Zachary, LA Outdoor Activities

Though he wanted to fly ever since he was a young boy, life kept coming between Raja Gharazeddine and his dream. Finally, at age 30, he managed to earn his private-pilot’s license, despite juggling extra jobs and overtime hours. Today, the Gold Seal–certified flight instructor channels his lifelong love of aviation to guide students toward certifications such as recreational-pilot licenses, private-pilot licenses, and instrument ratings.

He and his team of dedicated instructors work with pupils on individual timelines, using comprehensive syllabi and a wealth of flight sources to carefully track every student's progress. Acadian Aviation’s resources also include a four-plane fleet, whose Cessna 172 and three Pipers suit novice flyers looking to enrich their skills before operating larger aircraft. When not soaring skyward, Raja invites his students to open houses where aviators in all stages of training discuss aspects of flying such as tips for racing against pelicans.

“Today was a little weird,” begins one of New Orleans Jogging Tours’ guides in a recent blog entry. “Every time we stopped to talk about the houses in the Garden District, a lizard jumped out!” This rare bahama anole isn’t the only outlandish sight jogging tourists have encountered on the 10-kilometer jaunts. The bouncing periphery of tour routes is frequently peppered with unexpected encounters, such as late-night Bourbon Street revelers or trees costumed with Mardi Gras beads well after Fat Tuesday. All New Orleans natives, the guides are primed to run the routes but keep pace with their charges, even if that means leisurely strolling or cartwheeling through historic areas such as the French Quarter, cemetery, and Garden District. Each section houses morsels of historical and cultural significance, from the St. Louis Cathedral and Civil War Museum to the homes of Sandra Bullock and a former Real World cast. Guides can stow smaller items in a backpack they bring along, but suggest that joggers tow personal backpacks for larger cargo.