Jaunted

Tags: Movie Set Travel / Vampire Travel / New Orleans / New Orleans Travel / Halloween Travel / → All Tags

Get Your 'Cirque du Freak' On In New Orleans

Vampires were wondering the streets of New Orleans long before Robert Pattinson was even a glimmer in his parents' eye. Today, vampire folklore is so deeply rooted in the city's history, from Anne Rice to stories of the undead walking the French Quarter, that is no surprise the movie Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant was filmed here too. The movie, in theaters now, is about Darren, a teenage boy who meets a mysterious man at a freak show and ends up leaving his normal life to become a vampire. Just in time for All Hallow's Eve, here's how to get in touch with your own inner-vampire in New Orleans.

Where to Stay:
The Dauphine Orleans Hotel in the French Quarter is exactly what most people think of when they think of New Orleans. The hotel features courtyards and balconies that overlook the quarter, luxurious accommodations and a history filled with ghosts and vampires. Best of all, even though the hotel is located in the French Quarter, they offer on-site parking and quiet rooms. There's no rowdy, bead-throwing here, just good 'ol southern hospitality. Rooms start at $106 a night.

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Tags: Dessert / Food Travel / New Orleans Restaurants / New Orleans Travel / → All Tags

Eat Dessert First? Why, Thank You New Orleans

Our uncle always says, "Life is short, eat dessert first." But when a New Orleans restaurant started actually offering dessert first, with a discount, we were—what's the word?—suspicious.

There's got to be a catch in 5 Fifty 5's promotion in honor of National Dessert Month. (To begin with, where has this month been all our lives?) The restaurant inside the New Orleans Marriott, whose website boasts "New Orleans fare at its finest, if not freshest"—uh, okay then—has prepared a special menu of five $5.55 desserts, or a tasting menu of $25 for all of them. Order and eat dessert before your dinner, and you get 20 percent off your check.

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Tags: Volunteer Travel / New Orleans Travel / Relief Spark / → All Tags

Volunteer To Help Rebuild New Orleans (And Have Some Fun Too)

Even though Hurricane Katrina is no longer on the minds of most Americans, there is still a great need in New Orleans to help the needy and keep the rebuilding efforts alive. Relief Spark is a small grass-roots organization based in New Orleans that is made up of volunteers who provide first-response disaster relief services as well as much needed rebuilding services. Volunteers from around the world travel to New Orleans to lend a hand for a week, a month or a year.

These volunteers do a variety of jobs for Relief Spark like plant flowers, take care of animals, rebuild animal shelters, cook meals for the homeless and distribute supplies to the needy between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Relief Spark makes sure volunteers get to have some fun too--it is New Orleans after all! In the evenings and on weekends volunteers have a variety of entertainment options to choose from. Activities in the past have included visiting the French Quarter, rebuilding tours, local BBQs, concerts at the House of Blues, Ghost Tours, Mardi Gras parades and concerts in parks.

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Tags: Festivals / Running of the Bulls / Roller Derby / New Orleans Travel / → All Tags

The Running Of the Bulls Gone Rollergirl In New Orleans

If you’ve always wanted to join in Spain’s infamous Running of the Bulls event but are a little too scared of getting gored, New Orleans has a take on the festival that might be more up your alley.

This Saturday, July 11 at 8am, thousands of white-and-red-clad revelers will celebrate the festival of San Fermin in the French Quarter, but instead of being chased by angry bulls, they’ll be pursued by members of the Big Easy Rollegirls team, who will wield wiffle bats and be looking for weaklings. They may not have horns, but honestly, they are pretty ferocious.

The run starts at the Three Legged Dog bar on the corner of Conti and Burgandy Streets, where you can get into the Spanish spirit with some early morning sangria. The 12-minute event ends at—you guessed it—another bar, Latrobe Park’s Gazebo Café, where there will be an all-day DJ block party. The race is free; you’re just asked to bring your own white pants and shirts matched with a red cloth around the waist or neck, and additional red-and-white flair is highly encouraged.

Related Stories:
· Nola Bulls [Official Site]
· Running of the bulls leaves 5 injured in Pamplona [AP]
· Spain's Running of the Bulls Launches Feminist Debate [Jaunted]

[Photo: howieluvzus]

Tags: Amusement Parks / Six Flags / Theme Parks / New Orleans Travel / Katrina / → All Tags

Water Parks And Baseball Fields Await The Former NOLA Six Flags

Last week we filled you in on the current situation at Six Flags New Orleans, and now we have a little bit of news that may brighten the situation. Even though there’s all kinds of legal battles between the city and the suits at Six Flags, things may soon begin to move forward with a new project.

A member of city government recently flew out to Texas to check out a company called Big League Dreams. This developer is looking to transform the graveyard of roller coasters into an area filled with water rides and facilities for youth sports. We’re just hoping that the water park will be a good one, because the city’s residents definitely need a place to cool off in the summer.

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Tags: True-Blood-Map / True Blood / Louisiana Travel / New Orleans Travel / Vampire Travel / → All Tags

True Blood Travel Guide: Where to Score Custom Fangs

You've heard of Christmas in July, but we're about to get all Halloween in June this week as we prepare for the debut of the second season of HBO's TrueBlood. Any juicy suggestions or questions? Let us know.

Having finally kicked the ghost of Anne Rice's vampires from Louisiana, the addictive HBO drama True Blood is picking up speed partially due to the vampire-fever brought by Twilight and because of the sweaty summer scenery of hot southern swamps. If the thought of perspiring necks gets you just as hot as the muggy temperatures, then you might want to start outfitting yourself for the show's second season.

Although most people relegate the wearing of fake fangs to Halloween, the serious fans are seeking out spots for custom fang creation, and why not get them done in the heart of creepy country? In New Orleans, at the Boutique du Vampyre, customers can get their own sets of pointed pearlies for between $100 and $800.

Crafted to match your teeth color, a pair of these babies shows that you mean business. Plus, you're in a store in a New Orleans filled with vampire-related crap; that's gotta be something for the photo album.

Related Stories:
· Boutique du Vampyre [Official Site]
· New Orleans Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Love Bites]

Tags: Amusement Parks / Six Flags / Theme Parks / New Orleans Travel / Katrina / → All Tags

Six Flags New Orleans Just Another Reminder of Katrina

Following Hurricane Katrina, there were much bigger crawdads to boil than worrying about the fate of roller coasters and Ferris wheels. However, years after the storm, Six Flags New Orleans continues to sit vacant, serving as a reminder of the devastation of the area.

Situated on the eastern side of the city, the park remains the biggest eyesore to locals who are trying their best to get things back to normal in this area. There may be other damaged buildings that also still wait for the bulldozer or the renovators, but clearly a deserted theme park is one of the largest and most tragic-looking.

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Tags: Movie Set Travel / Brad Pitt / New Orleans Travel / Oscars Travel / Real Estate Safaris / → All Tags

Benjamin Button's House is For Sale in New Orleans

Most homeowners these day are fretting over whether or not their house is still worth anything but the owners of the house featured in the Oscar-nominated movie (several times over), "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" might not have much to worry about.

The house, located in the Garden district of New Orleans, is now on the market. According to the rental listing on Sotheby's, the 7,800-sq.ft. Victorian-era mansion has six bedrooms, six baths, central air and heat, a library, music room and reception hall. That's a far cry from the movie incarnation of the house which was a nursing home. And the listing price? $2.85 million.

The Sotheby's listing has a 30+ page slideshow of interiors photos of the house and you can practically see Brad Pitt as an old seven-year-old in his wheelchair on the porch. Or Oscar-nominated actress, Taraji P. Henson picking up an abandoned Benjamin Button on the home's back steps. However, if you are interested in buying the house, remember to put some money aside to furnish it.

Also, we're no real estate experts here but if we were the owners, we would hold out until after the Oscars is over. That way if the movie does win all 13 nominations, you could probably get at least your asking price. Of course, there's a chance the movie will only win one Oscar (and a lesser one like "Makeup.") Then you'll just have to use the "Brad Pitt was here" selling angle.

Related Stories:
· 7,800 Sq. Ft Garden District Mansion! [Sotheby's]
· Oscar Nominations Announced [Jaunted]
· Movie Set Travel: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [Jaunted]

Tags: Mardi Gras / New Orleans Travel / Festivals / American Airlines / Continental / JetBlue / → All Tags

New Orleans Already Gearing Up for Mardi Gras

It's that time of year when Americans start wondering how they're ever going to come up with the motivation to stay positive through two more months of winter, and for many of us, the answer becomes two crystal clear words: Mardi Gras.

For most, the words now evoke an over-the-top, Girls Gone Wild party scene, and while we don't have any particular problem with that, true Mardi Gras fans know that Fat Tuesday is just the culmination of six weeks of Carnival celebrations, and the parties leading up to the big event are some of the most exciting (and less tourist-y) times in New Orleans.

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Tags: Travel Media / New Orleans Travel / Surveys / → All Tags

Associated Press Perpetuating New Orleans Misperceptions

We're still picking our jaws up off the floor at the latest University of New Orleans poll that shows more than half of respondents think the city is one of the nation's most dangerous. The same survey says a third of people think the French Quarter was one of the hardest hit areas during Katrina, and about one in four people think parts of the city are still underwater.

Wrong, wrong and wrong. The Quarter was largely spared major damage and flood waters are long gone. While New Orleans does have some crime, you probably won't get caught in it unless you go looking for trouble. (We suggest you don't.) But USA Today, which ran the AP story about the poll early this morning, isn't helping correct misconceptions with the headline "New Orleans crime may be keeping visitors away."

We beg to differ: 3.8 million folks stopped by in 2006, and New Orleans will host 6 million by the end of 2007. That's not bad, given the fact that airlines slashed service to Louis Armstrong International after the storm and entire tracts of the city remained evacuated for months.

We hate to sound boostery, but the last thing New Orleans needs after so much progress is more "scary" headlines.

Related Stories:
· New Orleans Crime May Be Keeping Visitors Away [AP, via USA Today]
· The Streetcars Are Back [Jaunted]
· New Orleans Travel Map [Jaunted]
· New Orleans Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bob Jagendorf]

Tags: Sports Travel / College Football Travel / New Orleans Travel / → All Tags

Back of the Envelope Travel Guide: College Bowl Games at the Superdome

Coming soon to a New Orleans near you: the Sugar Bowl and the BCS National Championship Game. These two huge college football games hit the city just a week apart, on January 1 (Sugar Bowl) and January 7. If you don't have your plane tickets yet, we'd suggest you buy them on that as soon as you finish reading this post. (Buckeyes fans: Might we suggest Skybus?)

Both games happen at the Superdome, which we shouldn't have to tell you is back in tip-top shape after the storm. It's also conveniently located in the heart of town, which means you can combine your rabid sports enthusiasm with other New Orleans staples like eating, boozing and staying up late at jazz clubs. Also, average high temperature in New Orleans in early January? 62 degrees.

OUR BACK OF THE ENVELOPE GUIDE

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Tags: Live Music / Music Travel / Candy Shops / Candy / New Orleans Travel / Zagat Guides / → All Tags

New Hangouts in New Orleans

Even though New Orleans won't play host to a Republican presidential debate, the city does have a host of huge events on tap this winter, from the Sugar Bowl to the BCS National Championship Game to the NBA All-Star Game. (Not to mention Mardi Gras in February.) And when you head to the Crescent City, there'll be some new spots to check out, as the New York Times reports today.

528 Music Club in Harrah's New Orleans Casino & Hotel hosts Louisiana jazz singers and cajun bands, with no cover charge. You'll also be right next door to Todd English's restaurant, which provides snacks to go with the frosty martini you'll no doubt be sipping on.

Sucré on Magazine Street in Uptown has more sweets than you can eat in a sitting--so take some extras to go. Look for miniature pastries, chocolates and macaroons, and remember: This is New Orleans so you can't go wrong with anything featuring pecans.

Ray's Boom Boom Room is another newly opened jazz hall just east of the Quarter. As if the music weren't enough to draw you, Ray's gives away oysters during Friday happy hours.

Zagat is also getting ready to release a new survey of the city in January 2008, so if you like your restaurant, nightlife and hotel picks riddled with quotation marks, stay tuned for that. It'll be Tim and Nina's second survey of New Orleans since the storm, though, as always, they have updated reviews on their website.

Related Stories:
· New in New Orleans [NYT]
· New Orleans Field Trip [Jaunted]
· New Orleans coverage [Jaunted]