United States – Page 2

New Orleans – The land of food, fun and festivities!

August 30, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

I live in Houston and New Orleans is just far enough for a good long weekend trip but not too far that will require you to fly. So, it becomes a great alternative for college kids rather than Cancun or other beach towns. Then as you get older you start appreciating it less for its cheap daiquiris and more for its architecture and charm.

I have been to New Orleans so many times I cannot count. Between college roadtrips, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and work events, I have experienced a lot of the city. Even with all that, it is one of the cities that I can just keep going back to over and over again.

Now, before you start reading this and get all opinionated, remember that there are so many things to do in NOLA that you cannot begin to have a complete list of everything. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments below.

By the way, if you don’t know it already: NOLA = New Orleans, Louisiana

Food

I could go on and on about the food in New Orleans. If you have been there once, you know what I am talking about!

First, let’s just go ahead and say that you should not go to New Orleans if you are on a diet. Just don’t. You will be miserable. Most of the food there is in a fabulous gravy or on bread, or fried! I guess you could eat salads, but that would be so sad!

Things you must try:

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde – These are little fried donuts. The place is open 24/7 so take advantage of that. Do not go at morning time as it will be packed. There is mainly outdoor seating but there are a few tables inside. People line up to sit outside because of the view of street performers, but trust me you will see enough of that. Go sit in the AC! Be ready to order when the staff come to take your order. The menu is on the side of the napkin holder. They only take cash.
NOLA – Or any of Emeril’s restaurants. I prefer this one as it is snappy casual and has a great menu. The others are just as good.
Red Fish Grill – I have had many parties (work, wedding, fun) here. They have fabulous food, and the staff knows how to treat you. It is on Bourbon Street, but don’t let that fool you as it is high quality and a good time.
Chop House – If you want a nice dinner this is the place to go. You will spend some money and it will be so worth every penny. I don’t eat beef, but it is still one of my favorite places.
Mothers – This is the restaurant that I must go to each time I am in NOLA. You cannot find food like this anywhere else. It is a steam table set up and you wait in line to order. Their etouffee omelet is to die for and the biscuits are just wow. Also the beans and rice are insane. Yes, Beans and Rice. Just try them and you will never be able to eat them anywhere else.

Activities

There is just so much to do in NOLA that it can be overwhelming. You could just spend your entire trip walking around the French Quarter. I highly recommend you spending at least three, er one, day just walking around. You will find street vendors, performers, shops, etc that will take up your entire day. Best of all, with the exception of the tips that you will give the performers, it doesn’t cost much. And please don’t be a jerk and not tip. You stood their and watched the show; cough up some change.

There are significant amount of street vendors (and palm readers!) around Jackson Square.
The aquarium is something fun to do on a hot summer day.
At the end of the French Quarter is the market. It is worth a stop in to see the various alligator on a stick and buy a souvenir. People rant about it. I do not.
The trolley is a neat way to see the city for cheap. There are several stops in the Quarter and you can just ride around.
The garden district is something nice and different to do. If you have a car I’d recommend you spend a little time looking at the homes. There are tours you can take too but I just like looking at the older homes.

Tours

As you know I am not big on taking tours. However, there are a set of tours that I just love. I find them entertaining and sort of educational. The Haunted History tours is something you should definitely check out. They meet in front of Jackson Square. You get to walk around the Quarter and see things you wouldn’t normally notice (like the corn fence). I prefer the vampire tour to the ghost tour but they are both a fun time. Plus, you stop half way at a bar to get a drink where you normally wouldn’t.

NOTE: I was there once and unable to consume alcohol. My husband ordered me a hurricane without alcohol and the bartenders didn’t even flinch. They made me a fabulous drink that I also enjoyed with the crowd. Don’t let the massive amount of booze prohibit you from going to NOLA. You will be fine.

Places to stay

I have stayed in many places in NOLA. Do not even attempt to stay anywhere but the French Quarter unless you have a good reason to do so. It isn’t worth the hassle.

My favorite spot is the Sheraton on Canal. Followed by the JW Marriott on Canal. If you are looking for something a little more touristic, Monteleone is really nice and in a great location.

Things to remember

First and foremost, unless you are going in the dead of winter, New Orleans is hot. And I don’t mean dry hot. You will be on the gulf and Mississippi River. That is a lot of water. The humidity is about 100%.

Do not bring nice clothes or nice shoes. New Orleans is super casual. Women dressing in sundresses is as formal as you need.

Do not wear open toe shoes. Just don’t.

Bring cash to tip people. The city makes its money on tourism. They are not out there to show off their skills. They are performing to make money. If you can afford a vacation, you can afford to set aside a little money to give performers. If you watch the show and you don’t pay, I recommend you evaluate your karma.

What other things do you like to do in New Orleans? Let me know in the comments below!

(Special thanks to Andres Salaverria for taking these photos for me)

You will see tons of performances like this. See the guys in the back? Do that – get a drink, stand against the wall and just enjoy! And don’t forget to tip!

Here is the festivities outside of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Get there early before it gets too hot.

More street performances. This guy stands still with his dog, never moving.

This is typical French Quarter architecture. The Spanish occupied Louisiana and had much influence on the way the balconies were done. This style can be seen in parts of Spain now days as well.

What else??

You can see the rings of Saturn from Mauna Kea

August 21, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

One of the highlights to our trip to the Big Island was going up top of Mauna Kea. It was such a remarkable experience and I would recommend anyone do it while on the island. If you are big into stars, I think it is worth the trip to the Big Island itself.

Hawaii’s five islands

Hawaii has five islands that are very different from each other. We opted to spend our entire vacation on the Big Island (yes, that is its name) and I am glad we did because there was so much to do. There are the coffee farms, Kona, Volcano National Park, the farthest point in the US, swimming, etc. Tons of stuff to do.

Logistics of our Stay

We stayed at the Sheraton which was a decent place to stay during the week. It is a great place for kids, so if you are having a weekend get-way, maybe not. One of my favorite memories of the trip was walking across the street to this little pizza place and getting the pizza to-go, bringing it back and sitting on our balcony having dinner and watching the ocean pass the time.

We rented an SUV, which is advisable if you are going to be on the island. You could get away with a car, but there were several off road spots that we wanted to see as well.

Mauna Kea Tour

First note: Because going up to such high altitudes can be somewhat dangerous if done incorrectly, we opted to take a tour up. Afterwards I mentioned to someone that they should also take the tour. He did not and did not have any issues. I am not a fan of tours, but when it comes to your safety, always opt for the tour.

We chose the Hawaii Forest & Trail. While Maunakea isn’t an active one, it is still a volcano. If you want action, you have to go to the other volcano on the island Mauna Loa.

The tour was small so that was good. The guide brought dinner for the trip and half way up we stopped at a camp and enjoyed some tasty stew. Then we were given coats and gloves for the trip up. If you plan to venture up alone, make sure you have proper gear as it is freezing. Also there are lots of guidelines and rules that you need to be aware of if you do not take a guide. Read more about them at the visitor center.

As we approached up we were told there were two things that could happen. If there are clouds, we get a super awesome sunset. If there were no clouds, we could see the green snap of light that happens at sunset. Either would have been great; we had clouds.

The View from Mauna Kea

We spent a good time up above the clouds with the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. I have been above the clouds before (i.e. airplanes) but to stand there and walk around is spectacular.

Once it was dark, we found a spot where the guide set up his telescope. He pointed out different constellations and we were able to make out Andromeda. Then he had us look in his telescope at a planet. It was Saturn. The rings were clearly visible. Just there. Up on a volcano. Looking at Saturn.

Satellites at Mauna Kea — On our way up we stopped off and saw these monsters!

Driving Around the Big Island. Here is an example of the wonderful landscape.

Murals are not graffiti…

August 6, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 4 Comments

I love street art. The way an artist openly expresses their talent. Of course I have this internal conflict as what is right vs wrong – the artist did just deface property. The Philadelphia Mural Tour opened my eyes to the process of street art, the rules, and how to go about getting your own mural!

What is a Mural

After watching a guy in Berlin spray paint a fabulous work of art on the side of a building (and yes, he did make the building look better), I thought I should learn more about it.

So I signed up for the Philadelphia Mural Tour to learn more. A big thanks to them for working with me and accommodating us. The first thing I learned was the basics:

Murals are not graffiti. It sounds so weird to say that, but I don’t think most people really understand this. Murals are conversations between the artist and the building owner. The mural artist does not ‘tag’ a wall or randomly paint something. It is a process of talking to the owner, drafting up the art (usually via computer) and then printing out the image to be painted on paper. Then the mural is hung on the wall via a process.

There is a Process

As you stand in front of these majestic works of art you wonder how on Earth someone was able to paint on the wall. Once you understand the process of discussion, involvement, printing and painting and then hanging, it become much more real.

Each mural has a story to tell.

Each mural follows a process to ensure collaboration.

Types of Murals

There are four primary categories of mural “types”:

Restorative Justice – these murals are about healing. They help people in jail or victims of a crime tell their story. Give them a voice.
Porch Light – these murals focus on behavioral health, giving the homeless or addicts somewhere to express themselves.
Education – these murals work with school and education to teach various topics
Community murals – maybe you just want a mural on your home. You can get one.

An average mural’s expense is $35,000. The average row house mural costs $15,000. No, that is not a typo. The main cost is the scaffolding. How else to get the wall prepped and hung. And you must have scaffolding. Remember, this is not graffiti – these are murals. They are huge – taking up the full size of buildings. There are other costs too.. like do they have to occupy the parking lot, are permits needed, etc. This is serious business.

On a side note, if you want to study specific muralists, there is a list of them on Wikipedia where you can start.

What to See on the Philadelphia Mural Tour

Here are some examples of the work you can see on the tour. It is better to just show you than try to explain:

As we walk around Philly

D - our tour guide! — D – our tour guide!

Shepard Fairey — You can see here that each mural has a label on it with whose work and the story behind it.

Fairey - The stamp of incarceration — The stamp of incarceration – Shepard Fairey – instagram/obeygiant

Philadelphia Mural Tour by John Lewis featuring the Philadelphia-born basketball star is on the side of Frank's Place — A mural of Philadelphia-born basketball star on the side of Frank’s Place

Isaac Lin’s new mural on Arch Street Philadelphia Mural Tour — Isaac Lin’s mural on Arch Street – instagram.com/tinwei

Isaac Lin’s new mural on Arch Street — Isaac Lin’s mural on Arch Street – instagram.com/tinwei

How to turn anything into something else - Philadelphia Mural Tour — Label for mural – How to turn anything into something else – Philadelphia Mural Tour

Shepard Fairey - Philadelphia Mural Tour — Shepard Fairey – instagram/obeygiant

Disclaimer: I partnered with Mural Arts to write this article but all opinion are my own!

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Let’s discuss the Pizza situation in NYC

May 12, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 3 Comments

Pizza in NYC by the slice doesn’t get much better.

I have had pizza in several different countries. While they are all the basic foundation things: some sort of dough plus a topping, they can be drastically different in different countries, different cities, even different blocks within a city.

As our cultures melt into one big mess, it is hard to say what is true NY pizza, verses the pizzas you find in other parts of the world. So many cultures have influenced the NY pizza that you can get almost anything. Chicago has the deep dish, but even there you can get thin crust. California pizzas have veggies on them but even there you can find any topping you want.

So, I went in search of the best NYC pizzas. Now, before you jump down to see if your favorite place is on the list, remember these are MY favorite.

And before we get to my list, I want to start off by saying that the 99cent pizza is good. Very good after a long evening. Even better if you have just paid your rent. But this isn’t about good cheap pizza. This is about pizza that I crave as I sit in my kitchen 2000 miles away. This is about pizza that you really cannot get anywhere else.

(not in any real order other than to tell my story)

Nizza on 9 and 44th.

When I go to New York, this is where I eat. The pizza is wonderful and the atmosphere is warm and cozy. Ask for the bread and it comes out lightly salted with some oil. The calamari (because the pizza takes a while to cook) is fried with slices of lemon. (my mouth is watering just thinking about it).

Favorite pizza – Piccante, switching the sausage out for pepperoni. (YUM)

Lombardis – Spring & Mott

Lombardis will be on most tourist lists. It is historical as it became the America’s first pizza place when it was licensed by NY in 1905. The pizza here is good. They cook it in an oven that turns the crust crispy on the bottom and you probably will have some parts slightly burnt.. yum! This is not the fold in half kind of pizza. This pizza is hot, simple and delish!

The wait is usually long, although they did expand awhile back.

Very casual. Only takes cash.

RubirosaNYC – On Mulberry between Spring and Prince

The hubs and I were in the mood for pizza but the big places all had an hour wait. We stepped into this little place and spent the whole afternoon there. The best attraction (besides sitting at the bar and talking to the bartender) was that we had pizza by the slice. This means variety. However, I could have easily had anything in a whole pie. The place is cozy, and they have more than pizza. We ended our meal with cannoli. Good grief.

Serafina Fabulous Pizza, 79^th and Madison

We again stumbled into this fabulous restaurant while wandering around. This place was full of locals. Families were getting together here. A few tourists, but really felt like I was eating in New York. The people that work there were great and the food was excellent.

Famous Famigilia – they are everywhere. It is also in the airport.

However, they are still good. And easy to find. So, if you find yourself starving while walking around, you can bet this will be a good stop. They used to be small, opening their first store in 1986. They now are world wide. They are still good.

What are your favorite places to grab some pizza? I would love to try something new next time I am there! Add in comments below..

Top 7 things to Remember when Traveling During the Rain

May 8, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

Arriving and it starts to Rain

Top 7 things to Remember when Traveling During the Rain

The chances are great that if you travel enough you will arrive somewhere and it will start to rain. Do not let that get you down. I’ve put together my top things I wish I knew early on during traveling.

This past spring we arrived into NYC and the city was raining and wet. I can’t decide if it is cleaner as the dirt and grime is being washed away OR is it dirtier because the dirt is just being diluted. I see young women who clearly are on vacation walking around wearing sandals. It is cold and wet. What are they thinking? And the sandals aren’t even cute. Not that I am always functional over fashion but the sandals really get to me.

What do we do?

Just remember that really nothing stops when it rains. The people just use umbrellas but everyone is still out and about. I have noticed through my travels that this isn’t exclusive to NYC – most major cities don’t stop.

If it were my first time in the city and it was raining, these are some things that I’d want to know:

1. Hotels have umbrellas. Ask the door guy or the front desk. They give them to you to use and just ask for them back. Don’t pack them. If your hotel is out, just go to the next hotel and ask for one. They rarely ask if you are guest.

2. Wear boots or water proof shoes. There are puddles everywhere. The streets are very gross. The water is not clear. You will get wet.

3. When you go into a place, most of them have bag stands. Stick your umbrella in there and it wraps the umbrella in plastic to keep the inside dry.

4. I take my rain coat with me anywhere I go that has a chance of rain. REI has several and mine is the REI brand. It can be rolled up tightly so it takes up minimal space.

5. There are tons of things to do that rain doesn’t matter: museums are the big one. The Natural Science Museum is always good and can take you a full day.

6. Remember the subways are underground and are a good way to navigate. They will be more crowded than usual, so plan for that.

7. If it is not really hot (like August hot) then it will help you to have a scarf. The wind hits just right and the water can be annoying. I recommend a light scarf that you can wash when you get home.

(On a side note, it is always good to have a scarf with you regardless. You never know when you will be cold, spill on your shirt, or need something to sit on. Plus, if you are worried about your outfits looking the same in each photo, a scarf can change it up).

Don’t let a little rain stop you. The New Yorkers don’t. And when in New York, or wherever you are, do as they do.

New Orleans – The land of food, fun and festivities!