New Orleans is an old soul. 

She’s a dowager queen, regal, foreign, and mystical, cloaked in chiaroscuro – filtered light and darkened shadows.

She’s a woman masked for Mardi Gras, mysterious and irresistible. Continue Reading »

Walk on the unusual side – take a tour of a historic cemetery, graveyard or burying ground. Macabre, moving, or appealing, these silent cities have fascinating stories to tell.  Beneath fieldstone, granite, marble and bronze, lie superstition and belief, tragedy and triumph, romance and scandal, humor and sadness, politics and war.

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The WWII Victory Garden is making a comeback! Everywhere, in big cities and small towns, people are talking about planting their own gardens. The reason, of course, is natural: escalating food prices, produce recalls, and the primeval need to dig in the dirt when faced with overwhelming threats all around.  So, where does this subject fit into travel?

This summer and fall, as you travel about the US, include a visit to a city market, community garden, greenmarket, farmers’ markets, tailgate market, and seek out restaurants whose menus feature fresh, regionally grown vegetables and sustainable cuisine.  You’ll love this new tourism twist! Continue Reading »

Planning your next vacation? Looking for something on the stranger side? The United States has some really strange museums. Here are some of the strangest.

1. Museum of Bad Art (MoBA) – Not sure how else to describe this museum… the title sums it up pretty well. The Museum of Bad Art describes its mission perfectly – “dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.” Artists that are featured at the MoBA are talented, esteemed artists that have created works that cause fans to say “what was he thinking?”. Founded by Scott Wilson who began the museum with its first masterpiece in 1993, “Lucy in the Field of Flowers”, apparently discovered in a trash pile in Boston. Museum Of Bad Art, Basement of Dedham Communitiy Theatre, 580 High Street, Dedham MA, Telephone: 1-781-444-6757 www.museumofbadart.org
    
    

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Air Force Brigadier General Paul Tibbets just died. He was 92 years old and requested that no funeral be held and no marker be placed on his grave. He was concerned that these memorials might draw protest. Protest for what he and his crew flying the Enola Gay did on August 6, 1945. They dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. It’s estimated that over 200,000 people lost their lives as a result of these two explosions. Six days later World War II ended with the surrender of Japan.

My Uncle Harry was one of almost a million U.S. soldiers staged in the Philippines at that time…waiting to see if the bombs ended the war. If they did not, an invasion was planned.

I learned this weekend about a program called Honor Flight dedicated to bringing the remaining World War II veterans to Washington D.C. at no cost to tour the WWII Memorial in their honor. They estimate that 1200 of these veterans are passing away each day. I saw a man in the street that wore a t-shirt saying “Freedom isn’t really free.” The Sky and Sea Spectacular took place in Jacksonville, Florida this weekend featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. It all reminded me of my mother and my father and a visit I made earlier this year to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. It all made me pause and reflect.

During these challenging times, I think it’s important to take the long view. Now is an excellent time to look back on American history and see where we came from and where we are going. Here are a few spots to get you started.

Tour Boston and walk the Freedom Trail. Visit Paul Revere’s house and tour Old Ironsides. Stand in the Old South Meeting House and visit Fanueil Hall.

Tour Washington D.C. and see where laws are made. Tour Mount Vernon and Ford’s theater. Stand at the Wall and visit all the monuments to our Nation and it’s citizens.

Tour Philadelphia and see the Liberty Bell. Be moved at the National Constitution Center and visit Independence Hall. Experience where it all began.

There are thousands of stories and places and people but time is running out for some. Spend a little time with the Greatest Generation before they are all gone. Thank them for their sacrifices and humble service to America. Travel and tour the places where history was made. Do it now. Thanks, Mom and Dad…

Savannah, Georgia is a town I enjoy. History, architecture and creepiness combine with creative, eccentric folks living there for a singular experience. Of course, it rained non-stop.

I was doing a ride-along on our Ghosts and Gravestones in Savannah, which starts at the riverfront and goes to the Sorrel Weed House for the big finish. As always, I had a blast.

The ghost stories are well told and the atmosphere of the Sorrel Weed House is spooky. (Major kudos to Danica for the excellent design and art work of the Voodoo Room.) Everyone contributes so much here and SCAD is a great resource.

Both Savannah and St. Augustine have a natural creepiness similar to New Orleans in my opinion. Maybe it’s the spanish moss? Just seems to be a thickness, a heaviness that lingers over them and makes the shadows longer. One of my favorite things is to walk in these towns when they are quiet and dark. Listening, looking and remembering. See you in Savannah.

I’m not sure what I can add to the discussion about New Orleans, Louisiana almost two years since Hurricane Katrina changed the area forever. I feel compelled to say something…

“You can stand on Bourbon Street and the sounds of Jazz will wash over you as the deep smells of bread pudding and coffee laced with chicory fill your nose.”

The New Orleans that many folks remember and love is still there, although it is harder to find. It is easy to think that everything is fine when you visit but much has changed. For the locals who still live there, basic services are a challenge. Water, electricity, banking, groceries and all the things we take for granted are slow in returning to “normal”. There is a staffing shortage and many former residents never returned to the area. New arrivals are filling in the gaps and the new cultural influences on the town will change it too. This is a city in transition.

Some want it to return to the way it was and some want it to become something new. I’m not sure what will happen in the end but I am sure that we need to be willing to visit New Orleans and participate in her recovery. It’s the right thing to do.

We met at Rev. Zombie’s Voodoo Shop on St. Peter Street and I knew we were in for a treat. Our guide, Midian, was dressed in leather from head to toe and had the “look”. You know, the look that he knows something you don’t but if you follow along he will reveal his secrets to you. Well, he did and them some.

The Haunted History walking Ghost Tour in New Orleans, Louisiana is top notch! It is theatrical but not silly and the stories are good for all ages. This is one of the best Ghost Tours I have been on and I would do it again.

Not only did we hear great stories from a great storyteller but halfway through the tour we stopped at the wonderful “Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop” bar where we warmed up and heard tales of hauntings that took place in the building. It is a unsettling with the candlelight in the “actual” location. We even got a creepy Vampire story as a bonus.

The best part is that the tales are told in a “you decide” style for any non-believers in the group. Excellent storytelling sets this tour apart and leaves everyone satisfied. Do you believe?

The New Orleans Super City Tour is a great way to start your visit in New Orleans, Louisiana. Starting at the river front near the JAX brewery building, you travel in comfortable shuttle buses and learn the amazing history of the Crescent City.

The cultural influences in this area are enormous from the food to the music to the customs. This tour gives you an insiders view of all that is “Nawlin’s” and will have you saying “ayeeeee” in no time! (The focus is not on Katrina for this tour since they have a special tour for that but, of course, it is mentioned.)

I really enjoyed hearing about the history of the city and the many countries that influence every facet. A highlight is stopping at St. Louis cemetery #3 for a quick tour. The elaborate sculptures in this above ground graveyard are striking. We talked about Carnival and Mardi Gras, the best places to eat and the state of the City now. Very nice. After this tour, you can explore the city with confidence.

A walking Ghost Tour in New Orleans, Louisiana just seems natural. The mood, the buildings, everything works. I’m a fan of Ghost Tours and often learn unexpected history that you don’t get on daytime tours.

We started from the JAX brewery building and walked to our first spot at Jackson Square. The guide shared with us the rich history of New Orleans and the triumphs and tragedies that lead many to believe that the town is haunted.

Site after site was revealed to be haunted until you began to feel that every building had a story! Our intrepid guide took us all around the French Quarter until we finished near the Church. We left creepier and wiser than when we started.