New Orleans is wholly unlike anywhere else in America. Some would say its wholly unlike anywhere else in the world.

Its like this most probably because of the eclectic mix of nationalities and ethnicities that have made up its population for two centuries: it must have the most diverse gene pool on the planet. You can hear French and Spanish spoken on the streets, and the cooking contains influences from a dizzying variety of world cuisines. Its a little like Noahs Ark. A little of each bit of the whole world exists within the city limits.

A vacation in the Crescent City (or The Big Easy, or any of a host of other nicknames) essentially means a vacation in the French Quarter. In fact, straying far beyond the French Quarter may not be such a good idea; New Orleans may feel like a cultured European city at times, but its not as safe as most transatlantic destinations. It suffers from many of the same problems as L.A. poverty, ethnic violence and drug crime. Stay in the French Quarter, however, and use your common sense, and you should be fine. The city places a high value on tourists, and much is done to make them feel secure.

The French Quarter is essentially the New Orleans youve seen in the movies: intricate wrought-iron railings, balconies, hanging flower baskets, and gently fading pastel stucco walls. It feels a lot like Trastevere in Rome, or the Left Bank in Paris. Just within a few hundred yards of Jackson Square theres a huge amount to see and do.
Before you get started on wandering around, however, its a good idea to get used to the citys peculiar geography and the way the locals describe it. New Orleans sits on primeval swampland (now drained, thankfully) between the salt Lake Pontchartrain and the Caribbean. The mighty Mississippi winds through this strip of land and residents of the city use it as a point of reference. Giving you directions, they may refer to upriver (roughly south) and downriver (roughly north). A good map is pretty much essential in the city. It may be in principle laid out according to a traditional U.S. grid pattern of streets, but those streets seem to bend and twist off in the strangest directions following the line of the Mississippi as it grinds its way toward the sea.

You can take a cruise on the river. If youve a little money to spare, and you really feel like recreating the heyday of New Orleans high society, you can take a trip on the SS Creole Queen. The Queen is a restored paddle steamer that plies her trade through the city most nights, usually with a live jazz band playing.

How did we get so far into this article and not mention jazz? New Orleans is the home of this most American of music and a lot of residents will tell you that real jazz has never truly left. Its hard to tell you exactly where to go to hear great jazz, as its absolutely everywhere in the city. If you dont like jazz dont go to New Orleans. You wont like the place, and it wont like you.

And jazz pervades the place not just as an art-form, but as a state of mind. You can taste it, for example, in the cooking. While youre in Louisiana make sure you try some Creole food. Not the stuff you buy in boxes in Wal-Mart that claims to be Creole. Try the real stuff. And remember that Cajun and Creole is not the same thing. Gumbo, Jambalaya and red-beans-and-rice come from a cultural background miles away from the French-inspired roux dishes of most Cajun cooking. Its in the kitchens and cafs of the city that you see the real evidence of its diversity.

A great way and a safe one of seeing the city is to take one of the regular guided tours that set off from Jackson Square. One of the good things about these is that the knowledgeable and streetwise local guides can take large groups to places not mentioned in the guidebooks, or to see sights in areas you might not necessarily want to visit by yourself.

One of the absolute highlights of one of these tours is a visit to one of the famous New Orleans cemeteries. This may sound pretty grim and boring, but actually they are wonderful places. Years ago it was discovered that if people were buried in the swampy ground on which the city is built the bodies would pop to the surface again before very long not really something that would meet the approval of the local real estate industry. So dead folks got buried in above-ground structures. Some of these mausoleums are richly decorated and spectacular, revealing a lot about the citys varied history. Kids will love the spooky atmosphere.

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? Well, maybe not yet but you will do when you leave!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Everyone seems to have accepted the fact that the days of leaving your door unlocked are over. The rise of crime is affecting everyone, not just those who live in the larger cities. In fact, homes in rural areas are being targeted like never before–due to the opportunity a secluded area provides to the burglar. Statistics tell us that theft of property is among the highest of all personal crimes committed in the United States. While many families do install some type of house alarm, this alone does not bring complete peace of mind. Home alarm devices can be disabled by a crafty intruder.

These facts alone would explain why many people are turning to house sitting directories to help them find a house sitter when they need to be away from home for an extended time. The presence of a human is the main deterrent to a burglar. When you have a house sitter come into your home to live while you are away, you can almost be guaranteed your home will not be targeted by a thief or vandals.

While safety is the number one reason people are seeking out house sitters, they are quickly finding there are many other added benefits. First and foremost, they are saved the cost and worry of boarding their pets while they are away. Pets are happier when they are left in their own environment and kept on their usual routines. Many pet owners find they are not able to enjoy their vacation when they are forced to leave their pets at a kennel. For the individual or family who has to relocate for months at a time, having a house sitter greatly reduces the stress upon a family pet, and the money that is saved from boarding fees can be astounding. A house sitter can see to the many diverse needs of your pet such as feeding, walking, grooming, playing and health monitoring.

People that do have to be away from home for an extended time are finding it is much easier to have a house sitter come and live in their home–rather than renting out their house or imposing on family or friends to come by to tend to the day to day issues. House sitters can do tasks such as checking mail, routine lawn maintenance, home repair, and more. Having a house sitter can bring assurance that when you return from your travels you will still find healthy house plants or gardens–and that your goldfish is still alive! Your house sitter saves you the expense of arranging for pool and lawn maintenance while you are away, as well. House sitters are also invaluable if a major problem arises within you home, such as a leaking hot water heater or storm damage.

So, how does one go about finding a house sitter? The safest way to locate a house sitter is to go through a house sitting directory. Here you can find a house sitter which can meet your needs. Standard guidelines for a house sitter generally include them taking responsibility of your home, pets and property in exchange for rent free accommodations. Other individual needs can also be added to your house sitters guidelines such as arranging for them to supervise a major home repair while you are away.

You may be wondering who actually does house-sitting? You may be surprised to learn there are many individuals who become house sitters because it gives them the opportunity to save money on their living expenses. This enables them to save money for their own homes. Other house sitters may be retirees who are looking for a change of environment after years of work, or they wish to relocate to your area to be near relatives. A few individuals who are temporarily relocated due to their employment may also look into house sitting. House sitters are everyday people just like you and me.

It is usually standard that house sitters will be responsible for paying the utility bills while you are away. This takes the worry off a home owner who is concerned about coming home to a large phone or electric bill. All other bills, such as taxes, mortgage and home insurance is still the responsibility of the owner.

When you contact a house-sitting directory you will have access to their data base of registered house sitters. Registration for home owners is usually free with most directories. You privacy is assured, and your personal information will not be given out to any prospective house sitter. You alone decide when you are comfortable with a house sitter and are open to having him or her know your personal information.

When selecting your house sitter, you should only choose one that can meet all of your criteria. Once you have narrowed down your choices, you will be given references for the candidates. This is an important part of the process when selecting a house sitter. Many times you will be able to talk with other home owners who may have used this individual as a house sitter in the past.

Once you have decided upon a possible candidate, you will want to interview them. During the interview you will want to let them know what you desire from them when they are living at your home. This is when you can tell them about your pets, home maintenance such as a pool, mowing or shovelling snow. This is also when you can get to know the personality and character of your prospective sitter. You need to be assured you are having an animal lover come into your home if you have pets. It would be unreasonable to have someone come into your home who is allergic to cats if you have one for a pet. Also, if someone is fearful of animals, your dog may not get as much interaction as they need.

When you have chosen the house sitter you are comfortable with, you should have a contract drawn up. This contract can be obtained through most house sitting matching services, or you may prefer to have your family attorney draw it up. This contract needs to be as detailed as possible. It should thoroughly explain your expectations for home maintenance, pet care, emergency contact information, etc. If you would like to have a major home project completed, such as having someone come in to clean your gutters, or replace your windows while you are away, you should have all the details included in your contract.

It is advised that you have a face to face interview with your house sitter, or at least have them arrive a few days early so you can show them particular things about your home. While they are there, you can familiarize him or her with aspects of your home, such as window that likes to stick, or how to program the alarm system. This is also a great time for your house sitter to interact and make friends with your pets. They can see the routine of your pet throughout the day. This will help them tremendously. For instance, if you have a dog that does nothing but sleep all day behind the recliner, your house sitter will know this is normal and not a sign of illness. However, if you have a dog that bounces off the ceiling and he or she is laying around in a stupor all day, your house sitter will know this is out of character for that particular pet.

The peace of mind a house sitter can bring to you when you are away from home is priceless. Using a house sitting matching service is also the safest and speediest route to take when looking for a house sitter. Both the home owner and house sitter benefit by these matching services. The sitters can enjoy being in a new area while saving money for school or a home. Retirees are particularly pleased to be chosen as house sitters. Becoming a house sitter allows them an opportunity to travel to a place where their fixed income may not have afforded them to visit otherwise. Home owners can be assured they are not imposing on a family, friend or neighbor to watch over their home. The comfort level that a house sitter can bring to a pet is also a major plus. House sitters not only help deter your home from being the target of a burglary, but they step into your shoes and take care of the small things on a day to day basis.

About the author:
Author Ian White is founder of http://www.housecarers.com/
House Sitting Directory. Visit Housecarers House sitting directory today.

Registration is free for homeowners (and they’ll never have to rely on cousin Eddie again.)

Travel costs are up, but some companies are giving business travelers a break.Mike FreezeThe momentum in travel recovery that began last year is continuing,
and Americans are traveling in record numbers.

That’s great news for the travel industry, but not for companies trying to control travel costs-higher demand means higher prices. Car rental rates are up an average of 10 percent to 15 percent over last year. Hotel prices in many major cities are skyrocketing, and hotels are regularly selling out in super-hot markets like Boston and Manhattan. Recently imposed fuel surcharges are bumping up airfares. Even airport parking rates are on the rise.

Since small businesses usually don’t have the volume to negotiate lower prices, finding travel deals is tough. And when they do find deals, travelers get bogged down in the fine print or have to jump through too many hoops to realize true savings.

That could be changing. For example, Budget Rent A Car just announced a simple offer to small and midsize businesses that rent cars at least once per month or spend at least $1,000 per year on car rentals: Those companies that enroll in the Budget Business program get an additional discount on Budget’s lowest rates on all car classes. They also receive a $2 rebate for every day an employee rents a Budget car.

A company with five travelers who rent cars five days per month would earn back $600 a year from the rebates alone! Members also get no additional driver fees, unlimited mileage, and complimentary Rapid Return and Fastbreak (express, paperless rental) services. For more information, see www.budget.com, and click on “Frequent Renter.”

Hoping to snare more price-sensitive travelers from small and midsize
businesses, Delta introduced SimpliFares earlier this year. With SimpliFares, Delta dumped the onerous Saturday-night stay-over rule, cut ticket change fees from $100 to $50, and capped its one-way walk-up fares at $500 (coach) and $600 (first-class). See www.delta.com/simplifa or more information.

About the author:
Mike Freeze webmaster at
Accommodation Jasper National Park

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