Why You Need a Vacation

Travel is important for a lot of people. It gives you a chance to reset, learn, get out of your comfort zone (sometimes), feel refreshed and relaxed, and can help you reconnect with yourself and others. I don't know who I am if I'm not always planning a trip. I don't understand people who don't like or want to travel, because I never stop adding to my destination list.

I hope you have a trip coming up to help you feel better, keep you healthy, and give you a break from the daily grind. 

What's next on your travel list?

10 Ways to Stay in Shape While Traveling

When you’re out and about flitting from tourist attraction to subway station to lunch, it’s hard to keep up with your diet and exercise regimen. Even though you’re out walking all day, and it may seem like you’re getting a lot of exercise, you’re probably also eating a lot of high-calorie and fatty foods that pretty much negate all the good you're doing with the walking, hiking and stair-climbing. Those extra pieces of cake and pie for dessert aren’t helping either.

Photo by Oksana Taran on Unsplash

Contrary to popular belief, calories do count on vacation, as much as you wish they didn’t. So, if you want to stay on track and earn those meals, you might want to add additional exercise to your vacation itinerary.

Get outside

I love to be outdoors when I travel. Walking a neighborhood, strolling a park, browsing the farmers' market. It’s the best way to see your destination, so why not get out a little more and burn extra calories?

Go running – You’re going to bring along a pair of walking shoes anyway, so why not make them running shoes that are also good for walking. If you run at home, then keep your routine set and get up early to run around the block or the hotel grounds.

Jump rope – This is an easily packable item and gets you great exercise anywhere you have some extra room. Not just little kids love to jump rope. It’s fun and helps you tone and keep in shape. Make sure you buy a nicely weighted one that will stand up to the rigors of the road

Make your lodging your gym

You walked all day yesterday, but you got up early in order to watch the news or eat breakfast in your room. As much as you know you should put on your workout clothes and hit the gym, the thought of looking presentable just doesn’t sound appealing. You aren’t alone. While you’re waiting for your bagel to toast or you’re listening to the weather report, you can take advantage of the floor space in your room to get in a quick workout.

Chair crunches – If you have a chair, you have a low-impact gym. Work your abs by sitting on the edge and pull your legs up or pump your legs as if you are riding a bicycle.

Do lunges – You’ll feel a lot less awkward doing them in the privacy of your room than out in public, too.

Calf raises – Do these anywhere, like while you are brushing your teeth, making oatmeal or waiting in line to get into the Louvre (for bonus exercise points).

Resist – Pack a resistance band (or set) in your carry-on and do more strenuous workouts in the time you have available. There are also fancy loop bands you can use to strengthen your legs/thighs.

Boxing – You don’t have to bring along full gear and a punching bag, but a pair of weighted gloves is a fabulous way to tone your arms and legs. Bring along a DVD to pop into your laptop or just search for a few good training videos on YouTube.

Do Pilates – You can do yoga and Pilates just about anywhere. Some accommodations will rent or loan out mats for your use. If you've got room in your bag, bring your own mat or a Pilates bar, so you can get your stretches in and limber up for your next vacay day.

Use what’s available at your accommodation

Your hotel or rental property might have some useful ways to help you work out. If the weather cooperates enough to be outside, then you’re in luck.

Go for a swim – Almost all hotels have a pool. Pack your swimsuit and you can get in some laps. If a fancy indoor pool is available, then you can swim if the weather is uncooperative.

Use the stairs – Walk or run up the stairs to your room and you’ll start to feel the burn. Generally, the stairwell is pretty private, so you also won’t be disturbing others if you are up early or late doing this. Upgrade to uphill lunges by taking two at a time.

Keeping up with an exercise routine when you travel will keep you motivated to continue doing it at home, even if it takes you a few days to get back into your healthy eating habits. You’ll feel better about yourself and might even add to your regular workouts. Exercise is also great for your mental health and helping you sleep better.

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?