New Orleans, Louisiana
From the sweet, jazzy tunes floating through the palm tree-lined streets to the intense connection with the supernatural, New Orleans is a mystical city where anything can happen. In this town, you could spot a ghost on any corner, which makes it the perfect must-visit destination for you, Scorpios!
There are plenty of guided tours to explore this historic city, but you have to do at least one ghost or similar occult tour while you’re here. The New Orleans Ghost Adventures tour is said to be one of the best in the city and offers a wide variety of packages — from the night 2-Hour Cemetery and City Tour, a Haunted Pub Crawl, to an 8-in-1-Combo Haunted Walking Tour! They report that they are the only ghost tour that goes into locations documented by real ghost hunters!
Stop by Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, located in the heart of the French Quarter — a Scorpio’s home away from home! The voodoo you may be thinking of could be from the scary movies of your childhood. Instead, why not learn about the Voodoo queens and kings who were spiritual and political figures of power in 1800s New Orleans. The core belief of Louisiana Voodoo is that it is the spirits who interfere with daily life, and through a connection with nature and ancestral spirits, you can gain their favorable influence. At the house of voodoo, you can learn more about historic Voodoo and even get a reading yourself!
If you venture over to Jackson Square, you’ll find the original Café Du Monde down on Decatur Street — this “original French market coffee stand” was established in 1862. The Fernandez family bought the shop in 1942 and has been serving some of the best beignets in the city ever since! This little green-and-white striped shop may not look like much at first glance, but believe me when I tell you no trip to the city is complete without stopping here at least once or twice. The hot, pillowy beignets are blanketed in powdered sugar and melt in your mouth with every bite. They’re open 24/7 (except on Christmas Day) so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try this traditional, family-owned restaurant for yourself! I guarantee you — you’ll be eagerly coming back for more!
If you think you can handle the crowds — and I do mean crowds! — Mardi Gras is the time when this spirited city really comes to life. Mardi Gras falls on the day of Fat Tuesday (right before the first day of lent), but festivities and parades are held as early as two months prior! So, if you can’t make it down for the day itself, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to join in the celebration.
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
This national park is nestled right on the border between Minnesota and Canada. It’s a mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and, of course, almost the entire perimeter of this peninsula can be accessed by boat, with plenty of waterways to explore. One-third of Voyageurs is covered by water — perfect for a water sign like yourself! If you truly want to experience this park properly, leave your car behind and take the boat. If you don’t have one on hand, there are plenty of places to rent one. Some of the bigger boats can get pretty pricey, but if you’re planning on taking a trip with a lot of your friends, it’d be easy to share the cost. If you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate journey, canoe rentals offer a much more affordable alternative. There’s a full list of all your options on the Voyageurs page of the National Park Service website.
Aside from just exploring the park in your boat or fishing in the pristine lakes, there are plenty of sights to see! You can book a guided tour or boat cruise through the park. These tours run day or night and offer a great opportunity to hit all the park’s highlights without having to splurge on a boat of your own. And a new experience for most — there is also a water taxi!
Hiking is one of the main draws of the park, and if you aren’t planning to rent a boat, the Ash River and Rainy Lakes areas offer access to many of the park’s car-accessible trails. Voyagers has recently started a Hike to Health Trail Passport program to provide an incentive for its visitors to traverse its plethora of trails. Along each trail are raised trail markers — using a pencil or something similar, make a rubbing of the raised trail marker on its designated page in the passport. On the back of these pages is space to record your exploration notes and such. Not only is this passport the perfect memento from your trip, but it also allows you to keep track of your progress throughout the park and share your adventure with the community online!
Unlike most national parks (and one of the main draws for you, my dear Scorpio), the true beauty of Voyageurs comes out after dark. There’s hardly any light pollution here, so at night the sky is aglow with millions of twinkling stars. If the time is right (and you’re lucky), you may be able to catch a glimpse of the mystical Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky.
The park offers a wide array of campgrounds if you’d like to spend the night under the canopy of stars, or you can book your stay at the Kettle Falls Hotel, which has been welcoming visitors since 1913 and is the only hotel in the park. However, no roads lead to Kettle Falls Hotel — you’ll have to get there by boat or float plane, or in winter, snowmobile! It’s become the unofficial symbol for the park with its slanted dance floor, humble charm, and delicious home-cooking to make you feel like you’re at home, even in the middle of the woods.
Edinburgh, Scotland
I truly cannot think of a better place for you to find yourself, my dear Scorpio, than roaming the cobblestone streets of the historically haunting Edinburgh.
Take a stroll down the Royal Mile as you head over to tour the famous Edinburgh Castle nestled deep in the heart of the city. A royal residence, fortress, military garrison, and prison, this 11th century stronghold echoes the chilling tales of many, and you can walk in the footsteps of kings, queens, and even a few pirates, besides! Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to her son, James VI, here in 1566. His complicated birth is just one of the many stories you can learn as you explore this ancient fortress.
Afterwards, why not quench your thirst with a pint? The Banshee Labyrinth is said to be one of the most haunted pubs in town. It’s a family-owned business that features seven rooms (including 3 bars and a room just for pool) — and half the club used to be part of Edinburgh’s infamous underground vaults! You may hear the story of how the Banshee Labyrinth came to be if you’re brave enough to take one of the ghost tours through the vaults. Mercat Tours, which offers ghost tours, history walks and more, or The Real Mary King’s Close are two of the most popular, but there are plenty of spooky vault, graveyard, or just your classic walking city-tour to help you learn more about this historic city.
If you’d like to stay away from ghosts, but you’d love a mystical place to dine — check out The Witchery by the Castle. This spectacularly atmospheric 16th century restaurant and inn is steeped in rich history and has several Gothic, mysterious hotel rooms. There’s also the Secret Garden, a second location, that can only be entered via a hidden stone staircase. This location has paintings of tarot cards on the ceiling and, if you come in the summer, you can dine outside in their beautiful secret garden.
If you’re looking to dance the night away, slink on over to the famous Frankenstein Edinburgh — a multi-level bar in a 150-year-old Gothic church and modeled after the Mary Shelley novel! Complete with themed drinks, electric charges, and TVs playing the classic film on a constant loop, you’ll feel right at home as the DJ keeps this place bumping all through the night! Maybe you’ll hear some fascinating stories while tasting a brew downstairs in the traditional German beer cellar, or maybe it’s where you and your friend will bust out your best karaoke moves. Either way, you’ll have to make a stop here one of the nights you’re tearing up the town!
When you’re ready to break away from the city life, you can always find respite by hiking to the top of Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano now forming a set of hills surrounding the city. Remember to bring a jacket, because it is quite windy at the top. The climb is moderate and the views are breathtaking!
A short distance from Arthur’s Seat is the Water of Leith — Edinburgh’s main river, which runs for 22 miles and has a footpath along its shore. Before setting out on your walk, it’s a good idea to check out the Visitor’s Center where you can purchase a guide map or buy a souvenir in the shop. You may want to grab a coffee or tea in the café, as well. The variety of sights you will see on your walk are amazing — from the picturesque gardens, trees, estates, and lovely small cafés, to historic town squares and old architecture. If you’ve not been to Europe much, it will seem like you’ve been taken back to a different time. You’ll come across remains of prehistoric times — Bronze Age and Neolithic sites — and medieval-era manor houses, castles, and mill sites dating back to the 12th century.
You’ll surely find enough to fascinate your Scorpio self for quite a while!
