The end of the trip is coming close enough into view, that we are beginning to talk about "when we're back in Portland". The most common themes are "getting our golf games in shape", "working out regularly and with friends again", and "just being in one place for more than two days"!!
Our first "shut out". We drove up to Tuscaloosa today to see "Bear" Bryant Stadium at the U of Alabama, and the "Bear" Bryant Museum -- they were both closed up tight. Phil was really ticked off, as the Museum said it was supposed to be open, just like the AAA book said! Oh well, can't win 'em all. An extra hour out of our way, bummer.
Off to Mardi Gras after a stop over in Meridian for the night. We have no reservations until tomorrow night, so will stop short of NO. Found lots of rooms available in Slidell -- and van service into the city, about 25 miles. Tonight is the last night for parades (Lundi Gras), so we will head down there. It is pouring here, but they say no rain in town -- and there wasn't.
I can hardly describe what all goes on here. Just about anything you can imagine, you'll see somewhere in the French Quarter. The parades are actually outside that area -- they skim the edge on Canal Street. It is probably a good thing, as there are over 1M people here for this -- having the parades on St. Charles helps spread the crowds out -- but you can't imagine the intensity of the masses everywhere. But the crowds were orderly. Lots of police presence, but unneeded from what we saw. Their main function appeared to be to give directions, drink coffee, and keep cars out.
The floats were huge and well done. They are all sponsored by krewes, or carnival "clubs" that are long steeped in tradition here. They have kings, queens, courts, balls, and millions are spent on the 12 day event. We saw some of the previous queens gowns and trains on display at Bellingrath Gardens. The docent there says some of these outfits cost upwards of $20,000, and the cost is born by the families of the "royalty". They are elegant and beautiful, though. We didn't see any of this on the streets, but got to enjoy a lot of it on TV.
Out on the streets, the most impressive thing, besides the crazy people, was the litter. Thousands and thousands of the bead necklaces are thrown, along with carnival toys, dubloons, Mardi Gras cups of every type, and anything else that can be hurled at the crowds!! They are thrown from balconies, off floats, amongst the revelers, off ladders, -- you name it!! At the end of the day much of the thrown material, along with plates, beer cups, food, glass bottles, bags of garbage from restuarants, cardboard boxes, and, I sure, small children and drunks, ends up on the street!
It's amazing that all of this seems to coexist and everybody has a great time. No riots, like that funky Seattle crowd!!
On Bourbon street, the crowds were the thickest and this is where most of the "flashing" went on, but also where you saw the best costumes. The greatest past time, besides drinking beer, was collecting the beads and other "throws". It is amazing how heavy they got very quickly!! There was also competition to see who got the "best" necklaces -- some were plain, others quite ornate. Men and women alike draped their bodies with as many of these as possible.
On Mardi Gras day, we got a different look. After some time in the French quarter, we headed down St. Charles street to meet up with the daughters of Phil's friend, John Bryant. The girls go to school here, and live just off St. Charles. We walked, and walked, and walked, but finally got to their place in the garden district. In this part of town, the locals set up camp in the streets, with all kinds of food, tents, more beer, and ladders for getting a good view and ability to grab the best "throws" from the floats. The girls and their friends (and husband, Jott) took good care of us old geezers, even feeding us, and getting us back to our hotel at the end of the day.
Well, we just shipped $35 worth of Mardi Gras paraphenalia home for our party next year -- start preparing your costumes and favorite southern food now!! We'll even have a walking parade, weather permitting! Who has CD's with appropriate Music?
Today was a day to see NO without Mardi Gras! We are staying at Courtney Bryant's wonderful house near the Garden District, so we took the Trolley to town. Walked on Canal, through the French Quarter, stopped at Cafe du Monde for beignets and coffee, roamed Jackson Square, all along the riverfront, through the Riverwalk Mall, bought a few masks as souvenirs, and back to the trolley. We waited for a couple of cars to go by as they were packed (it is rush hour and the locals are trying to get home!). The ride down St. Charles is wonderful -- until it starts pouring rain! All the windows go up and it immediately starts getting hot and sultry in the trolley. Phil is thinking -- "Oh my God! We have two blocks to walk to Courtney's -- we'll be soaked!" Just then, the phone rings. It's Courtney -- she's in her car at the Trolley stop -- our savior!! We were soaked, just getting from the Trolley to her car!!
My friend Betty had said, if you go no where else to eat in NO -- go to Pasquale Manales. As it turns out, it is very near where Courtney and her roommate, Patty live. They were game to try it with us. The BBQ Shrimp was as good as Betty said, and the girls seemed to enjoy their Mahi Mahi.
After a good nights sleep, we say goodbye to Courtney and Patty and headed out towards Monroe and a visit with Courtney's parents, John and Nerissa. With a brief stop in Baton Rouge to see, what else, the stadium at LSU, and a look at the tallest State Capitol in the country. A wonderful building, over 30 stories high, with marble that was obtained from every marble producing country in the world -- over 25 kinds of marble throughout the building. The other famous thing about this building is that it was Gov. / Senator Huey Long's "baby" -- and just a few years after it opened, he was shot to death in the corridor.
We wanted to make it to Natchez so we would only have a couple of hours into Monroe tomrrow, so, even though it was getting late, we got back on the road. Just north of Baton Rouge, it started to rain again...and thunder and lightening...and more really hard rain....and getting dark....and more rain....and lightening that lit up the whole sky....and really hard rain...and fog...and more rain. We were really glad to see Natchez and a Day's Inn right on the highway...and pizza delivery to our room -- we'd had enough!!!
Off to Monroe and a visit with the Bryants.