Have you ever been on vacation when you discovered a place so perfect yet very much under the radar that you didn’t want to let anyone in on the secret spot you found? After all, too many tourists can sometimes ruin a good thing. For that reason, I had been reluctant to blog about the Pickled Parrot Bar & Grill in the Belizean coastal town of Placencia. I want this place to be just as idyllic upon our return as when Punky and I first found it a few years ago.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from a planned overnight in downtown Laredo, Texas, at the end of my drive down the “Road To Nowhere” on U.S. 83, but it wasn’t what I got, if that makes sense. Maybe it was the time of year. Maybe it’s because I’m not the night owl I used to be. But the area seemed quiet, and more than a little worn in places. Still, I felt like I made the best possible decision for where I stayed – at the historic La Posada Hotel.
Of all the times I’ve visited New Orleans, I had never had the opportunity to ring in the New Year in the Big Easy. That changed in 2026. And it convinced me that the more things change with time, and the more challenges my favorite city faces, the more it retains its singular charm and beauty.
I can think of no city in the United States that embraces vampire legends quite like New Orleans. Being considered one of the most haunted cities in America helps, as do the above-ground cemeteries throughout the city and the vampire-themed tours that are easily found in the French Quarter. Then there are places like the New Orleans Vampire Café, which take the theme to a whole other level.
Picture yourself cruising through the rolling hills and farmland of southern North Dakota early on a late summer morning. The sun is stil...
