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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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.

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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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Excessive alcohol consumption especially among the youth can cause problems; thus the enactment of the legal drinking age. In most parts of the world, people wait till they turn 18, while others wait until they’re 21 before they become legal. And others, believe it or not, do not have legal drinking ages.

Barbados. This is a famous tourist spot given that it is one of the blissful islands in the Caribbean. Like most places around the world, Barbados’ legal drinking age is 18. But this comes with an exception. Kids aging 10-17 can legally consume alcohol given that they have a parent with them! So if you’re below 18 traveling to Barbados and wanting to taste alcohol, think of ways to convince your parents to allow you to take a sip!

Cuba. Cuba is another Caribbean dream destination but not only for the beaches but also for its vibrant history, art and culture. One of the must-see spots for any traveler in Cuba is the Castillo de Farnes. You may think this is just another bar to get a beer from but this is actually a historical place where Che and Castro had a toast after the revolution. So if you want to drink as they did, there should be no problem because there are no restrictions on the drinking age. Everyone can drink, but only 16 year-olds and above can purchase. So when traveling to Cuba, make sure you bring a 16-year old with you!

United States. These people are the unfortunate bunch to have a legal drinking age of 21 (the highest in the world, except of course for countries where alcohol is illegal). There are some doctors who actually say that 21 is too high and there are currently studies on the effectiveness of such law. All American states consider alcohol consumption under 21 illegal, but some states are more permissive than others regarding the issue.

Bali. Like Cuba, this internationally recognized vacation paradise does not have a drinking age limit. But purchase is only permitted to those 15 and above. The rest of Thailand, however, has the usual 18-year-old legal drinking age, and legally, only 20-year-olds and above can get in clubs. This is not strictly followed though. This gives even more reason to travel to Thailand! Aside from the glorious beaches, fascinating festivals, and interesting culture, you can enjoy all these with a bottle of beer!

United Kingdom. Now they have quite a complicated law. The Children and Young Persons Act in 1933 prohibits alcohol consumption by anyone under 5 years old, which means once you reach 5 years, you can drink legally except in licensed places. Though you can drink alcohol in private, no one will serve it to you if you are 7 years old. Only when you are 16 can you drink wine or beer in a restaurant and this has to come with a meal and with an adult. Wait two more years and you can legally drink anything anywhere in the UK.In Scotland, it will be legal for adults to buy drinks for minors in 2009.

If you’re the type who enjoys a good glass of wine but are under 18, you might want to think about the legal drinking age of the place you’re visiting. You might be anticipating a great nightlife in a bar listening to a great band, but end up disappointed visiting a country where you cannot purchase a bottle of beer for yourself.

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Each place has a story of inexplicable events. Everywhere, people claim to have heard voices, screams, whispers, and weeping sounds out of nowhere. There are always reported sightings of a lady in white or mysterious flickering of lights. Whether or not you believe in the paranormal, you have to admit that these places can scare the hell out of you especially when you hear the tale behind it. If you’re the type who thinks such stories are simply musings of a wild imagination, then visiting these places would not raise a single goosebump on your skin.

Andleberry Estate in Clovis California used to include a mansion and a sanitarium. The Wolfe Manor Hotel was later built in place of the mansion. The owner, Todd Wolfe himself, had some bizarre encounters in his own hotel. Aside from the classic hearing of footsteps and voices, he also felt ghosts breathing on him. The people who used to stay in the sanitarium are believed to be the ones haunting the place. Investigators even reported that there really are spirits in living in the hotel.

The Screaming Tunnel of the Niagara Falls is an unfinished and abandoned railway. Legend has it that a girl was burned alive by her own father due to lost custody. Now, people believe that when someone lights a match in the middle of the tunnel at midnight, there will be a very loud scream that can eventually put out the fire of the match. The ghost of the father is also rumored to appear. This gives more reason for people to visit the Niagara Falls!

The Ladd School used to stand on Exeter, Rhode Island, which served as a school for the mentally challenged. Stories say that students were mistreated, which probably explains sightings of ghost children in the area. There were rumors of physical and sexual abuse of the mentally diabled students. The Ladd School closed early in the 90’s, and today, Exeter Job Corps Academy stands in its place. Though the school closed, there are still stories of the new building being haunted.

The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri has a dark past as four members of the Lemp family committed suicide; three killed themselves in the mansion. There have been stories of things flying off and pianos playing by themselves. Today, the mansion is a restaurant and a bed and breakfast. Staying in this mansion would really be a daring experience for any traveler!

Alcatraz is an isolated island in San Francisco that used to function as a prison house. It gained popularity because of the inhumane conditions that anyone who stayed on the rock had to live with. Today, Alcatraz is a very popular tourist destination, but there have been reports of visitors hearing footsteps of jail doors slamming. Whether there really are some agitated souls on this rock or not, the place really has a gloomy and quite depressing ambience.

The Hampton Court Palace in London is not only historic but also believed to be haunted. The ghost of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, stirs up the most intrigue. Her spirit is said to be scream and run a hallway. Queen Jane Seymour who died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward is said to stay in the palace’s staircase. Other ghosts have also been sighted in this historic palace, including that of the Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Lucky for those who obsess on the paranormal, these places are open to the public. Most of these spots even encourage the visit of tourists. Dare yourself and visit these haunted places! We’ll even give you free flights to these places!

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