Once again, Shelby Senior Services has been to a fascinating destination. New Orleans has the French Quarter, Mardi Gras World, steamboats, music and a lot more that qualify for a wonderful trip.
Our group ignored the 90-degree temperatures to see it all. Highlights for me were the World War II museum, the French Quarter and the place that creates the floats for Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras World.
Patriotism is alive and well in the formidable World War II museum. Its six massive buildings tell the story of our heroes who preserved the freedom that we enjoy today.
Beginning the tour, we saw a film narrated by Tom Hanks. It is spectacular. You feel as if you are there with sound effects, seats that shake as tanks roar by, explosions with screen effects that mimic the real sounds, and original film footage that puts you in the moment.
Although it is sometimes disturbing to see original scenes about the surviving victims in the death camps that were freed by our soldiers, the devastation brought on by Adolf Hiltler and his communist regime reminds us that freedom isn’t free, we have to be vigilant to protect and preserve our country.
In addition to the museum, we visited the famous French Quarter. It is the oldest part of New Orleans with architectural influences by former foreign occupiers such as the Spanish and French, thus, the French Quarter.
Napoleon sold what is now Louisiana territory to America as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
The French Quarter is a bustling area in which you can find two different worlds, the daytime and the nighttime.
Bourbon Street, along with all the streets in the French Quarter, is lined with three-story apartment buildings with ornately decorated wrought iron railings, hanging flower baskets, and brightly colored decorations. During the day, the streets are picturesque and quiet. The evenings, however, bring out the locals and the tourists looking for a party.
The drink of choice found at most bars is called the “hurricane.” Tourists have told me it packs a powerful punch!
During the day, the place to be is at the Cafe` du Monde. People line up for a city block to get their chance to buy the Beignets, which is a donut-like pastry drenched in powdered sugar.
They are yummy! Messy, but yummy!
There are two parts to the celebration of Mardi Gras, Carnival and Mardi Gras.
Carnival is the period of feasting and fun that begins on The Feast of Epiphany in January.
Mardi Gras refers to Fat Tuesday, the final day of partying before Ash Wednesday.
It is a wild time with about 40 parades of floats sponsored by different Krewes, or groups of supporters
According to Wikipedia, “A Mardi Gras krewe is a social organization that organizes parades and balls during the Carnival season, particularly in New Orleans. Each krewe has its own unique history, themes, and traditions, contributing to the vibrant culture of Mardi Gras celebrations.”
To find out more about the parade floats we visited Mardi Gras World. This is where the designs of the Krewes have their floats constructed. These huge floats are built on regulation-sized chassis.
Krewes are free to design their own themes such as football, clowns or animals. The participants must wear costumes and masks. Each Krewe rides its float through the French Quarter on different evenings for hours throwing beads to the people along the route.
Thousands of people visit Mardi Gras each year to join in the fun. Many reserve their hotel rooms to attend every year.
Of course, we did much more.
For example, we rode a paddlewheel steamboat on the Mississippi River, visited a plantation, shopped at the French Market, and had some delicious food.
Join us on our adventures by calling the senior center for details, 317-298-0127.
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