Experiencing Haunted New Orleans

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 been to a haunted location or on a haunted tour of New Orleans?

Traveling with Halloween Costumes

It's that time again! Time to think about Fall travels. I like to travel during the holidays, and one of those holidays is Halloween. I'm an adult who will dress up for any reason. Costumes are fun. Even if you're just looking to pack a costume for the kids, they can end up taking up a big part of your carry-on, which is all priority space.  

We have visited Disney parks multiple times with costumes and still packed light and accomplished carry-on-only travel, so I think we've done it right. Here are some fun costumes that you can easily pack:

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Barbie

Hi Barbie! She's all the rage and soon she's coming to streaming. Everyone can be a Barbie or Ken. You just need some bright colors to make it work. Maybe you dressed up as a Barbie or Ken when you went to see the movie. Go hard on the pink, add a couple accessories (like these heart glasses or this necklace), and nobody will be able to mistake what your costume is. 

Sports Fan

This was a back-up plan of mine, because one October we visited Disneyland and it was suuuuuuuuuuuper hot. I knew the outfit I'd brought wasn't going to do me any favors, so I pivoted and ran to a sports store and purchased an LA Angels t-shirt, hat, lanyard, and matching sweat bands. Because it was the local baseball team, people got really excited seeing me coming. I was able to rewear that t-shirt on the rest of my trip, too. You probably already have some sporty gear for your chosen team. Add multiple pieces to really push it over the top.

Ice Cream Man or Barista

Eric doesn't like to wear involved outfits, because the added layers make him too hot. Ice cream man or barista really only requires an apron, hat and name tag. You can wear your regular clothes underneath, since most everything works. Purchase pieces separately, or buy the complete costume:

• Barista complete
• Green Apron
• Name tag
• Ice cream man/woman
• White apron
• Name tag
• hat

Free Guy

I really loved this movie and you don't have to be Ryan Reynolds to pull it off. You can purchase the above costume from Amazon, or you probably already have a shirt and tie that will work, and you can just order a name tag to go with it. You can add a set of blue light glasses or carry around a cup of coffee to complete the look.

Postal Carrier

Three easy pieces - a vest, hat, and bag - make this great outfit, plus you can use the accessory as your day bag and it'll look stuffed with mail. You may need to add some better stitching and a good closure before you head out, but that's not too hard to do. You don't want all your snacks and whatever leaving a trail behind you. 

Another idea for you is to use a blue bag you already have and add a logo to it with double-sided tape or sticky-backed velcro. I really love this Travelon bag for travel. The blue is a lovely dark color and it has anti-theft features.

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Basic Witch

Most of us travel with a little black dress. If this is true of you, then you don't have to do much more. Pack a fun witch hat (these are great, don't require much maintenance, and you can add a variety things to them) and maybe some chunky jewelry that really says "witch". You can wear whatever black shoes you've brought to go with your dress. I, generally, just bring black flats that go with everything. A wand really caps things off, if it's not going to be inconvenient to tote around with you. It will make for fun, magical photos though.

Squid Game

This was such a phenomenon that almost everyone is going to get this costume. It's also laid back and comfy, and great for cooler climates, because you can easily layer warmer pieces underneath it if you need. You can get the official costume or add your own numbers to a generic track suit that you can wear again not on Halloween.

Clark Kent

Want to be a (somewhat) secret superhero? You probably have a white button-down shirt and a tie. Get yourself a Superman t-shirt to wear underneath and arrange your shirt partway open and your tie askew to look like you're Clark ready to quick-change. If you don't have a pair of glasses already, head to your local dollar store and buy a pair of black glasses that you can pop the lenses out of. 

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Artist, Beatnik, Mime or French Person

I really loved this outfit that I wore for work one year. It's easy to do and still allowed me to move around like normal. I have several striped shirts, but if you don't, you can buy the whole costume. This makes a fun couple's costume, too. Here's the whole outfit for women and for men.

Robber

Replace the beret above with a black knit cap and carry a money bag (if you're lazy and cheap like me) or get the whole look with gloves and a mask to be an old-school robber. All you need is a pair of black pants and shoes and you're good to go. Get this in short sleeve or long sleeve if it's cooler out. If you're in need of a real purse to hold your credit cards and keys and stuff, there's always this bag. 

Sorry for this terrible picture. Good thing I've learned to take more and better ones since this.

On Safari

I feel like everyone has one of these outdoor shirts in khaki, brown or white. Get yourself a matching hat and add some cheapo binoculars and now you look like you're on safari. Easy peasy.

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Tourist

You are one, so this should be easy. All you need is a Hawaiian shirt, a camera, and a map. Ask people for directions for more effect. I like these phone cases that look like cameras that you can wear around your neck, so you aren't carrying around something unnecessary.

You may see more costume suggestions before Halloween, because I love being creative with just a few things. I hope your Fall travels are looking good. Have you ever tried to travel with a costume?

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How Are People Traveling In 2023?

Now that we're 3/4 through 2023, it's time to look at what new travel trends have emerged. I know we've been traveling a little differently now than we did 3, 5, or even 10 years ago. Last year we threw caution to the wind and went all-in on a trip to Paris on a brand new airline and we genuinely have no regrets. We have been traveling more with family (specifically, my mom), visiting more places on those trips that are historically important to us, and we even took a trip to celebrate a wedding.

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Travel feels even more of a privilege to me than it did before and I am grateful for every trip I get to go on. I'm planning a short trip to Vancouver, BC with the help from Internet friends who live there. I basically know what I want to do there, but I asked for recommendations on dining and coffee shops and I wasn't disappointed in the feedback I got and will probably enjoying some of those things with new in-person friends. It's always lovely to experience things with friends, especially when they are showing you some of their favorite things. I'm trying to connect more with people when I travel (I was able to see a friend on our short trip to San Francisco) and make sure I visit any open-air or farmers' markets on trips, where I can talk to locals and learn more about where I'm visiting. It might be through someone's favorite coffee spot or a rancher's story about how they raise their cattle to be happy in the field and ultimately top-tier beef at his stand or a chat with an Uber driver about their home country or bonding with a couple in a theme park line. I find myself craving more moments like this when I'm away from home and I can only think that's a great thing and is a big motivator for at least half this list. 

Have you been planning any of the above type of travel?