Local Traditions

Since my mom is from New Orleans and her entire family still lives in the city, I have been visiting the Big Easy at least once a year since I was born. This is why people were always surprised when I told them I had never been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, one of the city’s defining aspects.

This all changed this year when my spring break at JMU matched up perfectly with the week of Mardi Gras. My mom, three of my best friends and I packed up the car and headed on the road trip that was 21 years in the making. As soon as we got there and started taking part in the revelry that is Mardi Gras I knew that I would never want to miss this celebration again. So here is the travel tip of the day: Take part in local traditions. If you’re planning to go somewhere, see if that place has any festivals, carnivals or other events that define the town. Though it might mean your hotel might cost more or the restaurants will be more crowded, there is never a better time to get the real feel of a city than when they are doing what they are known for.

Of course, I didn’t have to pay for the expensive hotels because I lodged for free at my grandma’s house, but that’s irrelevant. I would pay a lot to go back to Mardi Gras every year for the rest of my life.

When most people (college students, anyway) think of Mardi Gras, they think of drunken revelry on Bourbon Street and a great excuse to day-drink. While this is all rather accurate, Mardi Gras is so much more. It’s actually an overwhelmingly family-friendly celebration that is based around parades. These parades were definitely my favorite part. There is nothing more fun than standing in the street trying to catch the gobs of beads being thrown into the onlooking crowd. Is it dangerous? Absolutely. Did I get hit in the face and head with large collections of beads? Obviously. Would I reccomend the experience to all of my friends? Without question.

Going to Mardi Gras changed my perception of New Orleans forever, a perception that I had been cultivating since infancy. That says a lot about the experience that I hope to have as often as possible in the future.

The only way to watch a parade.

Loved all of the decorations!

Revelers

The coolest float that I saw all week.

Our shoulders were sore from wearing so many beads!