Travel guides
Where to stay, how to choose, what to skip — written to be useful, not to sell. The same honesty we put in our prices.
New Orleans Mardi Gras Hotels: Best Places to Book Now (2027)
The honest guide to booking a hotel for Mardi Gras 2027 in New Orleans. Where the parades actually roll, the best areas and real hotels for each, what a room costs during the surge, and how to lock a fair rate early. As of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 12 min read
New Orleans Bachelorette Weekend: A Local's Ultimate Guide
The honest guide to a New Orleans bachelorette weekend. Where to stay, the three day plan, drag brunch, Bourbon Street and the go cups, the daytime activities, and what it all costs once you split it twelve ways. As of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 15 min read
Haunted New Orleans: Ghost Tours, Cemeteries & Haunted Hotels
The honest guide to haunted New Orleans. The real history behind the ghosts, the Cities of the Dead and how to visit them respectfully, the ghost tours worth taking, and the famously haunted hotels you can actually book. As of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 13 min read
New Orleans Jazz Fest 2027 Guide: Dates, Tickets & Tips
The honest guide to New Orleans Jazz Fest 2027 (April 22 to May 2). When it is, what tickets cost, how to reach the Fair Grounds, the food to eat first, and where to stay during the most expensive hotel week of the year. As of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 12 min read
Christmas in New Orleans: 15 Festive Things to Do in 2026
The honest guide to Christmas in New Orleans. Celebration in the Oaks, Reveillon dinners, the Christmas Eve levee bonfires, free caroling in Jackson Square, New Year's Eve, and which December nights to book first. As of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 10 min read
Magazine Street New Orleans: What to Know Before You Go (2026)
The honest guide to Magazine Street, the best shopping in New Orleans. Six miles of local boutiques, antiques, art, and James Beard restaurants, broken into walkable stretches, with how to get around and where to stay. Verified as of 2026.
June 29, 2026 · 7 min read
Hotel Resort Fees: What They Are and How to Avoid Them (2026)
Why a $199 room is really a $244 room, and the handful of moves that actually get you out of paying the fee.
June 29, 2026 · 12 min read
The 15 Best Bars in New Orleans: Iconic Cocktail Spots (2026)
The historic rooms where the Sazerac, the Ramos Gin Fizz, and the Hurricane were born, and exactly where to drink each one.
June 29, 2026 · 18 min read
20 Best Restaurants in New Orleans for Visitors in 2026
From the 1840s Creole grande dames to the corner po boy shops locals swear by, the honest, local grade guide to the best restaurants in New Orleans, sorted by occasion and neighborhood. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 22 min read
Mardi Gras in New Orleans 2027: Parades, Events & Tips
Fat Tuesday 2027 is February 9. The honest, local grade guide to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, real dates, the parade schedule, throws and king cake, family vs party, and how to book a room before it sells out. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 17 min read
3 Days in New Orleans: A First-Timer's Itinerary (2026)
How to spend 3 days in New Orleans without wasting a minute. An honest, hour by hour itinerary, the French Quarter on Day 1, the Garden District and the WWII Museum on Day 2, a swamp and a plantation on Day 3, plus where to eat and where to sleep. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 23 min read
French Quarter New Orleans: A Complete Visitor Guide (2026)
Everything for a first visit to the French Quarter in New Orleans, the Vieux Carré. What to do, the streets to walk, where to eat and sleep inside it, the Spanish history behind the French name, and how safe it really is. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 17 min read
Garden District New Orleans: What to See, Eat & Do (2026)
Everything for a first visit to the Garden District in New Orleans. The historic mansions and Anne Rice's house, Lafayette Cemetery, Magazine Street, Commander's Palace, and how to ride the streetcar there. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 12 min read
Frenchmen Street New Orleans: 9 Best Live Music Spots (2026)
Everything for a first night on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, the locals' live music strip in the Marigny. The best jazz clubs, how cover charges and tipping work, where to eat, and the walk from the French Quarter. As of 2026.
June 28, 2026 · 8 min read
Where to Stay in San Antonio: 7 Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
River Walk or the Pearl? A plain English guide to picking the right San Antonio base, by area, budget, the Alamo, and the trip you are taking.
June 27, 2026 · 27 min read
Where to Stay in Kauai: Best Areas and Hotels (2026)
Sunny South Shore or lush North Shore? A plain English guide to picking the right Kauai base, by area, budget, the weather, and the trip you are taking.
June 27, 2026 · 23 min read
Where to Stay in New Orleans: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
First trip or fifth? A plain English guide to picking the right New Orleans neighborhood, by atmosphere, noise, safety, and the trip you are taking, as of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 17 min read
Is New Orleans Safe? Essential 2026 Tips & Areas to Avoid
Is New Orleans safe? Mostly yes, a local grade guide to the safe neighborhoods, the blocks to skip, the French Quarter at night, the scams, and how not to be the easy target, as of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 12 min read
Things to Do in New Orleans: 16 Best Picks (2026)
The honest, local grade list of the best things to do in New Orleans, from the free Quarter wandering to the tours genuinely worth booking. Music, food, history, swamps and ghosts, as of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 16 min read
Things to Do in New Orleans With Kids: 16 Best (2026)
Behind the Bourbon Street reputation, New Orleans is a genuinely great family town. The honest, local grade list of things to do with kids, by age, rain or shine, as of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 13 min read
Best Time to Visit New Orleans: Weather, Festivals & Crowds
When to go to New Orleans, decoded, the best weather, the cheapest months, when to dodge the crowds, and a straight month by month breakdown of heat, rain, and festivals. As of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 20 min read
11 Best Day Trips from New Orleans: 2026 Travel Guide
Gators, oak lined plantations, Cajun dance halls and Gulf beaches, all within a couple hours of the Quarter. The best day trips from New Orleans, with honest notes and drive times. As of 2026.
June 27, 2026 · 16 min read
Where to Stay in Albuquerque: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Adobe Old Town or Route 66 Nob Hill? A plain English guide to picking the right Albuquerque base, by area, budget, the Balloon Fiesta, and the trip you are taking.
June 26, 2026 · 23 min read
Where to Stay in San Francisco: 12 Best Areas (2026)
First trip or fifth? A plain English guide to picking the right San Francisco neighborhood, by walkability, safety, the fog, and the trip you are taking, as of 2026.
June 26, 2026 · 21 min read
Where to Stay in Key West: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Old Town or a quieter beach base? A plain English guide to picking the right Key West neighborhood, by area, budget, and how close to Duval you want to wake up.
June 25, 2026 · 10 min read
Where to Stay in Santa Barbara: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Beach or State Street? A plain English guide to picking the right Santa Barbara neighborhood, by area, budget, and how far you want to sit from the sand.
June 25, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Flagstaff: Best Hotels & Areas (2026)
Walk to the breweries or sleep cheap before the Grand Canyon? A plain English guide to picking the right Flagstaff base, by area, budget, and your basecamp plans.
June 25, 2026 · 8 min read
Where to Stay in Tucson: Guide to the Best Areas (2026)
Walkable tacos and breweries, or a desert resort under the mountains? A plain English guide to picking the right Tucson base, by area, budget, and the trip you are taking.
June 25, 2026 · 9 min read
Where to Stay in Galveston: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Beach, Victorian history, or a bed near your cruise ship? A plain English guide to picking the right Galveston base, by area, budget, and the trip you are taking.
June 25, 2026 · 8 min read
Where to Stay in St Augustine: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Cobblestone history or the Atlantic beach? A plain English guide to picking the right St. Augustine base, by area, budget, walkability, and Nights of Lights.
June 25, 2026 · 17 min read
Where to Stay in Charleston, SC: Best Hotels & Areas (2026)
Walk the historic peninsula or wake up near the beach? A plain English guide to picking the right Charleston base, by area, budget, food, and the trip you are taking.
June 25, 2026 · 12 min read
Where to Stay in Savannah: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Walk the oak shaded squares or wake up on the riverfront? A plain English guide to picking the right Savannah base, by area, budget, romance, and the trip you are taking.
June 25, 2026 · 17 min read
Where to Stay in Scottsdale, AZ: Best Areas Guide (2026)
Walk to the bars in Old Town or wake up at a desert golf resort? A plain English guide to picking the right Scottsdale base, by area, budget, golf, and the trip you are taking.
June 25, 2026 · 13 min read
Where to Stay in Maui (2026): Best Areas, Resorts & Hotels
West side or South side? A plain English guide to picking the right Maui base, by area, by budget, and by the trip you are taking.
June 24, 2026 · 21 min read
Where to Stay in Moab, Utah: 12 Best Places (2026)
Central downtown or a red rock river ranch? A plain English guide to picking your Moab base, by area, budget, and how close you want to be to Arches, Canyonlands and the Slickrock trails.
June 24, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Estes Park: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
The walkable downtown or the park gateway? A plain English guide to picking your Estes Park base, by area, budget and how close you want to be to Rocky Mountain National Park.
June 24, 2026 · 8 min read
Where to Stay in Asheville: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Walkable downtown breweries, Biltmore Village at the estate's gates, or a quieter base near the Blue Ridge Parkway? A plain English guide to picking your Asheville hotel, by area, budget and what you came to do.
June 24, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Sedona: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Walkable Uptown, value in West Sedona, a quieter base in the Village of Oak Creek, or a creekside cabin in Oak Creek Canyon? A plain English guide to picking your Sedona hotel, by area, budget and red rock view.
June 24, 2026 · 13 min read
Where to Stay in Bend: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Walk to the breweries downtown, sleep by the river in the Old Mill District, or base on the Westside for Mount Bachelor? A plain English guide to picking your Bend hotel, by area, budget and what you came to do.
June 24, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Wisconsin Dells: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Downtown strip or the waterpark side? A plain English guide to picking your Wisconsin Dells base, by area, budget and the trip you are taking.
June 24, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Branson: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
The shows or the lake? A plain English guide to picking the right Branson base, by area, budget, and the trip you are taking.
June 24, 2026 · 11 min read
Where to Stay in Telluride: Best Areas & Hotels (2026)
Town or Mountain Village? A plain English guide to picking the right Telluride base, by area, budget, ski access, and the free gondola that links them.
June 24, 2026 · 12 min read
Surveillance Pricing: How Your Data Sets What You Pay in 2026
Why two people can search the same hotel and see two different prices, and how to tell if it is happening to you.
June 23, 2026 · 10 min read
Where to Stay in Oahu: Best Areas and Hotels (2026)
Waikiki, Ko Olina, the North Shore or Kailua? A plain English guide to picking the right Oahu base for your trip.
June 22, 2026 · 11 min read