From the Alamo to Beignets: Our Final Days on The Grand Western Tour

New Orleans, LA

It’s hard to believe, but our incredible journey with The Grand Western Tour has come to a close. Here’s a look back at our final two days together.

We spent one of our last days in San Antonio, arriving after a sleepy, rainy morning on the bus. We had time to grab lunch and explore in small groups, and the River Walk was as beautiful as everyone hoped, with the clouds keeping the Texas heat at bay. From there, we watched a film about the Alamo, a reenactment of the famous 13 day battle from 1836, before walking through the historic site itself.

That evening, we headed to Dave & Buster’s for food and games, where lots of us cashed in points for prizes and candy. A special shoutout to Finn, who passed his leftover points along to a stranger on the way out. We spent the night at a hotel said to be haunted, with a reported 32 ghost sightings over the years. Thankfully, everyone made it through the night just fine!

Then came our final destination: New Orleans. It was a big travel day, with about eight and a half hours on the road, a McDonald’s breakfast to start, and a lunch stop with some free time at Prien Lake Mall. We rolled into the city around 5:00, ready to make our last night count.

We gathered for a lovely final dinner at Coterie, digging into gumbo and jambalaya while a few brave campers put their spice tolerance to the test. Around the table, we each shared our favorite parts of the trip and our favorite meals, and the answers were all over the map, from the ranch to Seattle, from Din Tai Fung at Disney to pizza in Jackson Hole. It was the perfect way to relive a summer’s worth of memories.

Afterward, we walked over to the famous Café du Monde for beignets, hot and covered in powdered sugar. We ate them on the steps across from Jackson Square, watching the horse and carriage tours roll by. It was a sweet ending in every sense of the word.

And just like that, our adventure comes to an end. After 33 days, 18 states, and countless memories, we are all a little sad to say goodbye, but so grateful for every mile, every meal, and every new friend. Thank you for following along with us all summer. Until next time!