Tour of Katrina-devastated areas sell out

There are still sultry, secluded French Quarter courtyards and majestic old Garden District mansions to be seen in New Orleans these days but the tour that John and Toni Stone of Harrisonburg, Virginia, opted for today took them past boarded up shops and collapsing houses.

The couple were among about a dozen tourists who took Gray Line New Orleans’ first post-Katrina bus excursion to parts of the city devastated by the August 29 hurricane.

Some New Orleans residents have questioned whether such tours are morbid exploitation, or a good way to help people grasp the enormity of the disaster.

And Toni Stone confessed to mixed emotions. “I felt guilty about going out and looking, but it’s something we had to do,” she said.

This morning’s tour was added to the day’s itinerary after two afternoon bus tours, each holding 24 passengers, sold out.