Louisiana

New Orleans

Location: New Orleans 

When: end of February 

Miles traveled: 274.5

Price of gas: 2.95

Interest: Mardi Gras 

High point: Alligator meat

Low point: Covid

One thing learned: Eat dinner and clean up before raccoons arrive after dark.

    I did not know much about New Orleans before my visit.  Most of what I knew came from TV shows like NCIS;  Brass bands in the streets, a party or parade every week, celebrating the start of lent with gluttony, Cajun seasoning, marsh lands, and no knowledge of Bourbon Street being a thing (I still don't understand it).

    In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is the season from Epiphany (also called King's Day, January 6th), to Fat Tuesday (the day before lent starts in the Roman Catholic tradition).  Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday".  The colors traditionally seen are purple, green and gold.  Purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.  King cake is a french cinnamon roll type cake in a large doughnut or crown shape.  There are many flavors of king cake, just as there are many types of pies, and traditionally they are only eaten during Mardi Gras season.  A toy baby is baked into the cake and whomever gets the baby is crowned king for the day and must throw a large party.  If you can't host a party, I suggest just attending a parade.  There is a parade most weeks and daily closer to Fat Tuesday.

Miss Piggy prop

    I toured Mardi Gras World, the company that builds a lot of the parade floats for Mardi Gras and also for other holidays.  Warning, they don't accept American Express credit cards.  So, I took a brisk one mile round trip walk back to my car for a different form of payment. (And saw a cruise ship preparing to welcome passengers!)  The tour was interesting.  Float props are made out of fiberglass or styrofoam, with a layer of paper-mache to smooth out the surface, and then paint on top.  The props are reused as much as possible.  A Mickey mouse might have his ears and nose removed and replaced with rabbit versions to become an Easter bunny.  We were able to get up close with the props and see employees working at their tasks.  The company also makes parade floats, ones that people ride on and ones without people.  Floats with people often have a 2nd level allowing props to be above them.  The support structure for the 2nd level also holds a bathroom for the riders.  Riders can sometimes be on their floats for 6 to 8 hours!  There is the line up before the parade, the parade (which is often stop and go), and then unloading all the floats.

Colorful float

    Throws are the objects riders throw into the crowds.  Throws are not limited to candy like at 4th of July parades, but can include light up balls, decorated shoes, doubloons, beaded necklaces, coconuts, stuffed toys, small musical instruments, and more.  Items thrown carry the same theme as the Krewe (group, like Greek fraternities and sororities) that tosses them.  It is not necessary to try to get a throw from a float.  It's cooler when you catch one, but it's not the only way to get one.  So many items are thrown in excess, that walking the parade route, one can pick up every type of throw.  I started with one beaded necklace, and picked up 26 more off the ground!  My favorite part of the parade was the bands.  Bands don't hand out throws.  It was also nice to hear live music rather than float music blasted from speakers.  The parade I watched started at 6pm and hosted three Krewes, but I only stayed for the first group.  It was almost 9pm when I left and I was tired from walking around all day.  I ate dinner before the parade started, but many people had tents set up and were grilling food as they watched the parade pass by.

    Before the parade started, I meandered around the French Quarter looking for king cake, a state sticker, and postcards.  I listened to small band street performers and heard two poems from an ex-convict.  The first he wrote and memorize while still in prison, the other was an impromptu ode to chocolate!  It is sad that every city I've visited, small or large, has a homeless population or those standing on street corners with cardboard signs.  I have seen them in libraries, laundromats, parks, green space next to a church, and the sheltered nook of a store front.  Most of the time, they just want help or to be left alone.  The challenge of finding a safe, sheltered place with a restroom is real.  I don't know what resources are available for the homeless in these communities and I do not know what homeless shelters are like.  But it is my understanding that the poor and homeless present opportunities for the more fortunate to be generous in showing them mercy and love.  Even myself, without an income and constantly moving, can be considered more fortunate and in a position to give help.  Have you ever thought about what it is like to stand on a street corner, seeing person after person refuse to look at you and acknowledge your existence?  A smile and "hello" can make anyone's day.

Photo of Lake Pontchartrain from visitor center

    An interesting bridge is located on the outskirts of New Orleans. I don't know if it has a name, but it is 24 miles long and spans Lake Pontchartrain.  It costs $5 to drive across it into New Orleans,  but is free in the opposite direction.  Driving at 65mph, there's ~10 minutes when all you see is water and the bridge.  According to the visitor center, Manatees live in Late Pontchartrain!

    My campsite was surrounded by sweetgum trees with their seed balls and yellow-red flower clusters, and red maple trees dropping red-green helicopter seeds.  Squirrels were active in the sweetgum trees, eating some part of the flowers.  One night, a raccoon joined me for dinner.  It was glad that I had left a container smelling of ham on the bench across from me.  It took the container into a nearby flooded area since I disturbed it with my lamp.  I found my container the next day with many holes in it, but still closed.

    After a few days in Louisiana, I flew home to file my taxes.   On the day I was to fly back to LA, I tested positive for covid!   I made the right, but hard choice to stay home and cancel my plans for the coming week.  I missed out on visiting Baton Rouge, the old state capital, and a tree identification hike.  Instead I mended jeans, rested, dyed my hair red twice (thank you Mom for your help the 2nd time), and made future camping reservations.  After I recovered from covid and returned to LA, I stayed one night at a campground, before driving to Mississippi the next day.

    Other things: Airport parking is expensive!! Cajun is a culture and not specifically a mixture of seasonings.  Alligator sausage in an omelet tastes good, but did not have a distinct flavor that I noticed.  The boudin balls (fried rice & pork mixture) I tried were ok, but I liked the alligator sausage better.