Free guided art and architecture bike tours return this month

This month, the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Portage Bike Roll returns for its second and final series in 2018. Launched to commemorate the city’s tricentennial, the free, guided six-mile tour leads participants past historic sites, notable architecture, and art installations in Bayou St. John, Esplanade Ridge, Treme, and the French Quarter.

The path traces a portage route—an ancient footpath used by Native Americans— that connects the Mississippi River and Bayou St. John. Stops include St. Augustine Church in Treme, the Wave of the World sculpture in City Park, Bayou St. John, and The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC).

A Bicycle Named Desire leads the tours, which take place at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. October 20 and 21, as well as November 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, and 18. Participants can make reservations via A Bicycle Named Desire or pick up a map for a self-guided tour at THNOC (533 Royal Street) or A Bicycle Named Desire (632 Elysian Fields Avenue).