Pre-Mardi Gras Fun

After an entire day in the camper listening to 30 straight hours of the deluge taking place outside we were all thrilled to get out this morning for another day in the French Quarter.  Today is Friday and I can't tell you how different today was from Wednesday when we were there before.  There  were loads more people and we could definitely see and feel the Mardi Gras energy everywhere.  We stopped on the way into town to goggle at some floats that were gearing up for a parade later tonight -- quite the works of art.  Once in the Quarter, after more beignets, pizza, bread pudding,lots of walking and a carriage tour of the Quarter, we caught up to a parade making its way  through the gridded streets. We enthusiastically weaved in and out of spectators to stand in strategic positions where we might collect some of the beaded necklaces that were being tossed about playfully.  Kerby acquired quite a few.  I guess the paraders just couldn't pass up his winning smile.  It was a blast and a great way for the kids to experience the fun of Mardi Gras (albeit early) without the drunken and lewd acts that typically accompany the annual festivities.

 

 

Tomorrow a.m. we leave the park and make our way toward the western part of the state for a couple of nights before heading for the Lone Star State.  The kids have talked enlessly about going to Texas.  I'm not sure why they're so excited  -- the only thing I can figure is the horseback riding they've been doing recently back home has seeped into their bones and made them long for a taste of cowboy country.  Anyhow, I've promised them each a pair of nice western riding boots, and heck, who wouldn't be excited about that!