This morning I boarded a plane in cold and gray Minnesota and landed this afternoon in sunny and lush New Orleans, just in time for all things Mardi Gras!
My friend Paula (from my Antarctica trip) set me up with her favorite cab driver. He brought me to my hotel and schooled me the whole ride in on what I needed to do to be safe. Great guy!
I had a few hours before Nish arrived so I roamed the streets to get my bearings.
I found my way to Canal Street and walked down to the Riverwalk. I also ventured into the French Quarter and into Jackson Square. There's just so much to see, I'm feeling like my senses are on overload.
There were some really eccentric street performers. Musicians, magic, tarot card readers and more. I (as a total band geek) love all of the music. It just puts you in a good mood. Well that and maybe the fact that it's sunny out and I was wearing a tshirt.
Paula also set me up with her friends Carrie and Rob who were hosting a party for tonight's parades. They live just a block off the route so it was a great location.
I was the first to arrive but it wasn't long before others showed up. They took me into their group and brought me over to my first parade: Babylon. One of the ladies in the group explained that this Krewe has about 20 floats with bands and such mixed in and they follow a satirical theme. The floats were nicely done and decorated beautifully.
After Babylon was the Chaos parade but we made our way back to the party for some food and warmth. They had Popeyes and homemade Gumbo (which was fantastic) and King Cakes.
Nish made it just before the Muses parade started. This parade was on a whole new level! It was so much fun. We were catching all sorts of things but didn't get any of their famous shoes. People were going nuts for them!
We left near the end of the parade due to strong winds that threw a ton of sand at us and we were getting cold.
We met some really nice people and had a great night! Lots of pics today so I'm not posting any of those I already posted on Instagram/Facebook (except the one of Nish and I) because it's late.
Should be another fun filled day tomorrow.
Goodnight!!
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