8 Delicious Food & Drink Festivals in New Orleans http://ift.tt/1VPOqpb

Beyond festivals like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, New Orleans also offers food- and drink-focused festivals where you can get your fill of signature local eats like beignets, muffaletta sandwiches, bananas Foster, and crawfish étouffée, and also attend cooking demonstrations, check out arts and crafts, hear great live music, and party with the locals. Unfortunately for your taste buds, you’ve already missed the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience (end of May) and the New Orleans Oyster Festival (beginning of June) for this year, but there are still so many delicious festivals to catch and so much good food to eat. Here are our picks; pack your stretchy pants!

The Louisiana Seafood Festival 

When: September 4–6 2016

With the Gulf of Mexico a shrimp’s throw away, it’s no wonder New Orleans is known and heralded for the quality of its seafood.  It’s also no wonder that seafood lovers migrate year after year to the free, three-day celebration of shrimp, crab, oysters, crawfish, and more that is the Louisiana Seafood Festival. You’ll find celeb-chef cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, and signature dishes from top restaurants including Acme Oyster House, Drago’s, and Jacques-Imo’s. It all happens at the City Park Festival Grounds.

Tip: It’s easy to get to the festival by streetcar. From downtown, take the “Canal/City Park Museum” to the end of the line.

French Market Creole Tomato Festival

When: June 11–12 2016

2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the French Market Creole Tomato Festival. This free festival (no tickets required) is a celebration of the locally grown Creole tomato—a key ingredient in local dishes—held in the nation’s oldest marketplace, the French Market. There are booths selling dishes made with Creole tomatoes, cooking demonstrations, tomatoes for sale and sampling, a Bloody Mary Market, tomato-eating contests, awards, and live music on four different stages.

Tip: June is HOT; bring a bottle of chilled water and download a copy of the map in advance so you can find the closest beverage booths.

Coolinary New Orleans Restaurant Month

When: August 2016

If you need an excuse to eat out in New Orleans in August (besides amazing food, great live music, etc.), restaurants participating in Coolinary New Orleans Restaurant Month offer special prix-fixe, three-course lunches and dinners at cool summer prices. Top restaurants in past years have included Commander’s Palace, Court of Two Sisters, Emeril’s Delmonico, La Petite Grocery, and Domenica. If you’ve had a few restaurants on your to-do list for a while, August is the month to check them off. Participating restaurants (and their menus) can be found online.

Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival

When: November 12–13, 2016

Self-described (and widely seconded) as the best place on earth to sample a dozen different styles of gumbo, from traditional to creative with full portions as well as “tastes,” The Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival­­­, held in the French Quarter's Armstrong Park, is also New Orleans's premier brass band showcase. Produced and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the pairing of gumbo and jazz is a feast for the senses and it’s also free to attend. You can spend your vacation money on local crafts at the arts market.

Tip: Every year more than a few vendors offer vegan gumbo for those avoiding seafood or who just want to try something different. You’re also likely to find sweet potato pie and red beans and rice.

The Oak Street Po’Boy Festival

When: October 23, 2016

It’s exactly what it says it is—a festival celebrates one of the city’s most beloved treats and one of the greatest sandwiches around, according to locals. Po’boy lovers from far, near, and wide head to the Oak Street Po’Boy Festival to the taste po’boys from restaurants such as Crabby Jack’s, G.W. Fins, Bourbon House, Emeril's Delmonico, and many more; sit in panel discussions on topics like po’boy history and French bread-baking traditions; and enjoy live music, arts and crafts, and competitions. You have something better to do on October 23? 

Tales of the Cocktail

When: July 19–24, 2016

Interested in learning more about sherry cocktails? The new American rum revolution? A boozy tour of the French Quarter? Like your conferences shaken and not stirred? This is your jam. Tales of the Cocktail  offers more than 200 seminars, tastings, competitions, networking opportunities, and of course, cocktail parties. While geared toward industry professionals, cocktail enthusiasts belly up to the programming, too.

Insider tip: Plan ahead to reserve a table in a restaurant participating in the Spirited Dinner Series, where some of the world’s top mixologists work with top chefs to create innovative pairings.

New Orleans Food and Wine Experience

When: May 2017

Thousands of gourmands descend on the Big Easy every spring for their fill of merlot and gumbo at the annual New Orleans Food and Wine Experience (held at the end of May). This four-day event offers seminars, wine tastings, crafts, a street stroll (more a party than a walk), and lots of delicious food. Over a thousand wines are featured and more than two dozen restaurants take part in special dining experiences all over the city with the events supporting culinary education. The festival culminates with a grand tasting that includes the crowning of the “King of Louisiana Seafood.”

Tip: Live large and buy a ticket to The Big Gateaux Show pastry competition; burlesque stars, pastries, and cocktails make this a party like no other.

The Oyster Festival

When: June 2017

With a mission to spotlight and celebrate the Louisiana Gulf oyster, and the restaurateurs and oyster farmers who bring it to market, the popular New Orleans Oyster Festival takes place at the end of May or beginning of June every summer. It features an oyster-shucking contest, an oyster-eating contest, and the largest oyster competition, as well as live music. On the cooking demonstration stage you’ll catch chefs from top restaurants like Trenasse and Bourbon House.

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25 Things To Do In Chicago This Summer http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

With an abundance of world-class cultural attractions and amazing architecture, you’ll never be bored in Chicago, regardless of the weather. But the Midwest’s largest city really comes to life in summer when days are longer, temps are warmer, and the calendar is jam-packed with al-fresco festivals and events. From an extended Lolla to “the Taste,” to the newest rooftop bars and the Heartland’s version of the High Line, there’s so much to see and do this summer in Chicago. It’ll be Labor Day before you know it, so we whittled the list down to 25 essential warm-weather activities.—Kristine Hansen

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Experience Africa on a Safari Cruise http://ift.tt/1VPO8ik

The prospect of a safari from a cruise ship is intriguing and bewildering. However, luxe cruise line Silversea Cruises has offered South African–centric sailings that it unofficially dubs "safari cruises" for more than 20 years. On these itineraries, guests get the chance to explore the African wilds, setting out in search of the continent's exotic landscapes and legendary wildlife.

This roving sea-based safari offers a transforming, kaleidoscopic take on the African safari experience that would be difficult to replicate on land. Granted, while some of Africa's most famed safari camps (à la South Africa's Kruger National Park or Tanzania's Serengeti National Park) are set too far inland to be feasibly accessed via any cruise itinerary, the safari cruises instead reward guests with access to lesser-visited but still impressive safari parks and reserves that are within day-trip proximity to coastal ports.

Guests hop aboard a hassle-free cruise in South Africa with logistics arranged in advance (including room and board, transport from port to port, and a roster of well-vetted shore excursions). As the ship skirts Africa's lengthy coastline, port days see safari-primed excursions arranged at local game reserves, which are typically situated within a two-hour motor coach transfer from the port. After a half or full day out on guided safari excursions, guests return to the ship to be pampered with Silversea signatures like butler service and gourmet cuisine paired with wine and cocktails.

THE CRUISE ITINERARY

Silversea runs most of its safari cruises round-trip from Cape Town, South Africa, with a handful of itineraries that additionally run between Cape Town and Mombasa, Kenya.

After arriving in sophisticated Cape Town, guests spend the first night at the swanky 329-room Table Bay Hotel, set on the vibrant V&A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront. The extra day in town helps to recover from jet lag and alleviate any anxieties about arriving to the ship too late (due to any unforeseen flight delays).

While Cape Town isn't well situated to safari country itself, it’s still a great destination. To make the most of you time here, you'll need to ascend the iconic Table Mountain (via cable car or hike) for sweeping views over mountains, city, and sea; wander around the buzzing V&A Waterfront, lined with restaurants, bars, shops, and boat tours aplenty; and take a bite out of Cape Town's buzzing culinary scene at a hot spot like The Pot Luck Club, where star chef Luke Dale-Roberts delivers a perfect trifecta of delectable small plates, polished service, and trendy atmosphere.

The first stop, following a day at sea, is at Port Elizabeth, or PE, in South Africa's Eastern Cape province. While the city is pleasant enough in its own right, with busy beaches, historic Victorian architecture, and public artworks, the port's raison d'être on the cruise circuit is its proximity to the outstanding 445,000-acre Addo Elephant National Park, about a 45-minute drive from the port. An elephant sanctuary like no other, it's also a proper "Big 5" reserve offering the possibility of seeing lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, and buffalo, in addition to the 600 elephants who reside here.

Next up, following another day at sea, is a half-day port call in Maputo, which lacks safari excursions, but offers an interesting glimpse of an African capital on the rise. A city tour here reveals a uniquely African tapestry of fading Portuguese colonial architecture, fast-rising high-rises, lush vegetation, welcoming sidewalk cafés, colorful marketplaces, small museums, an old fort, a century-old train station, and even an "Iron House" designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame).

The following overnight stay is in Richards Bay, an industrial port town in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province (the heart of the Zulu nation). The port is within striking distance of two superlative game reserves: the tongue-twisting Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park—one of South Africa's best game reserves—offers another chance to come face-to-face with the Big 5. The park is famed for its conservation efforts that have made it one of the best places to see rhinos in the world. You might see zebras, giraffes, antelope, elephants, and wonderfully exotic birds during a 4x4 drive through the scenic park filled with rivers and watering holes.

Back on the coast, the UNESCO-protected iSimangaliso Wetland Park reveals an entirely different side of the African wild, via a two-hour boat trip on Lake St. Lucia. Here, you might see groups of bathing hippos and lurking crocodiles, along with flamingoes and more than 500 types of birds that inhabit these wetlands.

The next stop is Durban, South Africa's second-largest city and busiest port. Cruise guests can opt for some urban exploration, Indian Ocean beach bumming, or a half-day excursion to a game drive at the nearby Tala Private Game Reserve. At Tala, 7,500 acres of grasslands and wetlands provide a home for rhinos, hippos, buffalos, giraffes, antelopes, and more than 300 species of birds.

East London is South Africa's only river port, where guest embark on a half-day 4x4 game drive to Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve, in search of rhino, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and birds (including ostriches).

After 10 days at sea, the ship returns to Cape Town.  Depending on the time of your outbound flight, you'll get some additional time there to explore. If you’re feeling adventurous, hire a driver to explore the city's incredibly scenic 30-mile-long Cape Peninsula, much of which is protected within Table Mountain National Park.

THE CRUISE SHIP

Silversea Cruises is known for its refined service and well-appointed ships, and while the 296-passenger Silver Cloud can certainly be counted as upscale, it's showing some signs of fray. This is in large part because the ship will be refitted as an expedition vessel in the summer of 2017, so no major refurbishments are being done ahead of that. Still, with spacious all-suite accommodations, butler service for every guest, and inclusive rates that factored in free-flowing wine and cocktails, it'd be tough to complain.

The Silver Cloud's size is small enough to ensure that there are no lines to get on or off the ship or to dine, but isn't so small that it's lacking in onboard amenities. Public spaces include four dining venues, two dedicated bars (plus the pool bar), a small casino, show lounge, cigar bar, library, spa, fitness center, and saltwater pool flanked by two Jacuzzis.

The onboard entertainment lineup shuffles events like movie matinees, trivia, and hosted bridge, as well as live music from a quartet, pianist/singer, and "The Voices of Silversea," a troupe of six entertainers who put on song-and-dance productions. They also have a standout guest lecturer program.

Guest cabins include the services of butler to perform tasks like making dinner reservations, shining your shoes, or stocking your mini-fridge. All suites have a sitting area with a sofa, table, and two chairs (for in-room dining), a vanity and desk, and walk-in closets; the majority of units come with private balconies, too. Tech trimmings include iPod alarm clocks, TVs with DVD players, and in-room Wi-Fi.

There are two formal nights at sea when guests dress to the nines in cocktail dresses and dark suits. Note that gentlemen are expected to wear jackets to dinner each evening.

Expect to share the experience with a group of well-traveled (and well-to-do) couples, mostly ages 55 and up, with a large mix of Americans and English onboard, and almost no kids (the ship doesn't offer much in the way of special accommodations for children).

BOOK IT

Silversea Cruises offers a selection of safari cruises each year, between December and February (summertime in South Africa); the 10- to 15-night itineraries sail round-trip from Cape Town, or between Cape Town and Mombasa (longer voyages might include additional stops in spots like Walvis Bay, Namibia, and Mossel Bay, South Africa). Early-booking rates for 2017 voyages start at $4,005/person, including free Wi-Fi, alcoholic beverages, complimentary shuttles into town in port, and onboard gratuities. Special ultra-inclusive 2016 rates start from a substantially pricier $11,520/person, including all of the above, but lots of big-ticket extras like international flights; pre- or post-cruise, three-night, land-based safaris in South Africa's Kruger National Park; ground transfers; and select shore excursions. silversea.com 

It should be noted that the seasick-prone might want to think twice before booking a sailing in South Africa waters. While the rewards are great, the stormy seas surrounding the notorious Cape of Good Hope can mean rough swells that will have your stomach turning circles.

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How to Travel Internationally With Kids http://ift.tt/28m9RDu

Even for young children, travel offers many benefits. They remember more than you realize (researchers at Harvard University have shown that children as young as 17 months retain long-term memories), and exposure to different cultures, languages, and even food can influence young minds for a lifetime.

In an age when screen time is increasingly taking the place of outdoor play, travel is the opposite of digital distraction. It’s teaching your children the art of paying attention, finding the novelty in everything, and treating life as a grand adventure. You might be going to look at old churches or ancient rice paddies, but what you’re really showing your children is that being present in the moment has value. Being present is nearly a lost art in our modern lives and carving out that time when they are young will be one of the most important gifts you can give them—even if you travel no farther than your own backyard.

With practice, patience, and perspective, it’s possible to raise happy travelers. 

START THEM YOUNG (PRACTICE)

If you dream of taking more elaborate family vacations like touring the Galapagos or ziplining through Costa Rica when your kids get older, it’s better to start your little ones years beforehand. Kids who grow up traveling tend to be much more laid back, flexible, and ready for adventure. While your child’s age will factor into how much they can do with you, it’s really about practice.
Families that pursue their interests together (think: hiking, surfing, or skiing) all start their kids as young as possible and condition them over time, with love and patience, to the demands of their pursuit. For travel, that’s the ability to stand in line at the immigration desk before getting on a flight, or sleeping on a bumpy bus overnight.

ADVENTURE IS A STATE OF MIND (PATIENCE)

Your children will naturally model your state of mind, whether you realize it or not. It’s not always easy to keep your cool while dealing with the inevitable mishaps that come from navigating to a place you’ve never been before, but to lessen my stress I just pad my time—more time to get to the airport, more time to pack up at the hotel. When that isn’t enough, I just fake it. Over the years it’s gotten easier to be the cool Zen center of my family as I’ve carefully cultivated this attitude. If you’re calm, your children remain calm.

By the way, if this doesn’t work, revert to plan B: snacks, toys and bribes. Works every time.

THEY WILL CHANGE HOW YOU SEE THE WORLD (PERSPECTIVE)

If you’ve traveled before having children, you’ll notice the difference immediately. Instead of being the invisible tourist, you’ll be the family unit. You’ll be invited into people’s homes more often or stopped for a brief conversation on the street. In some ways, your tiny foreigner child is like a local celebrity as you travel overseas, being immensely approachable because he or she is so young, plus being from another part of the world, makes your child an instant novelty. This shift means a different kind of travel experience, one where you’ll likely get to know more of the locals, get directed to more of the best spots, and have more meaningful interactions.

As adults we consume travel from a distance: we arrive, we stand back, we admire, we take a photo, and we move on. Children touch and look, they crawl and explore. They notice the mouse living in the corner or the hidden etching at knee level. They are fully present and absolutely interactive. They make extremely playful tour guides.

THE REST IS SIMPLICITY

For everything else, keep it as simple as possible:

• Start small, pack light, and go easy on yourself.
• Break up long flights to no more than four hours, and if possible, with a hotel stay in between, because well-rested kids travel better.
• Travel with no more than one carry-on and two suitcases for the whole family.  You can purchase anything extra when you arrive (if you need it, the locals will need it too), and having less to carry means being less distracted and less stressed, which leads to happier kids.
• Splurge on hotels with a pool.
• Eat locally, always, but only where there’s a crowd. Popular places are unlikely to serve unclean food.
• Diapers and baby food are available everywhere, but stock up if you’re going somewhere remote.
• Pack children’s Tylenol, Benadryl, and anything else you might need (you can find these almost everywhere, but when you need it you don’t want to hunt for a pharmacy overseas).
• For very little ones, baby-proof your hotel room upon arrival by unplugging the phone, clearing the desk, and placing everything up high (try to avoid booking hotel rooms with decorative features like pebbles in the bathroom or ornate vases next to the bed).

Just like being a parent, traveling with kids is a work in progress. You will largely figure out what works best for your kids and your family as you go. But it’s never too soon to start, and you might be surprised at just how much you love it.

Christine Gilbert is the author of Mother Tongue: My Family’s Globe-Trotting Quest to Dream in Mandarin, Laugh in Arabic, and Sing in Spanish. She’s traveled to over 40 countries with her 3- and 6-year-old.

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America's Best Small Art Festivals http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better when it comes to art festivals. Every year when the weather warms up, America’s smaller cities and towns host weekend-long events that feature work by some of the country’s most talented artists. From a small street festival next door to the nation’s capital to a laid-back event set in a mountain valley, there’s plenty to do and see at these outdoor art extravaganzas. Here are our picks for America’s best small art fairs.—Emily Wasserman

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Coastal Norway's 10 Coolest Experiences http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The beauty of Norway comes in many forms throughout the year. In winter, the landscape is a bright, snow-layered horizon, dotted with multicolored buildings that appear especially radiant during short Arctic days. Through summer, cities and rural valleys are filled with green trees, grassy meadows, and sparkling fjords. But no matter the season, Norway is always an inviting country where picturesque scenery beckons visitors to experience its lovely, vibrant coast and out-of-the-ordinary attractions.—Kelsy Chauvin

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Where to Stay on the Las Vegas Strip http://ift.tt/28gQFH7

Home to seven of the world’s 10 largest hotels, Las Vegas is incomparable in its scale and scope. Densely packed on the 4.2-mile Strip, colossal resorts and casinos line the street in the only city in the world where you’ll find Eiffel Tower across the street from the Colosseum. From opulent resorts to sleek boutique hotels, here’s a roundup of where to stay in Sin City.

Delano Las Vegas

Previously known as THE Hotel at the Mandalay Bay, the revamped Delano Las Vegas was unveiled in 2014 on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. A sleek, golden tower that stands 45 stories high, the 1,117 all-suite hotel is the rare property on the Strip that doesn’t have a casino and is smoke-free.  Start the day with a rejuvenating soak in the posh BATHHOUSE Spa, where heated whirlpools and a cold plunge pool offer a welcome escape from the hubbub of the Strip. Lunch on site is a farm-to-table experience at Della’s Kitchen, with an expansive menu of standouts, namely their sweet potato tots, the Farmhouse Club, and their Delano Burger, topped with blue cheese and bacon jam. You'll want to save room for dinner, as acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse’s Rivea serves the most scenic dinner in town, with unparalleled views of the city in the hotel’s indoor/outdoor penthouse. The Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dining experience steals focus with its playful small plates—notably the crispy socca (chickpea pancakes) and the stuffed calamari—and main courses that include seared sea scallops primavera and a roasted duck breast.

The LINQ Hotel & Casino

Having undergone a $223-million renovation of Caesars Entertainment’s centrally located property formerly known as The Quad, The LINQ Hotel & Casino was unveiled in 2014. A complete transformation from its former digs, The LINQ features 2,640 renovated rooms and suites and with two new pools that buzz with DJs and craft beer bars. As for entertainment in the complex, Frank Marino’s Divas fits the bill with a rotating cast of female impersonators channeling the likes of Britney Spears and Katy Perry. However, no diva can attract as much attention as the towering High Roller, the LINQ’s giant new Ferris wheel that towers 550 feet over the property with 28 40-person cabins.

The Cromwell

The only standalone boutique hotel on the Strip, The Cromwell’s central location and hopping nightclub scene make the newly renewed property—it was Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon until 2014—a top spot for the younger set. The 188 rooms and suites are boudoir-inspired, with dark wood furniture and purple accents along with oversized walk-in showers, ample space, and high-end toiletries. Perhaps the main benefit of a stay at The Cromwell is free access to Drai’s Beach Club & Nightclub and Drai’s After Hours, two hotspots that top many of Vegas’s party lists. As the night winds down along the strip, Drai’s After Hours is just getting started with its party-all-night hours that start at 1 am and keep the music hopping till breakfast at 10 am.

W Hotel at SLS

Appealing to an upscale, sophisticated urban traveler, W Hotel arrives on the Vegas Strip in fall 2016, transforming the current LUX at SLS 289 all-suite tower at the SLS Las Vegas. Guests can expect signatures of the W brand including a plush hotel lobby and WET, a refreshed outdoor pool and bar scene. The new partnership welcomes SLS Las Vegas into the Starwood’s Tribute Portfolio, allowing customers to use Starwood Preferred Guest points for bookings in SLS resort’s 1,324 rooms.

Julius Tower at Caesars Palace

Some of the newest luxury rooms on the Strip, Caesars Palace’s Julius Tower welcomed its first guest on New Year’s Day of this year. Transforming the resort’s original tower to the tune of a $75 million renovation, the 587-room tower features new modern interiors that pop with accents of yellow and blue. Top-of-the-line 55-inch TVs, spacious stone showers, and expansive vanities with an homage to Greek columns are among the highlights of the tower that dates back almost 50 years. For a relaxing afternoon, take a dip in the sprawling Roman-styled pools (a total of eight dot the property!). The main attraction is the sprawling Neptune Pool, a pristine oasis for a refreshing cool down.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Las Vegas Guide

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