miss_tom

In an effort to keep my travel domestic, I'm considering a trip to NOLA for Mardi Gras next year.

Myself (26) and my boyfriend (33) are from Los Angeles. We would arrive late the Friday night before (2/1) and leave Tuesday night (2/5). Is this enough time to experience New Orleans, or will we need to extend our time due to the Mardi Gras festivities? Will I get to experience the usual tourist sites during Mardi Gras, or does the season mean much of it closes down?

I have a reservation on hold at the Quality Inn on O'Keefe because of the price ($143) and good reviews.

How do you choose which parades to go to? What do I need to consider when attending a parade? How do you know which restaurants to eat at? Is it a problem getting taxis during Mardi Gras?

Any other tips or advice or considerations any of you can share would be greatly appreciated. I feel so ill-prepared and overwhelmed by the information out there. Let's consider this Mardi Gras (and New Orleans) for Dummies. Thank you!!

Callaloo

Having experienced Mardi Gras 4 times in my collegiate career, I never want to do it again! That, of course, is a personal bias (don't care for crowds and chaos); obviously it is not shared by the hundreds of thousands who do it every year.

That much said, here are a few (admittedly random) thoughts:

- Mardi Gras is NOT a good time to see New Orleans at its best. If you come DURING Mardi Gras, you are really there FOR Mardi Gras. In my opinion, a much better time (in terms of both weather, as well as seeing the city at its best) is during Jazz Fest, which is the last weekend of April and first weekend of May. But since you're probably already booked, plan on making the best of it.

- Transportation will be chaotic. Assuming the street car will be back on-line by then, it won't be running during parades. Taxis will be harder to come by than usual, but are probably a better bet than taking to the streets in a car when you are not familiar with the area.

- The parades don't actually go into the French Quarter (at least they didn't in my day), but the FQ will be mobbed. Expect a lot of petty crime (especially theft) and secure your belongings accordingly (we used to tuck a bit of cash and ID in our shoes). At the same time, the crowded areas are generally safer than empty areas.

- Porta potties are gross. Two important items should be part of your kit: toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

- NEVER EVER pick any "throws" off the ground with your hands ... unless you consider them expendable. Step on it with your foot and draw it closer to your body before picking it up.

- The big celebrities can typically be found in the big, glitzy parades, two of which are Endymion and Bacchus, which are held during the weekend just before Fat Tuesday. It's worth going to at least one of them; they are quite a spectacle. My personal favorite is on Fat Tuesday itself -- Zulu, but I doubt if they are tossing coconuts and spears from the floats anymore (damn lawyers...).

-- Lots of great restaurants in New Orleans, many of which are recommended here. If you identify any special ones you'd like to try, 30 days out is not to soon to reserve (but is, typically, the soonest you can reserve). Not only is demand high, but staffing is shorthanded, so reservations can be difficult to obtain.

-- The show is basically over by the afternoon of Fat Tuesday, so you won't be missing much in terms of Mardi Gras.

This should give you plenty to chew on; I'm sure others with more recent experience will offer lot of great additional advice.

Laissez les bon temps roulez!

frank_and_beans

<What do I need to consider when attending a parade?>

How much you are willing to show for some beads.

marleneawe

Callaloo summed it up pretty good. I myself have been to four in my life time, due to children living in the south for over 26 years, DH and I went once. Have no desire to ever do it again, but glad I did as now I have something to remember and talk about. A experience it was. If you are a wild couple, meaning love to get drunk, do not mind walking over drunks that are lying on the street and sidewalks, have thrown up etc etc you will have a blast. It is wild wild wild, with thousands of people, many police with clubs trying to keep control. The last two times we went to Pasagoula, MS where it was much quieter, loved the parade and did not see the drunken, throw up etc crowd. It is definently not the time to experience NO.

rkt01

I am from New Orleans and I appreciate your interest in visiting the area - it is much needed after what has happened here.
Mardi Gras is a fabulous time in the city and you and your boyfriend will experience something quite unusual. Yes, it is crowded. Any festival that is fun and well known is crowded. Keep in mind that the Mardi Gras you see on TV is not the Mardi Gras in which the locals participate. The locals bring their families and picnic along the streets. It is the tourists that give M.G. a bad reputation. They go to the French Quarter, drink too much, lift shirts for beads (I have never, nor do I know anyone, who has ever done that) and do things in our city that they would NEVER do at home. Parades do not even roll in the Quarter.
There are a million terrific restaurants, many off of parade routes - it depends on what you are looking for.
If you position yourself in one spot on key days, you can see many parades, large and small. A good Mardi Gras guide will show you the routes of the parades. On big days, when one ends, another begins. When attending a parade, it depends on you and your preference what you will bring. Do you like to sit in one spot all day? Or do you like to wander around? Bring an ice chest with food and drinks, if you're going to stay a while. Definitely bring heavy duty bags for your throws.
It is, of course, more difficult to get a taxi during MG, but you may not need one too often, depending on where you end up staying. N.O. is a great walking city -
As it gets closer, check out nola.com for info on routes, etc. Have fun.

miss_tom

Well now I'm a little torn! Neither me nor my boyfriend are into drunken stupidity, but it seems as if we'll have a choice of what type of Mardi Gras experience we'd like to have.

What you're all saying about Mardi Gras not being the time to experience New Orleans makes a lot of sense. I guess the only solution is to make two trips: one during Mardi Gras (if only to say I've been in my lifetime!) and one at a non-festival time.

I'm leaning toward doing Mardi Gras next year because our vacation availability just happens to coincide w/the time. With this in mind, how far in advance do I need to arrive to get a "key spot" for a parade? Is it any less chaotic (without sacrificing the experience) to park myself at the end of a parade route? Am I going to have trouble finding a bathroom?

Thanks for the great info, everyone! It's so helpful to have your replies.

Dan

I'd personally bag the O'Keefe hotel (ugh) and maybe stay at a small hotel or B&B in the Faubourg Marigny or "lower Quarter" near Esplanade. You'll get your fill of the frivolity and have a place to return to for some quiet at night! PLUS the prices will be in line with the Quality Inn AND you'll be near the costumed revelers on Fat Tuesday, which are at their best in the Marigny.

ChristieP

See if you can catch an episode of "Cops" when they film during Mardi Gras. DH used to think he wanted to go to Mardi Gras until he saw what it is REALLY like! We went during December and did the Revellion and LOVED it!

miss_tom

Dan, can you suggest any hotels in particular?

ChristieP, thanks for the tip! I'm goign to assume that Cops shows the worst possible side of Mardi Gras. Whether or not it's true, I'm going to tell myself that! Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy Revellion sometime in the future.

J_Correa

I have not made it to Mardi Gras yet, but everybody I have talked to from that area says that the drunken festivities shown on Cops are just the FQ and that Mardi Gras season is really much much more if you get more than a couple blocks off Bourbon St.

When we were in New Orleans last month, we stayed at the Place d'Armes, which has a terrific location - but I think it would probably be too close to the craziness of Bourbon St at Mardi Gras time.

rkt01

The Marigny is a wonderful area, full of great restaurants, beautiful architecture and interesting people. It would give you a chance to escape MG a little at the end of the day. If you want to see parades, though, it's a long walk because it's on the other side of the French Quarter. But, there's a whole lot more to N.O. than M.G.

Dan

I would suggest B&Bs in the Marigny since the area doesn't have any big hotels. bbnola.com is the website for the local bed and breakfast association. check it out.

DownSouth

Having grown up in south Louisiana, I have enjoyed the New Orleans Mardi Gras for many, many years and have had the pleasure of sharing it with our children, family and friends. It is a very special and unique experience which everyone should see at least once in their life.

We have a special situation in that we own a condo on St. Charles Avenue (on the parade route for local families) but we live primarily in Baton Rouge. Since Katrina we've had many friends needing a place to live so we have leased it. Since we did not have use of our condo this past Mardi Gras and we couldn't miss it, we decided to book a hotel for a couple of nights. We chose the Renaissance Arts Hotel in the Warehouse District. Not sure if this property would be in your budget but it was wonderful because the parades pass out in front. We had our children with us and there were several families among the tourists; yet we avoided the tacky "Bourbon Street" events. Good restaurants along with fun neighborhood restaurants were near by so there were many food options. In our experience during MG, you really don't need or want upscale restaurants. It's just so great to catch the parade on the street and grab a quick bite.

The Marigny is great but away from the action. I think if you could budget for the Warehouse District, you would have the best of both worlds. During the day, you could walk to the Quarter and enjoy it. I'm sure that there are other hotel options in this area so maybe someone else can comment.

The weekend before MG Day is the most fun. You will see alot with your scheduled dates but I think it would be best if you were staying closer to the parades.

Mardi Gras is very early for us this year. Be prepared for cold weather!

BayouGal

Hi, Miss_Tom! I am a NO resident. I have children the ages of you and your BF. They all love MG and always have a fun time. They avoid Bourbon St in the evenings, and get to the parade routes early. You will have a blast!

chris_john

My boyfriend I went to Mardi Gras this year. This was my 4th time and his 1st. We are both over 35. You don't have to get too drunk and be an idiot. Most of the people there are not. We sat at the same place for 3 days of parades. The same people sat next to us the entire time. We also went to dinner with these people and had fun without Bourbon Street. It was safe as long as you are not wandering off. There are police everywhere and even if you are drunk and lost, ask for help. They may even walk you there as they have done for us previously. Most of the Riverwalk and gambling is within a few blocks of the quarter. We drove in from Oklahoma, parked our car at the airport, took a shuttle back and forth. It was alot easier than trying to park(can't do it). I am taking my kids next year and am not worried at all. We are staying a block from Canal street, so they can get to a bathroom. MOst B&b's are already booked or can't accomodate 2 rooms in my budget. Start looking for rooms as they do have minimums and deposits. I love the people there, the atmosphere (haven't met a bad person yet!) and the bead fever. When you get there get a cooler, pack it with drinks, meet the people around you, and have a good time. You won't be disappointed. By the way, we came back with 2 suitcases full of throws, beads and cups and noone exposed a thing!

Lord_Mesron

Callaloo pretty much summed it up right. I have been there once for Mardi Gras and once in the summer to tour the area. I went there with a college friend and my brother for Mardi Gras and we had a blast. We had stayed at a hotel a block or two from Canal Street on Tchoupitoulas St (just outside the quarter). I can't remember what it was now, since it was 11 years ago. We would watch the parades in the morning and then take a nap in ther afternoon before going into the FQ for the night and early morning.

The one thing I will say that Callaloo missed, though, was bring a cheap pair of shoes for the FQ. You will want to throw these away before you leave NOLA. The streets in the FQ during MG can be quite disgusting and its best not to wear any shoes you want to keep while you are in there.