Tips and Tricks for Bourbon Street

Bourbon street can be a lot of fun, but it can also get dangerous quickly.  You should know your limits and pace yourself unless you want to end up a sloppy mess, curled up in a piss puddle.  The best advice I can give you... DON'T drink a bunch of the hurricanes/hand grenades or any other sugary drink they try to push on you.  Those drinks are not only full of sugar, which will make you really sick, but a lot of them are made with Everclear which usually has a really high alcohol percentage.  With the amount of sugar in these drinks it takes longer to feel the effects of the alcohol so people will make the mistake of drinking them too quickly, then getting smacked in the face with the effects later. If you want to last more than an hour I suggest everyone in your group buys a different sugary drink and then you all share, so you can try each popular drink known down on Bourbon street.  Then you should switch to beer or a low sugar cocktail you are used to, at least for a couple hours.  Then if you really enjoyed the frozen drinks of death, you can go for a round two.  Originally, I had suspected that the mixed drinks like the Hurricane or Hand Grenade were going to be a rip off and be super stingy on the alcohol... this is not the case, I promise you there is enough in one drink to get you a good start for the night.  I like to think I can hold my own when it comes to drinking so please take this advice seriously. DO NOT RUSH THE DRINKING. Trust me, you will enjoy the night so much more if you pace yourself and take in the aromas of Bourbon street, which includes a good mixture of shame, regret, horse shit, and hot dogs.

Now that the "manage your alcohol intake" lecture is over, here are some other tips and tricks for Bourbon street:

1. Bring cash! Most bars have a $10 minimum if you use a card, plus they will charge you and extra fee (about $2/$3) to swipe it.

2. Watch where you walk! There are big piles of steaming horse shit all over the street. I stepped in some myself.. not fun.

3. A lot of bars will not let you bring in an open container from another bar so be prepared to hang out in the street while everyone finishes.

4. Beer is super expensive ($6 for a bottle miller light) so make sure to pregame before you go. Or move on over to Frenchman street where you can listen to some amazing live jazz and the beers are a little cheaper ($5 for bottled miller light).

5. Make sure you are wearing the right clothes for the weather. We were there in February so jeans and a jacket were necessary, plus a lot of the bars where very open so you didn't burn up inside.

6. Finally, know how you are getting home. If you are in walking distance, brilliant! otherwise, the street cars stop running around 3am so if you miss the last one, your only other option is a cab.  Cabs can be pricey depending how far you are going, plus they know they have a monopoly in that area because your drunk ass has no other option. For a potentially cheaper option, try Uber. It wasn't necessary for us to get around by Uber so I don't even know if it is a big thing down there, but hey worth a look.

**Bonus Tip: EAT A LUCKY'S HOT DOG on the walk home or to the street car. Seriously it will change your drunk life.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and found it helpful in one way or another. I love you hear about your story if you have already experienced Bourbon Street, or if you have any questions please leave a comment below!

Red Velvet Out.

*Oh yea P.S. here's a link to my video: Things to Do and See in New Orleans Part 2: 

Tips for Packing

So over on my YouTube channel I posted a video about weird stuff I do while packing for trips. I will admit I am not the best packer in the world. But I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way to help me make it through the packing process semi-gracefully. If I have learned anything from my various travel adventures in the past two years it is that THERE IS NO PERFECT PACKING LIST. I don't care how vigorously you search through the bottomless pit that is pinterest (although it is a brilliant place to get all sorts of information on everything travel), you will never find a packing list that is perfect for you, your style, and every climate you could potentially encounter. With that being said there is a rough outline that you can follow in order to make sure you have everything that you need without overpacking. You just have to remember to ask yourself these important questions.

So here it is:

First: What is your luggage situation?
- Small carry on, a duffel bag, backpack, garbage bag? Once you have figured that out you can then pack accordingly.

Second: What is the forecasted weather at your destination?
- Arid desert, impending monsoon season, are you heading into a blizzard or that perfect 75 and sunny San Fransico weather? (PS screw you San Fran, we can't all be so awesome)

Third: How long is this trip going to last?
- Is it just a quick weekend trip, month long hiatus, or a year long adventure?

Fourth: What kind of activities will you be participating in?
- Will you be chillaxing on a beach, hiking everest, or drinking and dancing your way through any and every club that will allow your sloppy, drunk ass into?

*The devil is in the details people!*

Once you have answered these important questions, you should have a pretty decent idea of what you need to pack. Now for the hard part... not over packing. You should always leave room in your suitcase whether you are travelling for 2 weeks or a year. That way you will have plenty of room for souviners and any extra clothes you might pick up along the way. If you are looking for an exact estimate of how many: shirts, pants, skirts, dresses you should pack you have come to the wrong place. You are just going to have to sort that out for yourself (which is made a lot easier if you answer the four previously listed questions). Here is a list of random items that I have forgotten over the years or found to be useful in many situations.

Items Not to Forget:

• Underwear/bras/socks (This might seem obvious, but I have often overlooked all three before in my hasty attempt to pack.)
• Power cords (There is nothing worse than trying to explore a foreign city for a week with a dead cellphone.)
• Fabric softener sheets (They help keep your clothes smelling fresh if you strategically place them throughout your suitcase AND you can use them on your hair to get the static out.)
• A combination lock (This is pretty self explanatory)
• Plastic Bags (Anti-spillage, dirty/stinky clothes, keeps important stuff dry)

Other Random Tips/Tricks for packing:

• Pack clothes that are versatile (The more clothes you can mix and match, the longer you can go without doing laundry )
• Layer up (pack less bulky clothes and instead, if you are cold, wear layers)
• Accessorizing is a MUST (pack your jewlery in pill bottles or bead boxes so they wont get tangled or broken)
• Finally, don't be like me and procrastinate packing until the last minute. Make sure all your clothes are washed and you are packed and ready to go the night before you leave. That way you are not scrambling around hours before your flight, stressing about what you might have forgotten to pack.

If you really need a break down of what to pack for any location in the world, there is no site better than: http://travelfashiongirl.com/packing-lists/ ... Seriously you will never need to read another packing blog again. Not even mine.