Mardi like a rawk star!
We did it! Momster and I went to New Orleans and experienced Mardi Gras.
This is how it went down.
First, over a month ago Amtrak cancelled our original ride into town.
I had to reschedule the departure for the day ahead, which meant I had
to scramble to find a room, so close to Mardi Gras day, that wasn't going to
cost me over $500 a night. So we wound up in Metairie. It was still an expensive night,
but it worked out well in the end. An extra night to sleep and get ready to get into the city.
Also got a chance to stop in to Fleurty Girl boutique for some Gras gear.
I wore this shirt and cute earrings on Lundi Gras (Monday)
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SUNDAY
After an Uber ride into New Orleans on Sunday, we dropped off our luggage at the ACE Hotel and
wandered off to check things out before we can get checked into our room.
First things first, The Museum of Death on Dauphine Street.
An interesting place to see macabre objects, crime scene photos, and
ponder the end of your life.
Electric chair? EEEK!
and the only place you're allowed to take a picture.
Photo op!
I'm less scared. Bring it on.
French Market seemed like a good place to continue the day.
Got some snacks. Abita beer and some beignets for the win!
I tried this crabmeat beignet. I'd never had a savory beignet before.
It was delicious! YUM
We did some gift shopping around the French Market and the Quarter and came upon
a performance by the Treme Brass Band. They were fun and played some good tunes.
Worth the trip alone to soak up that good music.
View from our hotel room. We could hear the parades from here.
Basically, we were located about a block from the parade route.
Gumbo and a shrimp po-boy. Parade fuel.
Our first big parade!
The Krewe of Bacchus.
Waiting for the parade to reach us. It started at 515pm, but took about 2 hours to get
to this spot on the route. So we had lots of time to people-watch and wait in the almost-too-
cold-to-be-outside temperatures. It does, indeed, get cold in New Orleans.
Finally got some parade action.
Starting with the Budweiser clydesdales. Here comes the king!
This tube wound up being handy for snagging things that fell
out of reach over the barricades. haha!
This parade was a weird attempt to figure out how to get pictures and video
while still trying to be in the moment and catch the throws being tossed out by float riders.
Lots of marching bands, some quite good, entertained between the floats.
We stuck around for a bit, getting used to how the parades operated.
Still got a pretty good throw haul for the first parade.
Some beads, light up balls, doubloons, and a drawstring bag.
And this bag that wasn't really a throw, but I managed to catch it falling off
of a float. Watching other float riders, I noticed they had their bead stock in these
kinds of bags, and would often throw them off to the crowd when they were empty.
Kind of a neat prize though, and I used it to carry all of our beads home.
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LUNDI GRAS
It's Lundi Gras! Two big parades tonight, but before that a whole day to
explore what's going on in town.
Let's get the day started with a cafe au lait and pile of powdered sugar. Beignets, of course!
Aw. A lamp fell down and got an owie. It kinda looked like it was hit by a car.
A stroll around Armstrong Park.
Creole cottages. I just love this design.
We had tickets for a lunch cruise on the Steamboat Natchez.
And we did get our lunch, but the boat was broken so no cruise.
Maybe next time.
Still had a nice meal and got to explore the boat a bit.
Skelly balcony party!
We walked back into the Quarter with our extra free time, and
did a bit of shopping at an antiques and crafts shop.
Handmade leather mask. I'm a falcon?
In the grandstands tonight for the Proteus and Orpheus parades!
Proteus had some of the prettiest floats.
Wonderfully lit up and very colourful.
Flambeau torches
It is his Krewe.
(Krewe of Orpheus was founded by Harry Connick Jr. in 1993)
This krewe's motto is Rhythm, Rhyme, Revelry
This 8 piece float, the Smoky Mary holds 230 riders and it is an exciting one!
The train passed through and the riders threw their best! We caught a ton of beads,
some cups and a bunch of doubloons!
The aftermath. Success!
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MARDI GRAS
My Mardi Gras outfit.
Goin as a redhead with boney legs.
Out early to catch the Krewe of Zulu
This one took a while to get going, but once it did it was pretty fun.
The Krewe of Zulu began in 1909.
Throw me somethin mista!
Their floats went from jungle themed to familiar faces.
Satchmo was named King of the Zulus in 1949.
Some of the haul.
A Pete Fountain clarinet kazoo (my favorite), a huge caterpillar, a
nice stuffed bunny, lots and lots of beads, and sort of by accident,
we got a Zulu coconut!
After a short break, we headed into the French Quarter.
I caught some beads on Bourbon Street (and didn't have to do anything for them),
had a daiquiri (that leaked so I had to drink it kinda fast), and watched the costume
parade on Royal Street.
We also found Verti Marte to get a poboy, where we were used to get inside the
store by a kindly drunk man in sparkly pants named "Mango".
Poboys in hand, we walked down towards the River, watching all the costumed revelers.
While waiting in line for the restrooms, Momster got into a conversation with a
British retired bassoonist who, after being asked his opinion, went into a long tirade
about the scandals of the Royal family. It was mercifully cut short when we were
at last allowed into the restroom.
yum, a Verti Marte poboy
Down to the Riverwalk to find the costumed revelers parading around.
Most were happy and in a party mood, but I did see a man weeping on the
shoulder of another. Must have had an emotional discussion.
The creativity and ideas made real is astounding.
Most of the costumes were really top-notch and everyone looked great.
Even the bikes got to wear a costume!
The fruits of our parading. Look at that loot!
Went up to the rooftop bar to find someone to make me a sazerac before
we have to go home. It was delicious!
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ASH WEDNESDAY
The next day, with the whole morning free before catching the train home, we
once more walked into the Quarter. Crews were hard at work cleaning up the streets
and restoring order to the party bomb that had exploded the day before.
The streetcars were running again.
It was like someone had flipped a switch and all the city returned to normal.
Freshly washed streets.
Some caffeine and crawfish omelettes at Cafe Beignet
Explored the Cabildo, one of the buildings on either side of the St. Louis Cathedral.
The Cabildo is a state museum with exhibits on history of the building itself, and
history of New Orleans.
Napoleon's death mask
I still didn't find any Mardi Gras Indians. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to find them.
A quick explore of the 1850 House, adjacent to Jackson Square.
A glorious warm day, full of sun and peacefulness.
Finally got a hurricane from Lafitte's. It was
obnoxiously busy the past couple of days.
Hey, I'm not driving!
It was an aamzing experience. So much going on at once. A true celebration.
I wouldn't reccommend Mardi Gras as your first-time trip to New Orleans, but
if you're familiar with the city already, and know how to get around, it's an
incredible thing to witness.
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