Mardi Gras in New Orleans

The words “Mardi Gras” exude images of bare-breasted women, elaborate costumes, and spectacular, fabulous floats, not to mention color beads flying through the air from all directions.  A visit to New Orleans for their annual celebration of life, love and freedom did not disappoint on any of these well-known ideas of what Mardi Gras entails.  The city is alive, day and night, for weeks leading up to the famed party, and the closer you can travel to Fat Tuesday, the better.  However, don’t forget that New Orleans schedules parties, parades, and events for at least six weeks prior to Mardi Gras, so you can always catch a krewe or a king cake, and beads, well before the true party starts. 

Historical beauty is found everywhere in New Orleans, but nothing beats the walk through time that the French Quarter offers.  Wrought iron balconies adorn each three or four story building, once housing single families but now renovated as apartments, shops, and pubs, and the narrow sidewalks allow for a great amount of interaction among locals and tourists alike.  As the climate is never quite cold enough to freeze, flowers and other colorful, lush vegetation can be viewed at anytime of the year, which residents take advantage of by decorating their homes with an array of beautiful plants.  Each building in the French Quarter is built right up to the sidewalk, disallowing any room for a lawn or garden, making this area feel very urban.  However, catch a glimpse into one of the many hidden driveways and you’ll find an inner courtyard that astounds you with gardens, statues and other décor reminiscent of the European flavor.  Capturing my keen sense of adventure and exploration, these hidden courtyards drew me into what seemed to be a bit of quiet, secluded paradise, away from the crowds of the busy Quarter.  You can find restaurants and bars within a few courtyards, but many remain private for residents living within the apartments. 

Bourbon Street pulses with energy throughout the Mardi Gras season, and you will find beads and Hurricanes galore walking down this busy street.  Residents stand, gaping, at the throngs of tourists, ready to call out to people for a treat, beads in hand to toss once their requests have been fulfilled.  Nothing is taboo here during Mardi Gras and everyone accepts that naughtiness is going to occur.  To describe the excitement and thrill of being here during that time would not do justice to the atmosphere and party attitudes, so it’s a destination worth visiting to experience this scene yourself. 

New Orleans offers many other wonderful attractions for those not interested in the debauchery of Mardi Gras, however.  This 300 year old city takes advantage of its past involving slavery, inter-racial relationships and voodoo by inviting you to partake in the many ghost tours, cemetery visitations, and stories that have become legend over the years.  It’s not surprising that Ann Rice has built her home in this mysterious city.  One of the most thrilling experiences I had was during a walking ghost tour of the Quarter.  We had been guided around streets, looking into windows where supposedly ghosts lingered, and nothing extraordinary had occurred.  Walking down another street, we came up to a large gated home, and a strong sense of foreboding overcame me.  Even before the guide began her spiel, I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise and my eyes were drawn to a boarded up window on the 3^rd floor.  It was eerie, but even stranger was the knowledge that in that particular room hundreds of years ago, the madam of the home had locked up her child slaves in deplorable conditions, and rumor was that their spirits still lingered.  So severe was this haunting that the new owners had to block off the room, preventing anyone from accessing it again.  Never have I had such a visceral experience when around a supposedly haunted building. 

A visit to Café Du Monde is a must for their scrumptious café lattes and beignets.  These are time honored New Orleans traditions, but be prepared for a bit of a wait as this popular riverside café is bustling at all hours of the day. 

The necropolises of New Orleans are unique above-ground cemeteries that date back to the late 1700s.  Here you will find prominent figures in the states history buried among families and citizens.  The law of the crypts is that, once a body is placed inside, the crypt is sealed shut and cannot be opened again for 1 year plus 1 day.  This allows for enough time for heat and elements to cremate the body, turning it entirely to ash.  As crypts are owned by families and contain centuries of members, if another family member dies during that sealed duration, their body must be placed into one of the many ‘apartment’ crypts – here they remain until their body (or what’s left of it) can be moved to family crypt. 

While the city is beautiful and historically significant, you can’t forget about the plantation homes located nearby, their stories significant to the history of the area and the people who still live there.  Oak Alley was one house that had been beautifully restored, giving visitors a life-like glimpse into how people lived over 100 years ago. 

A visit to New Orleans during Mardi Gras is a must for anyone looking to experience a unique, fun-filled and vibrant party scene, but be aware of the dramatic change that takes place immediately as the clock strikes midnight on Ash Wednesday.  The party is most energetic on Fat Tuesday and only gets stronger as it moves into the evening.  We saw the most elaborate costumes and wild disregard for modesty on that night, believing this party would be a long and arduous one into the morning hours.  Nope.  As midnight hit, city police on horseback roamed through the Quarter, ushering people into bars and sending them home – Ash Wednesday means business.  We awoke the next morning to another world – the bleachers, garbage, beads, and anything signifying Mardi Gras were all gone.  The tone was one of business as usual, and no longer were people drinking in the streets. 

If you’re looking to experience Mardi Gras, go and spend a few days there before Fat Tuesday so you get exposure to the daytime activities.  The 282 beads I returned home with primarily were thrown during parades from the krewes on the floats, along with other paraphernalia.  It’s exciting to watch the extravagant decorations these people have been working on for the year and experience the thrill of so many taking part in such a big celebration. 

A shout out to the Pere Lachais hotel, a modern comfortable place to stay located one block off Bourbon Street.  If you are looking to head to Mardi Gras, the weather can be cool and quite rainy during this season, so check for celebrations occurring later in the year, and book your accommodations early!  It seems like this is becoming more popular every year, and hotels are booking up fast.  You want to be within walking distance of the French Quarter, as the parade route is nearby and the evening activities occur primarily down Bourbon Street.  Bring a costume and leave you inhibitions at home!