New Orleans Mardi Gras 2012
We spent the month of February 2012 back in willie’s hometown of New Orleans. It felt great to bring willie home, especially during the Carnival Season. We were there in the heat of Mardi Gras, with parades floating for nearly the entire three weeks leading up to the big day, Fat Tuesday, on February 21st.
If you’ve never been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it’s something you need to put on your bucket list. On Mardi Gras day the most fun is had when you get up early, secure a spot on your favorite parade route with your friends, then spend the morning before the parades walking up an down the street people watching. Many dress up for the occasion and some of the costumes are phenomenal. Locals, tourists, kids, parents, grandparents and practically every type of person you could ever expect to see come together in one big celebration. As ridiculous as it sounds you would do practically anything to catch a strand of plastic beads from one of the floats (which are amazing in themselves) or snag one of the coveted parade doubloons. And of course, King Cake is had by all.
All of that excitement wore willie out quite quickly and after walking all the way from the Bywater to the French Quarter he was napping by noon. I guess he’s not used to all this New Orleans Mardi Gras partying!
