NOLA: St. Louis Cemetery No 2

St. Louis Cemetery No 2 is located just a few blocks away from the famous St. Louis Cemetery No 1. While equally as impressive, No. 2 is free to enter - no tour guide required. Like No 1, there are many notable musicians and New Orleanians that rest here. Also similarly, it is easy to lose yourself wandering through the twisting maze of tombs. 

While these cemeteries are lovingly maintained, there are still always some grave sites in disrepair due to weather or vandalism. Man-made structures are often no match for the heat, humidity, and hurricanes prevalent in this corner of the USA.

Above, you can see where the graves are beginning to sink deeper into the earth over time due to flooding and the soft, swampy ground composition.

Thinking of booking a trip? Try airbnb for local digs at a lower cost.

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NOLA: St. Louis Cemetery No 1

St. Louis Cemetery No 1 is New Orlean's oldest and most famous cemetery. In an effort to preserve the grave sites, anyone wanting to visit must book a tour in order to gain entry through the cemetery gates. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is notable for being the final resting place of Marie Laveau, Delphine LaLaurie, and Homer Plessy. It is also the future resting place of Nicolas Cage, who has purchased an elaborate pyramid tomb on the cemetery grounds. While the cemetery is rather small in comparison to others in the area, it is a confusing, twisting maze of grave sites, holding thousands of New Orleans citizens. As this cemetery is protected, there is little choice on visitors about where they would like to wander within the place. However, we really felt that our tour was a worthy price to pay for entry. Walking through these old grounds with a tour guide was a great way to learn more about the history of New Orleans, and it's most famous occupants. 

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NEVADA: What to do in Las Vegas

There is so much to see in Las Vegas! Here are some things to do in Vegas that we really enjoyed. As we stated before, we aren't really gamblers. Additionally, when in Vegas you must see at least one show - but that can get pricey! These are the things that we enjoyed on a budget. While a true Vegas experience requires that you have a lot of money to spend, we had a great time and felt like we saw a lot without missing out.

Watch the Bellagio fountains show
Ok, so this is common to any list about things to see in Vegas - but it's free and easily accessible! The show is best at night, because of the lights, but there are fountain shows during the day. There is a huge rotation of songs, so you can easily see several different fountain shows in a short stay. You can view the fountain show schedule here!

Watch robots make cocktails! 
You can watch the process, or order your own robot-crafted cocktail at The Tipsy Robot in the Miracle Mile shopping mall.

Take in the Fremont Street Experience

Fremont Street is essentially Old Las Vegas - given new life with the worlds largest LED screen overhang. You can easily spend the evening wandering up and down Fremont street, taking in free live music shows and wandering in & out of shops and bars. Plus, if you wanna pay, you can zipline down the street over top of the walking crowds. 

Have a couple cocktails at Frankie's Tiki Room
If you enjoy fruity cocktails, Frankie's Tiki Room is a nice little get away. The prices are reasonable, and the drinks are pretty big.

Head to the Stratosphere for Happy Hour
If you want to view the city from the top of the stratosphere, you have to spend a little bit of money at the hotel or restaurant. Being on a budget, we opted to enjoy some cocktails and appetizers with friends during Happy Hour. While still a little pricey, it was a nice way to spend the evening with friends and take in the sights of the city from above. If you're feeling bold, you can zipline down the building.

Get a Cupcake from an ATM
Sprinkles Cupcakes is a cute bakery with an ATM outside for cupcakes! While you can go in and order other goods, there is something so fun and novel about ordering a cupcake from an ATM that you just have to do it once. Plus, cupcakes are delicious.

Get a boozy milkshake (or a regular one!) at Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan
Ok, so this is mostly just a food recommendation, but this was honestly one of the best. milkshakes. we have EVER had in our lives, so we had to add it to the list. One is plenty to share, as we learned. As you can see below, this is no simple late night snack but a COMMITMENT. Still, it's worth the splurge in calories because it is just so damn good.

Go on a quest for the secret pizza restaurant in the Cosmopolitan
We did a lot of wandering through hotels during our stay in Vegas. Much of the hotels contain a lot of artwork, and so even walking endlessly through them is almost like walking through a very sparse art gallery. We had a lot of fun searching for the secret pizza restaurant - and the prices & pizza were also very worth it.

Lounge, eat, or drink at the Peppermill
Peppermill is a famous diner/lounge, having been featured in quite a few films. It's a neat stop for a simple meal and some cocktails if you wanna take in some neon scenery. As a quick aside, we'd also recommend the restaurant Nacho Daddy (on the strip) for a good meal with options for all dietary restrictions!

Explore Container Park
Container park is a shopping center built from actual shipping containers! Here you'll find restaurants, boutiques, and small art galleries. Additionally, there is often live music. It's a nice, calm respite from the craziness of most of downtown Vegas. Plus, there is this amazing praying mantis statue out front that shoots fire from it's antennae, which - in my opinion - is worth seeing on it's own.

Book a tour at the Neon Boneyard
This was by far one of our favorite stops. If you like oddities, abandoned things, roadside attractions, or weird history - this is the place for you. Keep an eye out for an upcoming post all about this place!

Tell us about your favorite things to do in Vegas!

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