Costumes and floats paint the streets of New Orleans the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a religious festival celebrated in numerous places around the world, but no other place celebrates it as lively and as colorful as New Orleans does. Louisiana takes pride in this city’s jovial and unique celebration of the Mardi Gras!

Parades. This is one of the event’s main attractions. From glittering floats to spirited marching bands, the parades will astound the entire family. Floats sponsored by krewes (Mardi Gras clubs) tend to be more extravagant. Common among riders of these floats is the tradition of tossing throws to the crowd. These throws can vary from coins to stuffed toys!

French Quarter. Being the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, the French Quarter is the city’s center of art and cultural activity. This is where the parades used to pass by, but as the event became more and more popular, the narrow streets of this old neighborhood could no longer hold thousands of participants. Nonetheless, this is still a very active spot in the city during Mardi Gras. You are free to walk around with alcohol and you’ll get to see a lot of musicians. Food and drinks are overflowing so get ready to indulge!

Balls. This is another unique practice. Complete with a king and queen, you can only attend this ball with an invitation. If you’ve ever imagined being in a dreamy ball, cross your fingers that you’ll get an invite. And if you’re lucky to get one, make sure to have the appropriate costume as everyone else!

Exhibitions. Though a religious observance, Mardi Gras is more like an artistic celebration. The colorful floats, wonderful costumes, and jovial music all add up to a unique festive experience. When you’re visiting New Orleans for the Mardi Gras, make sure to see Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana – an exhibition of this beautiful event’s history. See costumes, invitations and floats used decades and even more than a century ago! Mardi Gras World, on the other hand, features the intricate art of creating floats.

The best time to visit any foreign place is during a festival. This is the time when locals are most welcoming of tourists. So schedule your visit to New Orleans in time for Mardi Gras! This festival will surely please your senses; from your eyes to your palate.

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Chicago is a beautiful vibrant city, yet it is great for those who simply want to relax. Don’t let its metropolitan façade fool you. This city may have towering buildings but its streets are not as busy as it seems. There is a lot of space for unwinding and freeing your mind of worries.

Want to take sightseeing on a different level? The Hancock Observatory and the Sears Tower Skydeck will literally take you on great heights! The Hancock Observatory is on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building, a thousand feet off the ground! This will definitely give you a unique view of the city. Sears Tower Skydeck is even higher! It will take you to the 103rd floor and will give you a magnificent view of Chicago and its neighboring cities. Visit these sites and you’ll also get to learn about Chicago’s history.

The Navy Pier is a great place to relax. Facing the Lake Michigan, this is bound to give a scenic panorama. Hit the Navy Pier and enjoy the Ferris Wheel, carousel, and the miniature golf course. If you’re lucky, you just might catch a live performance to complete the mood.

Move to the Grant Park to experience the liveliness of Chicago’s art and music scene. During the summer, catch the musical festival Taste of Chicago. You can’t leave Chicago without listening to its soulful local music!

If you’re the beachgoer, Chicago also has gorgeous shores for you! The Oak Street Beach is perfect for the lovers of the outdoors. Relax while soaking under the soothing summer heat!

Need to take a break? Don’t think twice about spending your much awaited vacation in Chicago!

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If you’re tired of your routine life in the city, consider embarking on an adventure with nature. Get away from the noise and pollution of your fast-paced metropolitan home and take some time to slow down and commune with Mother Earth. Here are a few places in and around America that should interest you into stuffing your backpacks and hitting the road into the wild!

1.    Nevada. Travelers from all over the world flock to this state usually to get a taste of the Las Vegas lifestyle. But behind this very bright city, Nevada has even more to offer backpackers and nature lovers. Famous nature expeditions from Nevada are Lake Tahoe and the Grand Canyon. Aside from these popular and almost commercialized sites, you can visit the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Within this preserve you’ll find majestic mountain ranges and lush forests.

2.    Washington. Campers and hikers will fall in love with Washington State’s Cascade Range. Explore Mount Rainier National Park, which includes the Range’s highest volcano, and you will find glaciers, meadows, forests, waterfalls, and valleys. If you want to meet nature’s critters, Washington’s Colville National Forest should be your pick. The Forest cradles bears, cougars and wolves.

3.    Arizona. Like Nevada, people usually go to Arizona for the Grand Canyon. But there’s more to explore in this beautiful state. Phoenix alone is surrounded by unique natural settings. There’s the Camelback Mountain which is not only incredibly shaped like the humps of a camel, but is also home to snakes and lizards! From the town of Page, you can take a drive and view the indescribable Horseshoe Bend. Arizona may be dry and hot, but this does not mean you won’t find life in it. Challenge yourself with Arizona’s wilderness.

4.   Canada. North America prides itself with beautiful landscapes. The Canadian Rockies will simply take your breath away. The mountain ranges are tipped with snow and surrounded by an expanse of lush forests.

5.    Alaska. This state is another source of pride for North America. There are countless wildlife and natural preserves. Home to various bears, Alaska draws plenty of curios tourists. The outdoors open every traveler to a plethora of possible activities that will certainly get you closer to nature.

These are only few of the places the Americas offer to travelers who crave a good challenge with nature. Before going to these places, it is advisable that you undergo physical training so that you won’t tire easily. Exhaustion while trekking the mountains is no joke, and neither is meeting wildlife. Be sure to respect the creatures you meet.

Take some time off your desk job and do something wild once in a while. You do not have to worry about travel expenses because you can get free flights to ease the budget problems.

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While driving a snazzy-looking Mazda from a car rental ireland service I stumbled upon a hidden paradise. It was a place they call Kerry (South West of Ireland methinks), the fine sand and rolling waves made me think of something - nothing feels more relaxing than feeling sand on your feet and between your toes. Believe it or not, sand does not only come in gold or white. You will be surprised at how different beaches paint the earth with varying colors of sand. Here are the best places to get different colors of sands:

1.    Golden Sand. This is probably the most common color. The Virgin Islands of the Caribbean have a lot of beautiful beaches. Travel to the Virgin Islands and you’ll find golden shores gleaming under the tropical heat!

2.    White Sand. People usually seek this color of sand. There are plenty of white sand beaches around the world. Caladesi beach in Clearwater Florida is deemed America’s Best Beach for 2008 not only because of the clear calm waters, but also because of the pure white sand!

3.    Pink Sand. The Caribbean Sea cradles not only idyllic white sand beaches but also pink sands. Go to Harbour Island in the Bahamas where you can rest on soft fine pink sands!

4.    Black Sand. Hawaii offers a lot white sand beaches, but what you probably don’t expect to see are black shores. Active volcanic activity in the Big Island of Hawaii created these black sands! You probably won’t find black grains of sand comforting, but it is still worth visiting. You don’t always get to see black shores.

5.    Green Sand. Hawaii offers even more colorful sands. Aside from black and white beaches, Puu Mahana of the Big Island has green sands due to olivine crystals. The shores are simply breathtaking.

So when you’re planning your next vacation, do not lock your desires to white sand beaches. White shores are idyllic but there are plenty of other colors to choose from! Ever imagined lying on pink sand? Cruise the Bahamas and you can put that imagination to reality!

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