New Orleans for The Thrill Seekers: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Rent a Blue Bike and ride the rail-to-trail through Tremé and Mid-City to the bayou, ten flat kilometres at sunset.

A kayak or stand-up paddleboard on the slow bayou at dusk, past the Pitot House and under the bridges; rentals close at dark.

Order the roast beef po'boy dressed at the window and eat it on the picnic benches by the bayou; the refuel.

A small flat-bottomed boat through cypress and tupelo with a guide who knows the gators by name; allow 45 minutes each way by car.

Several pavilions of aircraft and landing craft in the Warehouse District; the Beyond All Boundaries film and the submarine experience are the draw.

A wood-fired Cajun kitchen with a fried alligator starter, a pork rib and a long bar; the recovery meal of the weekend.

Run the 2.8 km path around the lagoon under the live oaks, then on to the river and the Fly; the morning light is lovely.

The Vietnamese bakery that feeds the East and bakes the city's best bánh mì; a king cake in season and a bowl of bún bò Huế.

A short walk on the shaded paths of the hardwood forest, with a lagoon and a few miles of trails; a gentle ending.

Run the river's edge as the first tankers pass, over the rusty rainbow of the Piety Street Bridge and back; the view is the reward.

Ride the 1923 cars to the end of the line under the oaks, then walk to the river and watch the barges.

Counter seats in a butcher's shop: a muffuletta or the pork belly cubano with a pickle and a beer.