American Nomad Blog
About this blog
American Nomad covers the best of U.S. travel—from vacation deals to festivals, weekend getaways, travel tips, and more. A seasoned traveler and Moon author, Laura is the perfect guide to help discover new gems when traveling domestically.
Recent Posts
- Vibrant Mardi Gras Indians on Parade
- A Taste of Mardi Gras
- Saving Money on a Sharecation
- A Few More Essentials for the Road
- Top Ten Must-Pack Items
- Finding Public Lands with “Oh, Ranger!”
- America's Public Lands Free This Weekend
- Free National Park Admission in Honor of King Holiday
- Round-the-Clock Eateries in the French Quarter
- A Sober Sojourn to Virginia's Battlefields, Part 3
- A Sober Sojourn to Virginia's Battlefields, Part 2
- A Sober Sojourn to Virginia's Battlefields, Part 1
- Holiday Lights from Coast to Coast
- Helpful Advice from the “Pickpocket King”
- Programs to Make Holiday Vacations More Affordable
Vibrant Mardi Gras Indians on Parade
Earlier tonight, I gave you a taste of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but despite this and other posts about this colorful event, I have yet to mention one of its most curious aspects. more >>
A Taste of Mardi Gras
Valentine's Day might be only a week away, but for most New Orleanians, February boasts an even more significant holiday – one that's celebrated for several weeks (if not longer). While this year's Mardi Gras officially falls on Tuesday, February 21, the Carnival season actually kicked off on Friday, January 6 – the day that, according to Catholics and many other Christians, marks the end of the Christmas season. In New Orleans, it's also traditionally the day upon which red and green Christmas decorations are replaced with green, gold, and purple garlands, banners, and ornaments – signifying the start of the city's most festive season – and one of the most anticipated times of the year. more >>
Saving Money on a Sharecation
Since last June, I've been interviewed at least twice about budget-friendly U.S. travel, specifically the increasingly popular, economical trend of “sharecations” – that is, friends and families taking vacations together. For MetroParent magazine, Kristen J. Gough was specifically focusing on sharecations in northern Michigan, and she wanted to know if I had any tips about dividing up costs, choosing accommodations, juggling activities, and maintaining a civil friendship. Katrina Brown Hunt, meanwhile, was working on a Travel+Leisure article about the country's most affordable cities, plus ways to minimize the expense of visiting pricier places like New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. more >>
A Few More Essentials for the Road
On Sunday, I posted a list of my top 10 must-pack items – essentials, in other words, that I never travel without, no matter what part of the United States (rural, urban, or somewhere in between) I plan to explore. If you read the post, then you already know that, besides obvious contents like my driver's license, money, maps, toiletries, underwear, and a camera, I always make room for my iPhone, my favorite hoodie, a bathing suit, and an umbrella. In addition, I never leave home without a notebook and/or portable recorder, a water bottle and snacks, Dramamine for avoiding carsickness, earplugs for ensuring a good night's sleep, and items that help prevent sunburn and heat exhaustion – namely, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a dampened bandanna. more >>
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