Travellers and party-goers all over the world, be ready to face a new edition of New Orleans’ famous carnival. The 2012 edition debuts on the 4th of February, with the usual Krewe de Vieux parade. (For those of you who don’t know,’ krewe’ is a name used to designate the organizations who participate in the carnival parade, similar to the samba schools at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro). Across the next couple of weeks, the city will be the host of numerous parades, parties and even... [ read more ]
The New Year’s Eve is one of the most expected nights in the year and a huge holiday in the United States. Like in most Christian countries, the New Year is celebrated on the 1st of January, even though it is rather secular holiday, with no religious significance. In USA, New Year usually means white nights, crazy parties, good company, good food and, most importantly, optimism and good time. For anyone interested in spending the New Year in the United States, here are some popular US food... [ read more ]
An old European tradition, Christmas markets enjoy an increasing popularity in the United States. A combination of a farmers market and country fair, Christmas markets are usually held during the first week of December, so that people can but the gifts and delicacies necessary for the preparation of the Christmas dinner. Most Christmas markets in US can be found in the major cities on the East Coast. It is cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore or New York, where European settlers of Germanic d... [ read more ]
Tired of putting one layers of clothes and suffering from the Rudolph Red Nose syndrome all the way through the Christmas season? Well, all you have to do in this case is get as far away from the cold weather and as closer you can get to the southern parts of the US. Of course, a place like Australia and the Caribbean could be even better, but considering this is holiday season, I’m assuming you aren’t willing to spend thousands of dollars in air fares and hotel bills. Some warm Christma... [ read more ]
Choosing to spend Thanksgiving at home with the house full of guests and a stubborn turkey in the oven waiting to be devoured is choosing the safe and homey way. But there are downsides of this approach that we often underestimate: we might forget how tiring can be to organize a family dinner and wash up all those dishes; after days of preparation, many people end up more stressed that ever.Taking an extended weekend vacation on Thanksgiving represents the modern alternative. With more and... [ read more ]
Good news for all thrill seekers: Halloween is fastly approaching, and along with it come the goose bumps! I assume most of you are way past the ‘trick and treat’ age and would really like to try some new sensations on this Halloween. Well, you might as well search the shops for the ultimate Halloween outfit or go DYI in an attempt to scare the hell out of your friends, but you have to remember that getting scared is also part of the Halloween experience. So why not do a little Halloween tra... [ read more ]
I’ve been advocating September vacations for quite a while now so every time this topic shows up I just keep finding more reasons in favor of it. Early September often has perfect temperatures and some of the clearest, most beautiful skies. Plus, hotel rates and plane tickets can easily be bought at half price of even less.September is great for escaping the tourist hordes at popular resorts but also a favotite time of the year in terms of city escapedes. Those of you who have expected for m... [ read more ]
Autumn is already here and along with it come harvest time and the numerous festivals and manifestations that people all over the world have dedicated to this generous season. Although Thanksgiving is seen as the one and only harvest festival in the US, the truth is that are lots of small festivals across the country celebrating different crops. And even some of them are just local manifestations, one shouldn’t ignore the charm of such events, with their colorful farmer’s markets, old fa... [ read more ]
Booking a vacation in June or September means, by most standards, that you are traveling off season. And it’s also the oldest trick in the history of travel on how to obtain a cheaper vacation. If you ever traveled during these months, you’ve probably become frustrated on how prices double and even triple during peak season. But lower rates are not the only advantage you get as an early bird. You’ll enjoy the best destinations without having to deal with the heat, the crowds or the ove... [ read more ]
