There is nothing quite like NOLA during Mardi Gras!

OK, this is one to check off the bucket lists!  I have never been a fan of New Orleans, other than the awesome food!  (Oh and a little hurricane or two at Pat O'Brien Piano Bar)!

Eric booked us 5 nights in New Orleans and ordered grandstand tickets for 5 of the parades during Mardi Gras while I was out of town in December.  Since it was all arranged and paid for, we had to go.  After the relaxation of Biloxi and Bay Saint Louis we felt we were ready to tackle the Big Easy!

We stayed at the New Orleans West KOA.  This was an OK place to park with concrete pads and a little grassy area between sites.  They lead you to your site and direct you in even though you really don't need it.  It is a straight line on two sides with nice wide spots.  They offer a shuttle to the French Quarter leaving daily at 9 am and picking you up at 5:45 and one of the ladies will walk your doggie if you desire.  Our Mowgli wouldn't come out for a stranger and would probably jet out the door never to be caught, so we don't take advantage of that service.  All in all it was a nice friendly park with the only downside the trains that blow their horns all night.  

Bead Dogs

The first order of business is a King Cake from Haydel's.  Eric got the baby first thing!

The first parades we attended were all day affairs.  The Krewes of Iris run first at 11, Tucks follows at around 2  and Endymion runs on Saturday night.  Iris is an all woman krewe that formed 1917 with the tradition of full masks and full white gloves.  Tucks began in 1969 as a rag tag group of Loyola University students, known for its irreverence and political satire.  Endymion was formed in 1967 and is an all male crew with over 3,000 riders, with an amazing after parade gala held at the Superdome with over 18,000 attendants. The floats were beautiful and the matching costumes of the riders were amazing.  The riders throw beads and assorted flowers.  Some are fancy while some are the plain shiny beads.  The Endymion parade on Saturday night was beautiful with flashy floats & costumed riders to match the float theme.  One of the floats was almost 400 feet long and had 300 riders throwing beads.  These guys really threw and just about knocked you out with their strength.  I would recommend a helmet for this one.  The crowds were a little raucous, but nothing like I expected.  No one flashed body parts and yet we ended up with two bags of beads.  I am not sure what we will do with them, other than have a Mardi Gras party next year!  

Bourbon Street at 9 am is still iffy.  See all the beads hanging on the wire from the night before?

This is how your kids watch the parades-from little seats built onto ladders

The Lazy boys.  Very clever 

What are we going to do with all these?

Bagpipe guys!

Endymion

We took a day off from the chaos in New Orleans on Sunday and rested up.  We enjoyed the peace and quiet at the RV Park and watched a few movies.  After such a long day we wanted to chill out for a bit and rest up for the next round.  

On Monday we took the shuttle to town for Zulu Lundy Gras.  All along the water front they had stages of entertainment and awesome food.  We had planned on Beignets at Cafe Du Monde, but the line was around the block for both the sit down and take out sections.  We found another cafe and enjoyed our beignets and Cafe a'lait with some peace.  Delicious!  Eric had a snack of crawfish and said they were really good.

Jackson Square before the crazy comes around

Nothing is safe from the beads!

The line for Cafe DuMonde

These guys were begging for beads

The Navy Brass band.

 One of the things I loved about New Orleans was the food.  We took a cooking class at New Orleans School of Cooking on St. Louis.  I had done one years ago and remembered the yummy food fresh prepared right before you.  This time was no exception.  A little bit of history, a little humor and what great food!  We had Gumbo, Jambalaya, fresh craft beer and pecan pralines.  I would recommend this as you get fresh good food in a quiet comfortable atmosphere.

My kind of cooking

Fat Tuesday parades had us up and out early by 6 am to grab that good parking spot in the convenient One Shell Plaza garage.  It was a very cold morning with temps in the low 30's, cloudy and windy.  Surprisingly there were no coffee shops open in the area of Canal, Poydras or St. Charles.  Silly folks, they could have made a killing.  Fat Tuesday is a holiday like Christmas with everything closed.  Eric found a grocery store with a coffee counter and we enjoyed that while trying to stay warm.

Zulu started at a little after 8 am.  This krewe is named after the fiercest of African Tribes, formed in 1916, the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club's most famous king was Louis Armstrong.  The costumes were crazy colorful and full of sparkles.  The floats were not as nice as the Endymion floats.  The Zulu parade is known for the decorated coconuts.  Somehow we ended up with 7 and gave all but two away to folks around us.  We have limited room you know.

Zulu King

Zulu Queen

Following Zulu was Rex.  The Krewe of Rex is the oldest parading carnival organization and is credited with forming the day parades, the official Mardi Gras flag and colors-green for faith, gold for power and purple for justice.  These floats are rebuilt each year on wooden wagons with wood wheels.  Each float had unique medallion bead necklaces and cups representing the wars that shaped early America.  For not even trying to get throws we ended up with tons of beads.  Rex was a fun parade with lots of bands, and colorful floats.

King Rex on the King's float

the Boeuf Gras float

After Rex, came the New Orleans Elks Krewe Truck Parade.  Wagons are pulled by semi trucks while different organizations throw beads, toys, stuffed animals etc.  One threw us two Jello shots.  Those were of course left behind for someone more daring than me.  After a short while, the crowd got a little wild, and the police presence was no longer there.  Time to go!  We hustled back to the parking garage and headed out of town before the crowds.  Back to the Beast and the pups to get ready for the next days trip West.

Truck after truck came rolling by.  

Time to go!

All in all, the Mardi Gras experience was fun and definitely a one time thing.  We were amazed at the excess and the waste.  The streets were full of trash and beads.  Literally tons of trash is hauled off  at the end.  This could only happen here and it was a bit crazy even in the calmer grandstands.  The police presence could use some training as we watched them watching the parades, gathering throws and not watching the crowds.  They certainly have a carefree attitude and it's anything goes.  

Just a little trash in the streets

What on earth do you do with all this?  Donate!

Beads anyone?

Gallivanting around the Gulf

Bay St. Louis, MS
Sunny and 65 nice!

We left Florida and spent one night in Robertsdale, AL at a little fish camp.  It was in the Passport America book for the bargain price of $20.80 for the night.  We had full hookups and the most unlevel site we have every been in.  Any port in the storm would had worked as we had traveled all day.  Up early the next morning to avoid traffic in Mobile and next thing you know we are in Biloxi, MS.

We made this stop along the adventure so Eric could visit some friends he made almost 10 years ago. After watching all the destruction that Hurricane Katrina left, there was no way he could sit still in Las Vegas when other departments needed help.  A bunch of LVMPD officers packed up trucks, squad cars, got all their shots and headed down to Louisiana and Mississippi.  They were treated like royalty when they arrived in Pascagoula, MS.  The officers there had been working nonstop and they were so happy for the help.  Our guys were happy to help and they came home exhausted after 2-3 weeks.   

We took several rides along the beach and all the beautiful old homes along the water are gone with just concrete pads on the ground.  There are some fireplaces still standing with nothing else around.  I can't imagine what it was like during the storm.  The trees that were left standing that were stripped of their life have been carved into beautiful sculptures of sea birds, eagles, whales.  I wish they had a walking path so you could take photos, but as the girl at the visitors center said, "you'd have to be good at playing frogger" as the road runs along them.  All the casinos have been rebuilt and the barge casinos are all gone.  

Cafe Beignet in Downtown Biloxi has the best breakfasts!

The pups had fun at Gulf Islands Park

Ashley's class was learning about Hurricanes so it was a perfect opportunity for a live podcast with one of the Pascagoula officers that worked during Katrina.  Ron Castille did a great job of explaining everything that happened in a kid friendly way.  It is a depressing topic, but he kept it serious but light.  When the students wrote about it in their blogs it showed they paid attention and it seemed they were the quietest we have heard them.  It was a worthwhile afternoon as Ron drove us around and showed us where all the old antebellum mansions were.  Very few people have rebuilt, but there are some.  What a loss for the area.  

The stars of the show Ron and Eric

We took a day trip with Ron and Darlene to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  What a beautiful coastline.  The sand is just amazing.  Surprising to see large condo buildings along the coastline.  I'm not sure they would survive the likes of Katrina so lets hope it never happens again.  We had lunch at Ribs N Reds.  Ron ordered us the steamer for four.  When it came out...OOOOWEEE!  Crab claws, huge red shrimp, red potatoes, and ribs that overflowed the trays they came out on.  I ate until I thought I would bust.  We drove around looking at different RV spots and made it into Florida for a lottery ticket.  No I didn't win the Powerball, but wish I did!  

Now that is a feast!

On the way back we stopped by LuLu's for crab loaf and key lime pie.  I love this area and their food!  LuLu is Jimmy Buffet's sister and boy has she created a gold mine.  Our wait was 45 minutes, but let me tell you it was worth it!  I ordered Gouda Grits and fried green tomatoes.  It was so good!  I bought the cookbook and can't wait to try some of the recipes.

Where do you get pink appliances?

The guys relaxing enjoying the sunshine

Fried Green Tomatoes and Grits with hot sauce!

Key Lime Pie is best shared

The people we have met are so nice and genuine.  It is not an effort at all for them to be kind.  Everyone has been wonderful, I hate to move on.  But move on we must as we head to New Orleans next for Mardi Gras.  

Before we go though...We got an early taste of Mardi Gras when we moved from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis.  We ended up at the end of the town's parade.  It was noisy and everyone was just getting wound up.  Fun for all!  Three days later the road is littered with shiny beads everywhere.  

We were part of the parade.  We should have got some beads to throw!

Now this is how you BBQ