Ok, I know it isn’t officially Mardi Gras quite yet, but my hubs and I just got back from celebrating his birthday, along with my daughter and SIL, and my friend Shannon.
This is not our first Mardi Gras, but it is our best planned trip. We picked our dates according to what parades we wanted to see.
Here are a few things that we learned along the way:
Stay as close to the parade route as possible without losing sleep. We were about two blocks away from St Charles street and most of the Uptown parades went by there. We could run in and pee or get a drink or three. It was amazing.
Keep your hands free. I missed out on catching a teddy bear because I had Starbucks in my hand. Some little kid ended up with it, which was nice, but y’all. I wanted that bear.
Beads are heavy.
Rouses Market is the best place to get King Cake.
You must try a Shark Attack at Tropical Isle and then go next door for some Cajun Music.
Stop at Harrah’s and play the penny slots.
Do NOT miss out on beignets. Cafe Du Monde and Cafe Beignet are my faves.
Jackson Square is my favorite spot. The French Quarter parades go by that area, plus they have local artists set up, Faulkner’s Bookstore is there, and Cafe Du Monde is across the street.
You don’t necessarily have to show your…. Goods…. To get beads on Bourbon Street. They will throw them to everyone. Well, most of them. Some of the younger guys wanna see some skin. We got plenty of beads without showing anything. Y’all. It was 50 degrees. We were cold.
The parades throw more than beads. I have coins, footballs, and a toy car. They were throwing bouncy balls, cups, and more. Barkus is the most fun we had, because of all the dogs, but they don’t throw much.
New Orleans has a zoo and an aquarium, and the Garden District is gorgeous. However. If you are staying near the Quarter, some of those can be hard to get to. They stop running most of the public transportation because of closed roads. They have Uber and Lyft, but give yourself extra time.
There are a multitude of walking and carriage tours. Take one. Preferably a haunted one. Or a vampire one. New Orleans has both.
I highly recommend a cemetery tour. You cannot just walk into a cemetery, a tour is the only way to get in there. The history is amazing.
Don’t forget to have a Hurricane at Pat O’Briens. You can stay and drink or get them to go, because nobody cares what your drink while you walk around Bourbon Street.
Stop and listen to the local bands on the street corners. They are legit the best music you will hear.
If you love Jazz, get reservations at Preservation Hall. You will sit on the floor, practically, but it’s worth it.
I’m sure there is so much more I can say, but I will leave you with a photo dump!
