil War Tours of New Orleans
- French Quarter Phantoms
- Haunted History Tours
- JFK Assassination Tour through Historic New Orleans Tours was one of the most interesting tours I’ve taken!
- Many options on Viator.com, Yelp.com or Tripadvisor.com.

Walking Ghost Tours – Since New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in the US, definitely do a walking ghost tour – Yelp.com has many excellent reviews for ghost tours.

Other Tours:

- Especially if you’ve never been to New Orleans, the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen is a great way to learn about the city, feel the power of the Mississippi River, while having your favorite cocktail and possibly a meal.
- Another option is the Harbor Jazz Cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.
- Experience local distilleries at it’s best with a tour at Celebration Distillery.

Music Memories:

Live Music – Here’s my favorites with the styles of music they usually provide:

- BB King’s Blues Club (Blues, baby!)
- Maison (Django style)
- Maple Leaf Bar (Blues, funk, R&B, rock, Zydeco, Jazz, etc.)
- Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant (Cajun, what else?)
- Rock ‘n’ Bowl (especially on Zydeco Thursdays)
- Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro (New Orleans Modern Jazz)
- Spotted Cat Music Club (traditional Jazz)
- Tipitina’s Uptown (great roots music)
- Tropical Isle Bayou Club & Music Bar (Trop Rock)

History – Several of my favorites:

- Civil War Walking Tours
- Confederate Memorial Hall Museum
- Milton H. Latter Memorial Library
- National WWII Museum
- New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
- Old US Mint (museum and music)
- Sazerac Bar (at Roosevelt Hotel)
- Southern Food & Beverage Museum
- St. Louis Cathedral

Special Events – Hands down, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival one of the best musical festivals in the USA!

Architecture – I haven’t taken one of these tours here yet, but if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears!

Category: Special Events

Tucson, AZ: Things to Do

Washington DC: Things to Do

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Philadelphia, PA: Things to Do

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Independence, CA: Things to Do

New Orleans, LA: Things To Do

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