Mardi Gras in N'awlins!

The picture above may look calm and peaceful (it was), but just around the corner was a party! It was "Fat Tuesday", otherwise known as "Mardi Gras" in New Orleans.  It was February 28th, which is a little late for Mardi Gras .. meaning the weather was warm and perfect!

Esplanade Avenue is on the edge of the French Quarter, and where we typically enter. It's in the photo above, and it's a street that we love! The street is lined with gorgeous oak trees and charming homes .. it's beautiful! We've visited this street numerous times since childhood, and to me .. it's a warm welcome to one of our favorite places. 

The French Quarter is never a dull moment and it has tons of character! The French and Spanish architecture mixed with the street performers and New Orleans charm is hard to beat. Even though I was born in New Orleans, I never get tired of this place. We've found nothing like it in our travels!

After getting lucky and finding free parking (on Mardi Gras day .. that's almost a miracle!), we walked to the famous "Cafe Du Monde" for a serving a beignets. I must admit that we rarely eat these delicious donuts .. I guess it's one of those things that we don't do as locals. But, we played "tourist" and indulged .. so good!

After dusting the powdered sugar off our clothes, we roamed the streets and took in the sights & sounds. Just steps away is the famous "Jackson Square", where we found these guys ...

Crawfish season has just arrived, and it's something we love in Louisiana. Zatarain's is a popular seasoning here in the South. I see a crawfish boil in our future soon!

We then headed to the famous "Pat O' Brien's".  No, we weren't there for their famous "Hurricane" drinks .. we were there to use their bathrooms! To be honest those sugary drinks aren't all that, but the place is worth checking out if you're in the area.

We then headed to the Acme Oyster House for a private party of free drinks and seafood. How great is that?! We've been really lucky the past few years to be invited by our good friend, Judy. Grilled oysters are a rare treat for me ... so good!

I planned on taking a few pics of all the amazing costumes in the streets .. after all it was warm and there was a lot of skin! But, I must admit that I was too busy partying .. way too busy. I should have eaten more seafood and drank less Crown & 7's! Needless to say, the day flew by and I suffered that night and the next day!

Me and my friend, Judy, on a Bourbon Street balcony ... can you tell I was having fun?!  

Anyway, my head has stopped pounding and we're now back to boat work.  We spent this past weekend finishing up our plumbing .. woo hoo!  For those that find plumbing & shiny, new faucets interesting (only a boat owner would) .. a post coming soon!

Oh, and we did manage to attend a couple of parades here in Slidell (about 25 minutes North of New Orleans).  To be honest, I've been going to parades since I was a toddler so they don't interest me much anymore.  However, I do enjoy the night parades just steps away from our condo.  I managed to get one picture .. pitiful, I know.

For those interested in seeing some cool pics from previous time spent in the French Quarter for Mardi Gras, check out this blog post from a few years ago .. or this one. One of these days I need to find & scan a few photos from many of the Mardi Gras' past.  We really have had some good (and crazy) times!

Hasta luego .. until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!