These days just about every city offers eerie ghost tours and New Orleans is no exception. In addition to ghoulish ambles, the Big Easy has tours, temples and museums focused on Voodoo. When vacationing in New Orleans, check out some of these tourist-friendly Voodoo sights:

New Orleans Spirit Tours  - Join a guide who knows the ins and outs of New Orleans Voodoo, such as one offered by New Orleans Spirit Tours. A two-hour cemetery and Voodoo tour leads New Orleans vacationers to such sights as Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau’s tomb. Priestess Marie Laveau (1801 – 1881) is recognized as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans and was leader of all Voodoos in the city. Her specialty was in love potions and she now rests in St. Louis Cemetery Number 1. In addition to Voodoo tours, New Orleans Spirit Tours leads ghost and vampire tours. Call 504/314-0806 to book a tour.

Marie Laveau’s Tomb –Many visitors to Laveau’s Tomb leave offerings in exchange for requested favors from the famous voodoo priestess.  These offerings include Mardi Gras beads, coins, flowers, and other trinkets. The act of leaving three “x’s” on the tomb is believed to bring luck, however, it’s unlawful to deface tombs and if caught, a hefty fine will be levied – so don’t do it! Founded in 1789, St. Louis Cemetery is Catholic open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The cemetery is located on the corner of Basin St. and St. Louis St.

Voodoo Spiritual Temple and Cultural Center – Lucky visitors to this temple will meet Priestess Miriam who owns the temple. Take time to appreciate the abundance of paintings, photographs, and prints which adorn the walls. Previous visitors have left business cards, handwritten notes, and dollar bills throughout the temple, with hope their wishes will be fulfilled. Visitors to the Voodoo Spiritual Temple are invited to visit, pray, meditate or consult with Priestess Miriam. Need a new fetish doll or perhaps a voodoo doll for the one who scorned you? A gift shop sells these items along with t-shirts, African statues, masks and other treasures. Find the Voodoo Spiritual Temple and Cultural Center on 828 N. Rampart Street.

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum – Think of this museum as Voodoo 101 as it’s a fab place to receive an overview of New Orleans Voodoo ranging from Priestess Marie Laveau to the gris-gris rooms explain the magical powers of Voodoo. Also see a Louisiana rougarou – an alligator-headed creature which stands upright.  Need to cast a spell? With advance notice, the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum will create custom spells and gris-gris bags. Find the museum at 724 rue Dumaine, Tel: 504/680-0128.

Always remember to be respectful towards the Voodoo culture and religion but don’t forget to have fun. Speaking of fun, let Resort Rentals International book your New Orleans vacation.

Material from this post was borrowed from the article “Experiencing New Orleans Voodoo” on Suite101.

Yes, even pirate speak has its own holiday thanks to two average guys named John “Ol’ ChumBucket” Bauer and Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers. The duo invented International Talk Like a Pirate Day back in 1995 on the racquetball court where they spoke in swaggering pirate speak to each other and randomly decided everyone should talk like a pirate. Now, this didn’t happen on Sept. 19 but on June 6 and that date wasn’t very memorable for Cap’n Slappy so Sept. 19 was chosen as an easy day for him to remember – it’s his ex-wife’s birthday.

Up until 2002, the goofy holiday was low-key until humor columnist Dave Barry highlighted International Talk Like a Pirate Day and encouraged readers to answer the phone with, “Ahoy, me hearty!” rather than the standard, “Hello.”

To help get ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day, we’ve listed the five key pirate words to remember:
Ahoy!    “Hello.”
Arrr! Not to be confused with “argh.” Think of it as a versatile phrase when needing to say something pirate-like.
Avast!  “Hey! Stop, pay attention.”
Aye!  “Yes, I agree.”
Aye! Aye!    “Yes, I’ll get right on it.”

Looking for more ways to gain some pirattitude? Check out the official International Talk Like a Pirate Day Web site  for more pirate speak, pirate party ideas and other pirate nonsense.

Now that pirate talk is mastered, how about a Caribbean vacation? We won’t guarantee you’ll find pirates (and that’s really a good thing because authentic pirates aren’t nice people) but chances are you’ll find a treasure of deals and activities in St. Maarten.

Ahoy, me hearty!

Material from this post was borrowed from the article, “September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day,” on Associated Content.

Foodies are already familiar with Zagat – the most trusted guide for restaurant reviews and ratings – and will relish in the Zagat applications - called Zagat on the Go - for the iPhone and Android. These new apps for dining on the go make finding the perfect restaurant while traveling easy.

Travelers looking to please the palate while vacationing can find nearby restaurants, nightspots and shops with just a few clicks on either their iPhone or Android. The nru on T-Mobile Android phones allow users to “see”what’s around them with a 360 degree first-person view, get Zagat ratings for food and cost, and allows users to view details on ZAGAT.mobi. The Zagat application is free in the Android market. It’s supported by T-Mobile G1, MyTouch 3G, Samsung Galaxy

As for the iPhone, Zagat to Go 2.0 solves dining dilemmas for users with Zagat Recommends, the guide’s digital concierge. The app has been lauded by USA Today as a Top iPhone Travel Apps and PC Magazine’s 21 Cool iPhone Apps & 35 Blockbuster Apps. It’s also been nominated for Best Travel App and Best Local Search App by 2009 AppAdvice.com App Awards. The Zagat to Go app is $9.99 and can be downloaded at the iTunes store.

Like to tee it up before tea time? The Golf by Zagat App for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available for $4.99 and offers ratings and reviews of America’s top golf courses. And speaking of golf, isn’t it time to plan a golfing vacation to say Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head? C’mon, we know you want to!