As many times as I've been to New Orleans, I've never been there during Mardi Gras. I was there once during Carnival season (in January) and everyone was pretty festive, but it was nothing like I imagine (or have seen on TV) that being there during Mardi Gras would be. So.......I'm scheduled to go there in 2008! You CANNOT believe how hard it is to get a decent hotel near the parade route - I had to start looking last March right after Mardi Gras 2007, with the condition that I be either on the parade route or just a block or so off of it, and I found ONE place that had room. This is in a hotel I haven't stayed in before and they have all kinds of restrictions on people who stay during this time, and you have to sign a contract agreeing to a bunch of stupid things, but I did it, and I'm going. I can't wait. WE ARE RIGHT ON THE UPTOWN PARADE ROUTE! This means that we are right on St. Charles Avenue, and there will be 3-4 parades each day going down the street in front of the hotel. I imagine it will be a madhouse and we'll go bugshit crazy but I'm ready and willing to try it once.
I'm not sure about going to Bourbon St. at night - I know that during Carnival that's what you're "supposed" to do but I've been there, done that, and it was crazy enough then. I don't know if I need that kind of crushing vomit-spewing experience again. BUT, we'll be going with one person who has been there only once before but did not really experience the night life, and one person who has never been to New Orleans at all. I bet they'll want the whole experience and I won't be able to talk them out of it and no matter how bad they think it will be I know it will be worse.
I'm going for the parades.
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