9 Ways to Get Scared in Haunted New Orleans

Halloween is coming up, which means you have a little bit of time to plan a getaway to give you the heebie jeebies. There's no place creepier (or as fun) as The Big Easy.

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New Orleans has always claimed to have a rich history in the occult and creepy myths, so taking a trip to indulge in the historical part of this city is definitely a must. The city has long been called one of the most haunted cities in America and for several reasons – catastrophes, violence and close quarters being among them. Everywhere you turn, you can find ghostly haunts:

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The Omni Royal Hotel

Once the building for the city’s slave market and the site of great brutality, the hotel is now a grand place to stay and home to many spirits. If you stay here, you may see lights flicker and faucets turn on and off.

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The Bourbon Orleans

This former orphanage run by nuns still has kids running along its corridors. Guests have reported hearing children’s voices, seeing nuns in the hallways and feeling electrical charges near the stairwells.

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The Dauphine House Bed & Breakfast

Some guests just refuse to leave. This historic house, built right outside of the French Quarter in the 1800s, has doors that open and close on their own.

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Brennan’s New Orleans

A staple of the city since 1946, Brennan’s is not only a highly rated fine dining establishment, but it also has its own ghosts. In the Red Room, a man living in the building hanged himself after murdering his family. One of the cooks loved his job so much he continues to try to do it after his death and pots and pans clank in the kitchen when no one is around.

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Antoine’s

The owner of this well-known eatery was so deeply devoted to his restaurant and its patrons, that he is said to come back night after night – sometimes with other dearly departed family members – to check on how things are going.

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Muriel’s

Not one to dismiss the presence of ghosts who roam the earth, Muriel’s greets wandering spirits with a waiting plate of food and has even turned what was once the old slave quarters into a séance room. A former owner, devastated by losing his home in a poker game, committed suicide in this same room, making it a hotbed of paranormal activity.

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The Pharmacy Museum

Set on the site of the very first apothecary shop, the Pharmacy Museum holds a wide variety of cures and artifacts from old medical practices and voodoo rituals, including ghastly instruments used in the past for dentistry, many by the former owner, a dentist known to conduct grisly experiments on patients.

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St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Nearly everyone has heard of the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau and you can visit her tomb in New Orleans’ most haunted cemetery. Hundreds of thousands are buried in this one square block, with the tombs being reused over and over. Visit during the day or take a haunted tour of the cemetery at night for a spookier feel and the chance to see some of the dead residents as well.

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Lafayette Cemetery No. 1

Located in the Garden District, this beautiful cemetery is full of the tombs of those who died of yellow fever in the 1850s. It is surrounded by stately homes and mansions and has free tours each day. Shadows are seen frequently around the grounds.

Everywhere you go in The Big Easy seems to have an interesting story behind it. If you want learn more about the past of New Orleans and its ghostly inhabitants consider taking a guided tour. There are many to choose from, including ghost walks, vampire walks and historical city tours. They last around 90 minutes and are informative and affordable. They will surely make your trip much more interesting.

Have you ever had a paranormal experience in a haunted destination?

Leave Your Credit Cards at Home with #WocketWallet

Wouldn't it be easy if all you had in your wallet was one credit card and your ID? Of course it would, but it's very rare that any of us have only a few things in our purses or pockets, because we all have several credit cards, debit cards, rewards cards and more. If you could leave it all at home with no consequences, would you? I know I sure would, because I hate sifting through cards when I get to the check out. With the Wocket Smart Wallet you can live the dream.

Program this sweet little electronic wallet with all your important cards and rewards programs and you're good to go. You won't have to worry about a card falling out of your wallet somewhere and someone picking it up and going on a shopping spree. Wocket stores all your cards and allows you to use any card you've uploaded at the checkout with the fancy electronic Wocket card. It looks like a credit card, with your name on it and a magnetic strip like any other card you would use.

Seven or eight years ago, I had a card go missing and I noticed a $700 charge on it. Someone had tried (and mostly succeeded) to buy a computer with my debit card. I was lucky to have caught it and even luckier to be able to call both the bank and the online retailer and straighten out the situation. The order was cancelled, the money put back in my account and a new card was sent to me. It took a couple hours of my time, but it all turned out okay, however, it would have been nice for it to have never happened at all.

It would be almost impossible for the Wocket card to get lost, as it locks in place when put back into your Wocket Wallet, ready to be programmed anew the next time you need to use it to make a purchase. Five minutes after it's used, the card wipes itself, so even if it IS lost, it can't be used at all, since it only has your name on it, no numbers or credit card logos. Pretty cool, right? 

I feel like having this on my trips could really eliminate the worry of losing my credit card that I'm using for most of my purchases, or any of my others. Having just the one card to deal with would simplify things and help to pack lighter. Imagine having all your cards at your fingertips, while also leaving them at home in a safe place. 

Setting up your Wocket is easy. You charge it fully (which can last 6 months to a year on a single charge with regular use), choose a PIN (which can be any combination of four numbers or letters) and then verify your name by swiping one card that has your name attached to it. Once you've done this, you can start uploading all your credit cards, rewards cards and other cards onto the device. In fact, it holds up to 10,000 records for you. Obviously, you'll probably never even need even half of those, so basically it'll never run out of memory for you.

So, does it really work? I tested it on a few trips to the convenience store and had no problem choosing the card I wanted to use, waiting for the Wocket to program the deets onto my card and then swiping it through the machine. Nobody looked at me weird, but I didn't have to show anyone my card either. If you do, you can click on the card info on your Wocket, enter your PIN and show the clerk your whole card information, as well as show them your ID. Easy, right?

Does simplifying your wallet for home and travel sound like something you'd want to do? I'm guessing most of you are saying yes, especially if it comes at a more affordable price for you. While the Wocket doesn't come at a price you'd pay for a normal wallet, think of all the time and worry you'll save over the years by having all your cards in one spot, no matter where you go. If a card suddenly has a problem while you're in the middle of your vacation, you can easily pull up another card for backup that you may have wanted to leave at home had you cleaned out your regular wallet before leaving. Crisis averted. For this peace of mind, you're probably willing to pay more. You can save $30 off your Wocket with my special code: 30OFF-f2bsca36

The Wocket makes a fantastic gift as well. With the holidays coming up, imagine the joy you'll give someone who often has to rifle through all their cards to find the right one when they go shopping. You can purchase one now! 

Want to win your very own Wocket? Of course you do! Check out Wocket Wallet's social media sites and follow them to enter through the rafflecopter form below. One lucky winner will be chosen on October 20th.

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How much is it? $179
Got more questions? Find out more about Wocket Wallet on their website.

Disclaimer: I have been sent the Wocket Wallet for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Las Vegas Food In Pictures (and Some Words)

One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to eat. What used to be tons of mediocre buffets has now turned into a haven for haute cuisine and delicious eats, though some of the buffets have amped it up to serve higher quality items that have you drooling long after you've paid your bill. We tend to visit Vegas once a year and try as many new places to eat as possible. Some are big hits, some are huge misses, but the pictures (and memories) remain until the next time we hit Sin City.

I've been to a lot of buffets, but the best and by far the most beautiful is the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. It's the best brunch I may have ever eaten. 

Bardot at the Aria has the most delicious things on their menu, including this duck and waffle benedict. I could eat this everyday and be a happy camper.

Do you think I love waffles? Of course I do, which is why I don't own a waffle iron at home. At Serendipity 3 we split a plate of chicken and waffles (that you can see are huge) in order to have room for one of their famous sundaes. Eric and I shared the entree and the four of us at the table demolished a fried Snickers ice cream sundae. I didn't get a before, but there's the after. We couldn't even finish it.

There are lots of times I'm just in the mood for fish. For seafood (and other stuff) served with island flair, check out Kahunaville at the Treasure Island. This salmon dish may not have been the best dish ever, but it was certainly amongst the prettiest. I'd love to go back for the dinner show.

You're not always up for a whole big meal. It's times like those where a trip to Todd English's P.U.B. for the charcuterie platter can satisfy. Why don't all plates come with tiny pickled veggies? Why!?

Okay, so maybe you've heard that the East Coast phenomenon has made a home in Vegas. White Castle isn't really a must-eat when you're in town, but it does make for an iconic picture. You can eat for cheaper and be more satisfied by a meal at plenty of other burger joints.

You won't catch me taking a trip to Las Vegas without planning a visit to Cafe St. Louis at the Paris. I love the atmosphere, because you feel like you're sitting at an outdoor cafe on an evening in Paris, and the food is always scrumptious. 

I wish so hard that Pura Vida wasn't out of business, as it was one of the best vegan restaurants I've ever been to. Unfortunately, I think that had they served half the food at 2/3 the price and been open to substitutions or omissions, they may have survived. Meals took a good 40 minutes to arrive at your table, but they were all freshly made and amazing. I couldn't even eat half this plate of French toast with strawberries, bananas and vegan sausage.

Want all the desserts in the world? The Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood has some of everything you've ever heard of. This was just Eric's plate of sweet endings. I got four of my own choices.

If the only dessert you're interested in is the famous cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes, then the outpost at the Linq Promenade has a vending machine and also a counter that serves a rotating variety of delicious cakes. I had the chocolate banana, but I felt that it could have done without all the frosting.

You know how much I enjoy a good happy hour. It's even better when it allows you to eat at a fancy dining establishment at a fraction of the price. The happy hour at Emeril's Fish House at the MGM is one such place and the drink prices aren't too bad either. Here's the cone of popcorn shrimp and cheese ravioli.

We enjoyed Todd English's P.U.B. so much that we dragged our friend to his other restaurant Olives at the Bellagio. They make wood fired pizzas and more with a fantastic view of the water where the fountains are and the Eiffel Tower. 

Some of the best food can't even be found in the casinos. I live for good Brit fare and the Crown and Anchor on Tropicana does it right. You'll find a menu full of traditional eats and be pleasantly surprised when it gets to your table and it actually tastes awesome. When you're tired of The Strip, this is a good respite, plus you can get a good pint.

I always love suggestions. Where are your favorite places to eat in and around Las Vegas?