Who would be interested in riding in a New Orleans Mardi Gras Parade?
Jul 11, 2002, 8:50 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by prncess674:
The other thing is you will not be in your room at all other than to sleep. It will be a very full weekend. Staying in Metairie may be a better option since you would need to go to the bead warehouse to buy throws the night before. Making it downtown is a BIG hassle during MG.
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The other thing is you will not be in your room at all other than to sleep. It will be a very full weekend. Staying in Metairie may be a better option since you would need to go to the bead warehouse to buy throws the night before. Making it downtown is a BIG hassle during MG.
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On Saturday, I'll probably be in recovery from my parade the night before.
Jul 16, 2002, 9:36 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Iowa...Delta Charter Diamond, now Gold
Posts: 2,066
First time MG visitor.
Questions:
It looks like there are parades everyday we will be in town. Are they all "BIG" parades, like you see on the MG shows with floats and skin and adult beverages?
We can fly in on Fri or Sat and stay until Monday...or can leave as late as Thursday..
Just curious as to if everyday is just like the rest or if there are better days to experience MG.
Thanks
Questions:
It looks like there are parades everyday we will be in town. Are they all "BIG" parades, like you see on the MG shows with floats and skin and adult beverages?
We can fly in on Fri or Sat and stay until Monday...or can leave as late as Thursday..
Just curious as to if everyday is just like the rest or if there are better days to experience MG.
Thanks
Jul 16, 2002, 10:06 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 4,329
live4miles
Contrary to popular belief Mardi Gras can be a fun family activity. It is not as skin and sin as TV makes it out to be. Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around sitting on a step ladder waiting for the parades and getting to wear a costume. Only in NOLA do kids get to dress up in silly costumes twice a year (Mardi Gras and Halloween).
If you are with small children I would advise you catch the parades you are interested in seeing closer to the beginning. They are definitly more kid friendly at the beginning. The later in the day and the later along the parade route the rowdier the crowds get. Be careful about getting separated from your group in the large crowds. People mark "their spot" for the parades early in the day. Plan on making a day out of it for the parades on Saturday and Sunday before Mardi Gras. Some spots you can even catch 2 or 3 parades. Pack a picnic lunch, a radio, and wait it out. Trust me you will not be the only one. If you have a car you may want to stop at a local hardware store and buy a small step ladder to stand on. It gives small ones a place to sit and stand for the parades. Don't stand in front of bar because the crowds are definitly more rowdy in front of the bar as well. Just because the paper says the parades starts at 5PM doesn't mean you leave your hotel at 4PM. For example, we stand on St Charles Ave near Lee Circle on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. The first of our group stakes out our "spot" around 7am in the morning. Others roll in as the day progresses, and we all take turns at "the spot". We have a couple of ice chests, two 6 foot ladders, a couple of small ladders and several lawn chairs. Our group consists of about 10-15 people. Four parades pass our "spot" on Sunday (Thoth, Okeanos, Mid-City, and Bacchus). When my sis and I were smaller we were sent home with one of the adults before Bacchus. The crowds were pretty thick and wee ones may get frightened by the loud bands and lights. The day parades are perfectly acceptable for little ones with adult supervision.
No parades travel down Bourbon Street. Bourbon is strictly for partying and is best avoided if you don't like crowds of drunks. Mardi Gras doesn't just happen on Bourbon Street, it is party all over the city.
If you would like to know more please let me know. More details about your trip would be helpful.
Contrary to popular belief Mardi Gras can be a fun family activity. It is not as skin and sin as TV makes it out to be. Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around sitting on a step ladder waiting for the parades and getting to wear a costume. Only in NOLA do kids get to dress up in silly costumes twice a year (Mardi Gras and Halloween).
If you are with small children I would advise you catch the parades you are interested in seeing closer to the beginning. They are definitly more kid friendly at the beginning. The later in the day and the later along the parade route the rowdier the crowds get. Be careful about getting separated from your group in the large crowds. People mark "their spot" for the parades early in the day. Plan on making a day out of it for the parades on Saturday and Sunday before Mardi Gras. Some spots you can even catch 2 or 3 parades. Pack a picnic lunch, a radio, and wait it out. Trust me you will not be the only one. If you have a car you may want to stop at a local hardware store and buy a small step ladder to stand on. It gives small ones a place to sit and stand for the parades. Don't stand in front of bar because the crowds are definitly more rowdy in front of the bar as well. Just because the paper says the parades starts at 5PM doesn't mean you leave your hotel at 4PM. For example, we stand on St Charles Ave near Lee Circle on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. The first of our group stakes out our "spot" around 7am in the morning. Others roll in as the day progresses, and we all take turns at "the spot". We have a couple of ice chests, two 6 foot ladders, a couple of small ladders and several lawn chairs. Our group consists of about 10-15 people. Four parades pass our "spot" on Sunday (Thoth, Okeanos, Mid-City, and Bacchus). When my sis and I were smaller we were sent home with one of the adults before Bacchus. The crowds were pretty thick and wee ones may get frightened by the loud bands and lights. The day parades are perfectly acceptable for little ones with adult supervision.
No parades travel down Bourbon Street. Bourbon is strictly for partying and is best avoided if you don't like crowds of drunks. Mardi Gras doesn't just happen on Bourbon Street, it is party all over the city.
If you would like to know more please let me know. More details about your trip would be helpful.
Jul 16, 2002, 3:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Jacksonville, FL USA
Programs: USAir, NW, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 864
Wow that would be a trip to finally have someone flash ME rather than the other way around.... I wonder if I could find my old beads to pass out LOL ;D
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Smiles are extremely useful in life: smiles to friends are a gift, to enemies, a threat.
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Smiles are extremely useful in life: smiles to friends are a gift, to enemies, a threat.
Jul 16, 2002, 7:34 pm
#20
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
Live4Miles:
Are you looking to experience the family oriented style of Carnival, the adult side, or some of both? As prncess674 says, it would be helpful to know more details. As a point of information, Carnival is the entire celebration, including the Balls and the parades that go on for weeks. Mardi Gras is technically only one day in the Carnival season, Fat Tuesday. With that said, many people use the term Mardi Gras to represent Carnival. I'll do it myself sometimes.
If you come, be prepared to go with the flow. prncess674 has already given you some very good advice.
Are you looking to experience the family oriented style of Carnival, the adult side, or some of both? As prncess674 says, it would be helpful to know more details. As a point of information, Carnival is the entire celebration, including the Balls and the parades that go on for weeks. Mardi Gras is technically only one day in the Carnival season, Fat Tuesday. With that said, many people use the term Mardi Gras to represent Carnival. I'll do it myself sometimes.
If you come, be prepared to go with the flow. prncess674 has already given you some very good advice.
Jul 17, 2002, 6:58 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Iowa...Delta Charter Diamond, now Gold
Posts: 2,066
Thanks for info...It will be a Adult vacation...just want to go somewhere where nobody knows us and let loose...Booked the hotel with two reservations one sat/sun nights the second mon/tues/wed nights...need to decide if want to get there saturday or monday.
Jul 17, 2002, 7:16 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 4,329
Live4Miles
You may want to start a new thread in TravelBuzz for Mardi Gras tips, you will get a much better response.
Related to your question I would stay over Saturday and Sunday night. One note though, is the airport is about 20 miles outside of town and if you arrive in the afternoon on Saturday be prepared for a very LONG EXPENSIVE cab ride. If you must arrive on Saturday arrive early in the morning, and make your way downtown. You room may not be ready so be dressed to walk around town when you get to town.
You may want to start a new thread in TravelBuzz for Mardi Gras tips, you will get a much better response.
Related to your question I would stay over Saturday and Sunday night. One note though, is the airport is about 20 miles outside of town and if you arrive in the afternoon on Saturday be prepared for a very LONG EXPENSIVE cab ride. If you must arrive on Saturday arrive early in the morning, and make your way downtown. You room may not be ready so be dressed to walk around town when you get to town.
Jul 17, 2002, 3:33 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,925
I'll respond before this topic gets moved.
Live4Miles:
Since it is an adult trip, you'll probably want to spend most of your time downtown and in the French Quarter. However, you MUST be careful. You MUST be wary. You'll have a better time. Also, when you go on Bourbon Street, you can't suffer from claustrophobia. It will be wall to wall people. You don't walk so much as you are carried along by the crowd. It can be a little suffocating, which is great for pickpockets. If you come, I hope you have a great time.
Live4Miles:
Since it is an adult trip, you'll probably want to spend most of your time downtown and in the French Quarter. However, you MUST be careful. You MUST be wary. You'll have a better time. Also, when you go on Bourbon Street, you can't suffer from claustrophobia. It will be wall to wall people. You don't walk so much as you are carried along by the crowd. It can be a little suffocating, which is great for pickpockets. If you come, I hope you have a great time.