© 2019 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
If you’ve ever been down to southern Louisiana, you’ve probably heard the Cajun French saying, “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez”.
“Let the good times roll.”
Having a good time is a way of life in Louisiana. We eat well, drink well, party well, love our music, our families and our heritage. Nothing is done half-way…we go ALL OUT!
And when it comes to our Mardi Gras parties, we definitely let the good times roll…literally…float after float.
Thousands of people visit Louisiana to attend Mardi Gras each year. Not restricted to the streets of New Orleans, there are many parades and celebrations throughout area, especially in the southern part of the state.
When I lived in New Orleans, Mardi Gras was a time of the year that I looked forward to most; not only for the King Cake (though that was an awesome aspect) but for the parades held during the weeks before Fat Tuesday. It was so much fun to stand atop my stool or ladder and try to get the beads, doubloons, cups and trinkets thrown from the elaborately decorated floats.
Years had passed since we left the city for a job opportunity six states away. Despite my attempts at recreating Mardi Gras in my home and at children’s preschool, I desperately missed the excitement and fun.
A trip to New Orleans with my husband in January, got me thinking of the upcoming festivities. Planning a trip with friends, we decided to head to the Big Easy during the busy weekend before Mardi Gras Day.
The streets were alive with visitors as we drove into the city and our hotel lobby filled with guests and their luggage, waiting to head up to their rooms.
Since our hotel was adjacent to five of the seven parades rolling through the downtown area during the weekend, we decided to catch the first two across the street from our hotel. The intersection of Poydras and Tchopitoulas streets was the end of the line for the floats and marchers of the Krewe’s of Iris and Tucks so it was going to be feast or famine…the float riders were either going to be out of throws or unloading their remainder.
It was interesting for me to be in an area where there were no barricades to keep the parade-goers at a safe distance from the floats and without my trusty ladder or step stool to give me a higher vantage point, I wasn’t sure if it would be the enjoyable experience that I was accustomed to.
As the floats began to turn onto Tchopitoulas street, you could feel the energy of the crowd ramp up. Everyone jumped to their feet and more people packed the area around us.
The oldest all-female Krewe of Iris presented 34 double and triple tandem floats with a theme of “Iris Through a Child’s Eyes”. Though the crowd became more dense around us, we were able to catch many beads and trinkets…enough that we were able to run upstairs to our room and dump them to make room in our bags for more.
The comedic Krewe of Tucks rolled immediately behind Iris and for its 51st parade with a theme of “Tucks Get Sick”. Floats with the titles of “Acid Reflux” and “Shingles and Ready to Mingle” carried masked riders throwing colored toilet paper, toilet brushes and the prized hand-decorated toilet plungers.
What I noticed for both parades were the new marching groups that were not present during my last New Orleans Mardi Gras 22 years ago. Though dancing groups like Dance Connection were still filling the gaps between the floats, new groups like the Amelia EarHawts, the Laissez Boys, the Dragon Riders, the 610 Stompers and the Rolling Elvi now give many the opportunity to show off their costumes and sometimes dance moves to the carnival-goers.
Once the daytime parades were complete, we headed over to St. Charles Avenue, a popular location to catch the Mardi Gras processions. The narrow roadway is barricaded to protect the crowds and it was already packed with people who had staked out their positions since early in the day, catching Iris and Tucks also. For the first time, I had opted to purchase tickets to the one of the many grandstands that line St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street. This one, at the Blake Hotel, was quite expensive, but I had opted to do this so that my friends did not have to spend the entire day camped out, giving us a place to sit and rest during the parade.
The Krewe of Endymion rolled through around 7:00 p.m. and though we had good seats for viewing, we discovered that they were not that optimum for catching the many hi-tech throws that come from the beautifully lit floats. The Blake Hotel has a balcony and because we were sitting on the highest part of the grandstand, most of the throws being cast higher up were going to the balcony. In addition, the hotel had promised designated bathrooms for the grandstand ticket holders, something very important when sitting for hours on a parade route and often imbibing on adult beverages. Instead of the more sanitary indoor bathrooms that were promised, we were instructed to use the long line of public port-o-lets next to Lafayette Square…no apologies offered.
Still, we tried to enjoy the $8 million parade’s 36 massive floats with their theme of “Wonder Tales of Science Fiction”. Heading the long line of floats bringing to life classic stories such as “Gulliver’s Travels”, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and “War of the Worlds” was the Grand Marshal, that we were were excited to learn was popular recording artist Flo Rida.
The following day, weather threatened to hinder the festivities so the decision to remove the bands and troupes from each of the three parades was made as well as instituting a starting time of an hour earlier than originally planned. The Krewes of Okeanos, Mid-City and Thoth rolled along the parade route one after the other, anxious to complete their run before the skies opened up.
Our tickets at the Hilton’s grandstand were a great deal, offering seating for the three day parades as well as the night’s parade, Bacchus, for much less than the price of the Blake Hotel, plus clean indoor bathroom facilities. Arriving early, we opted to sit in the front row of the grandstand and were not disappointed. We were able to alternately sit and stand and enjoy Okeanos’ parade entitled “Okeanos Celebrates 70”, Mid-Citys’ “Mid-City Thinks Outside the Box” and Thoth’s, “Thoth Salutes the Greats”. Some of the unique throws were Okeanos’ 13-inch crawfish trays and 70th logo bracelets and beads, Mid-City’s vinyl stress man dolls, t-shirts and sunshades and Thoth’s signature fedora hats, rubber chickens, koozies, capes and scarfs. We were able to enjoy American Cajun fiddler and singer, Amanda Shaw performing on one of Thoth’s floats before the rain drops slowly started.
One of the things I have learned over the years is that when you have a good spot, don’t leave. Though my friends wanted to return to the hotel a few blocks away for a few hours, I knew that if we all left, we might return to our seats being taken and I also knew that the crowd in the grandstand, at the Hilton, for the popular night parade would become much more dense. Placing plastic sheeting along our seats to keep them dry and our bead bags to hold them in place, I hunkered down in the stairwell, while the winds whipped and the heavens poured for almost two solid hours.
Once the weather cleared and my friends returned, we watched for the telltale signs of the approaching Krewe of Bacchus. Not so hard when you have the WWL Mardi Gras Parade Tracker on your iPhone!
The Krewe of Bacchus is one of my favorites with their returning signature floats Bacchasaurus, King Kong, Queen Kong and Baby Kong (redesigned into the Kong Family float), Bacchagator and Bacchawhoppa floats. Some of the superkrewe’s other floats were based on movies and television shows filmed in Louisiana and the Grand Marshal was Jensen Ackles of the television series’ Supernatural.
Like Endymion, many of the night parade’s throws were luminous or fluorescent and included a lighted clapperboard, lighted Bacchus Oscars, the Kong (a 64-ounce King Kong-size cup), a Bacchawhoppa whale hat with a fiber optic water spout and throw back toys including a puzzle cube and a viewfinder.
Almost three hours after its start, the Krewe of Bacchus finally finished, wrapping up our fun Mardi Gras weekend.
If going to Mardi Gras is something that interests you, here are some things to consider:
- Book a hotel on one of the main parade routes if possible. If you are able to run to your room for bathroom breaks and drinks, it will make your experience much easier.
- If you can bring a step stool, it will give you a better vantage point and allow the float riders to see you better. There are new rules regarding ladders, however, and the ladders must be set back six feet from the curb.
- There are quite a few grandstands to consider along the parade routes. Factors to consider are bathroom access and whether people are allowed to stand in front of the grandstands or if the grandstand forms part of the barricade. For the Hilton we were up high so no one could block our view, but other grandstands like Poydras A and B have a walkway in front of the grandstand. Access is first come, first serve and if you are on the bottom row, people are allowed to stand on the walkway against the barricade without paying for access to the grandstand and blocking your view.
- Flashing for beads is not really something you see along the parade routes, so if you are attending with children, don’t worry. Most of the flashing is done in the French Quarter where the floats do not venture.
- If you are going to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, expect long lines for restaurants and attractions. If those are the things that you are looking for, consider going at another time of year. If you are going to experience Mardi Gras, do just that! Enjoy the parades, especially the big ones, such as Endymion and Bacchus. It is such a unique experience that only can be experienced once a year.
- If experiencing Mardi Gras on a smaller scale is more your speed, consider hitting some of the other celebrations and parades throughout the state. Baton Rouge, Lafayette and other cities offer larger scale parades throughout the season and places like Church Point and Mamou offer Courir de Mardi Gras, a traditional celebration.
Was it what my friends expected? I’m not sure…it’s a lot to take in as a first timer.
Was it all that I remembered? Yes!
As a Louisiana native and a kid at heart, I truly do believe in letting the good times roll and roll they did!
For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.
New Orleans Mardi Gras
- https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/news/2019-theme–throw-updates-whats
- Hilton grandstand tickets, http://universe.com
- Grandstand tickets, Poydras and Lafayette Park https://www.mardigrasparadetickets.com/pages/zones
- Grandstand tickets, Lafayette Hotel and Place St. Charles https://www.neworleansparadetickets.com/
Another famous tree, not far from the Cleveland Oak, is the Survey Tree. This tree (also called Witness Tree) was used by surveyor, Thomas Orme in 1810, when measuring the Elizabeth Hayes Tract, as point “D”. This tract was the first land purchase by John Marsh, whose descendants still own Avery Island today. This Survey Tree and a live oak, which was designated point “A” are the oldest surviving witness trees in Louisiana.
Moving on, we finally arrived at my favorite part of the Jungle Gardens…The Torii Gate and the Buddha. The gate and the Buddha seem to be at odds with the Louisiana setting, yet fit so well amidst the tranquility of the gardens. It is possible that E.A. McIlhenny’s friends, Robert M. Youngs and Ernest B Tracy, knew exactly what his oasis needed when they gifted the magnificent Buddha statue to him in 1936. The Buddha was built for the Shonfa temple in northeast Peking when it was looted by a rebel General and sent to New York to be sold. Found in a warehouse Youngs and Tracy, they knew exactly where its new home should be. McIlhenny immediately decided on the location and began building a garden, temple and lagoon with arched stone bridge, filling the area with beautiful and rare Asian plants and tall Chinese bamboo. The serene setting is one to relish and you should spend adequate time here enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Also, if you are lucky, you may encounter local Buddhists conducting ceremonies at various times during the year, most notably on Buddha’s birthday.
Once you’ve noticed the beautiful Chinese bamboo near the Buddha temple, you will notice that it grows everywhere in the gardens. In fact, Jungle Gardens houses one of the oldest timber bamboo groves in American. When E.A. McIlhenny decided to plant bamboo, it was with the idea that both the timber and edible shoots would be beneficial to the Louisiana economy and more than sixty-four species and varieties were introduced. Keep an eye out for the most interesting of the varieties still in existence, including the “Robert Young” near the Camillia Study Garden, the large, timber-type “Moso” and “Henon” bamboo near Bird City and a small patch of “Meyerii” bamboo located near the old Jungle Gardens entrance gate.
Just before reaching Bird City is the Palm Gardens. McIlhenny was facinated with palms and cacti and discovered that they grew well in this particular site, an old mining sand pit. Here you can discover Sago palms, Chinese Tung Oil trees as well as ferns and bamboo.
Just before the Sunken Gardens lies the former home of Edward Avery McIlhenny. Returning to Avery Island in 1898 and taking over the family business, he built this house near Bird City. The home was burned to the ground in 1925 and quickly rebuilt. The home is not open to the public and appears to be under some sort of construction. Maybe a home tour in the future?
After paying our admission, we meandered through the museum, learning about the McIlhenney family and the tabasco sauce’s beginnings, from why the type of bottle was used to used to the use of its “caution” label.
My favorite part was the merchandise dedicated to the Tabasco® brand. From Tabasco® Barbies, to bobbleheads to golf clubs, there are many fans of the product willing to buy products that look like it or bear the label. Tabasco® has appeared in many motion pictures, television shows, songs, novels, comics and photographs. Stars that are fans have even gotten in on the action. Supermodel Kate Upton sported a dress with the Tabasco logo as a Halloween costume in 2011 and Michael Anthony of Van Halen owns a Tabasco® Sauce themed guitar.
Another part of the museum that was especially interesting to me was of life on the island. A friend of our family grew up there and her father worked for the McIlhenney family for most of his life. I remember attending her wedding as a child and how the idea that we were going “all the way” to an island was so exciting. The modern day inhabitants, however, were once preceded by Native Americans who had found that the island harbored a precious natural resource…a massive salt dome. The Native Americans extracted the salt which was traded with other tribes. Much like the Native Americans, the McIlhenney’s made a living from the land by discovering that he field’s unique soil aided in the growth of the pepper which was used in the production of Tabasco®. Today, some members from the same family who once assisted Edward McIlhenney in his quest to produce the unique product still work and reside on the island.
After exiting the museum, we followed the well marked path leading to other parts of the tour. As we made our way to the rear of the property, we were a little taken aback at the signs warning that bears frequent the area. Cautiously, we walked along the well-manicured path, under the massive oak trees toward the Greenhouse where pepper plants are cultivated. It should be noted that while the first peppers were completely grown and then mashed into the finished product, the seed peppers now are grown in the unique soil of the salt dome but then exported to international farmers to ensure steady growing seasons.
After the Greenhouse, we moved to the Barrel Museum which impressively displays many barrels and the materials used to produce them. A short video as well as photography aids in the understanding of how these wooden containers used to age the peppers are constructed.
Continuing on the the Barrel Warehouse, it was a necessity to breathe shallowly and sometimes completely pinch your nose. This huge warehouse safeguards thousands of white oak barrels of mash from many nations which is aged for up to three years. These barrels are topped with a layer of salt, from the island’s dome, which protects the mash from impurities. With the evolving and mellowing of the flavors, the smell becomes extremely pungent…especially on warm days.
After the aging is complete and the mash is checked for flavor and heat level, it is then transferred to the Tabasco® factory, our next stop. During the fourth stage of the tour, we learned how the mash is blended in large vats.
The sixth part of the tour is a diorama showing how minors work and extract salt from the mine. Exiting the “mine”, we entered into the part of the plant where the Tabasco® is bottled. Being that it was a Saturday, the plant was not in operation, however, I am sure that watching the bottles travel throughout the busy workroom and the numbers add up on the production board is quite impressive.
Once our tour was complete, we headed to Restaurant 1868. Invited to a crawfish boil that afternoon, I insisted that I would only accompany my parents and save room for the many pounds of the crustaceans that I planned to stuff myself with later in the day. Once I walked into the cafeteria-style eatery, smelled the cajun cooking and read the wide array of dishes offered, my resolve was starting to crack. The final straw was when a patron walked by with a plate of the crawfish nachos…okay, so I made room for crawfish nachos and later had boiled crawfish!
Stomachs full, we finally headed next door to the country store. Anything Tabasco® can be found here, but, the best part is the sampling area in the rear of the store. You can try many of the different flavors of Tabasco and some samples of the food products. You’d think after my huge plate of crawfish nachos, I should not have been able to look at food, but I sampled everything, including the Tabasco flavored green beans. In fact, I loved them so much, I walked out with a case of them!
Truly a surprise, the Tabasco® Factory Tour was more than I ever imagined. I visit some unique cities and museums around the world, but this well put-together attraction can measure up any day.