I had a fantastic time at Mardi Gras. This was my first year going, but I plan on making it a yearly trip. To sum it all up, quickly, would be impossible. I guess I could say that it is millions of adults watching parades, catching beads (and other things thrown from floats), and acting like idiots...In other words, I loved it and fit right in. You have to see it to believe it.

Mardi Gras is a lot different than the real New Orleans. Mardi Gras is a time where everyone just parties like there's no tommorrow. Most of the clubs on Bourbon Street switch from Jazz to Hip Hop music. The streets are packed with millions of people and are shoulder to shoulder. It was a total zoo and was also absolute insanity (and I loved every minute of it). However, I had been told my many people that I was missing what New Orleans was really like.

The good news is, that thanks to El Nino, I was able to see the real New Orleans. My flight was scheduled to leave on Wednesday evening. To get back to Kansas City, I was suppose to connect through Dallas. However, my flight, and all other flights connecting through there on that evening, were cancelled due thunderstorms and tornados near DFW. They had to rebook me for Thursday and I opted for the latest available flight, in order to spend an extra full day in New Orleans. So, I took a shuttle back into the city and went back to the French Quarter .

That is when I understood what Noel had meant. Life was back to "normal" for New Orleans. The jazz clubs had jazz, blues, and dixieland music playing, you could easily move through the streets, and the "let's party" attitude had been replaced by a "let's kick back and enjoy" attitude. I totally loved that also. There is no other place in the world (at least that I have been to) that offers so much variety of music within the same block. This was like that on EVERY block.

No, listening to music, going to parades, and partying was not all I did for the entire 6 days (just most of it). I also explored the city.
I went to the French Market, which is a shopping area that also has an open air Farmer's Market and Swap Meet (they call that a Flea Market).
I took a ride on the St Charles streetcar through the Garden District and saw a lot of old Southern style mansions. Those houses were absolutely fantastic. They all have pillars in the front and balconies everywhere possible.
I went to the cemetary (stop laughing and keep reading). New Orleans sits about 2 feet below see level, so, they can't bury people. Instead, they have "tombs" above ground for the dead. It's actually quite interesting.
I took a ride on the ferry across the Mississippi River. Yes, it really is muddy looking.
I enjoyed the Riverfront. They have a riverwalk that has street performers on it.

The weather was beautiful, most of the days. It was usually sunny and in the high 60's F - low 70's F during the day, and the low 50's F at night. The only day we had rain was on Thursday, when it rained off and on, but even then, it was a warm rain. Sunday was a bit cloudy.

Public transportation is alright in New Orleans. It's not on par with Chicago or San Francisco, but if you're staying downtown, midtown, or in the French Quarter, there is no need to rent a car (also, parking is scarce in those places), as busses and streetcars cover those areas well. However, if you're there for Mardi Gras, and there is parade going on, you'll have to take a cab. The parades go right down the major bus routes, so the most common busses stop running. Also, there isn't really good bus service into the French Quarter, but it is a compact area and an easy walk from Canal St. or Rampart St..

All in all, I had a great time. I just kind of hung out and kicked back for the entire time. My idea of the perfect kind of vacation. I definitely plan on making New Orleans a place that I visit yearly, even if I ever get tired of going for Mardi Gras.