The sun shone brightly. I felt rather warm, so I took off my orange fleece. The temperature had risen a few degrees since we left the hotel in the morning. The floats were coming and we were in the perfect position to catch throws. Finally, we caught the coveted coconuts and took a picture with the Queen of the Zulu parade! We made friends along the route and relished in the experience of being at our first Mardi Gras together. The date was Tuesday, February 21, 2023. We could not have imagined a more perfect end to our New Orleans (NOLA) visit.

Family, culture, cuisine, Southern hospitality and fun times describe my experience visiting New Orleans in February. I have wanted to partake in Mardi Gras for years. Finally, my cousin helped make my dream come true when she allowed me and my sister to crash her trip home.  

The trip planning began in late 2022, after I shamelessly ask my little cousin, Isis, if her mother would let me join them on their vacation. Isis graduates high school this weekend. Her mother, Chantal, wanted her to add Mardi Gras to her list of NOLA experiences before she goes off to college this summer. Chantal’s family hails from New Orleans and the heritage, pride, culture and hospitality run deep. Chantal attended high school in NOLA (shout out to McDonogh 35!). Therefore, she expertly planned our accommodations and our itinerary. Her niece and my younger cousin, WDSU newscaster, Arielle Brumfield, moved to NOLA last August so she was on our list of people to see, along with other relatives. Our itinerary consisted of (in no particular order) 1) parading, 2) feasting, 3) reuniting, and 4) experiencing.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Firstly, let me tell you how I like NOLA’s airport. We were greeted with live music by the exit. We easily found a taxi cab to take us to our hotel. The best part is the rate was standard, the taxis are monitored and regulated which made us feel safe. Our cabbie could not drop us off at the hotel’s entrance due to the parade passing by the front. As we weaved our way across the street, beads grazed my face. They had been thrown by someone above me to a target behind me. Yup, I was in New Orleans and we were in for an experience like no other.

Later on, Arielle swooped us up for dinner. We ate at the chain restaurant – Zea – baby! Those ribs were delicious. I highly recommend it. Next, we shopped at Target, then ended our evening at the infamous Café du Monde, drinking café au laits and eating beignets.

Sunday, February 19, 2023

The next day, we attended mass at the oldest active cathedral in the United States – St. Louis Cathedral. It was outside this cathedral, across from Jackson Square, that my sister and I caught our first throws from a kind man on a balcony: an orange boa for me and a purple boa for Amber. I have never seen a cathedral that looked like the St. Louis Cathedral – the balcony seems to encompass the entire church, and the pastor seemed to speak from a pulpit that looked to be shaped as a shell. The music felt wonderful, and the mass fed my spirit. I was shocked and a bit disheartened when the priest warned us that we may be confronted by protestors upon exiting mass and advised us to not engage with them. It is odd to think that these are the times we live in.

Afterwards, we walked to the French Quarter and ate breakfast in the French Market. My meal consisted of shrimp and grits, sausage, scrambled eggs and a half of a praline beignet. We bought ice cream daquiris and shopped around the Quarter. On the way back, we caught the tail end of the Thoth parade. There was a tall man who stood in front and caught all the beads coming directly to me and my family. His height allowed him to reach over to catch the beads above us before they fell to a height where we could grab them. This frustrated us and taught us a lesson about how serious some folk take catching throws. However, our night picked up when we met a sweet family from Baton Rouge area who epitomized Southern Hospitality. They invited us to catch with them in a section they had staked out on the street in front of our hotel. They offered us water and pop and shared their catches with us. This contrast elated us and made us feel welcome. We were happy to see them one more time during our vacation. God bless Michelle, Cherie, Hunter, Shavonne, Katie and the others.

Monday, February 20, 2023

On the third day which was Lundi Gras, we walked to Aunt Sally’s and bought pralines for souvenirs which were delicious. I recommend the chewy pralines. We ate lunch at Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar and tasted wonderful charbroiled oysters and crawfish beignets! 

We met the delightsome Cousin Kenny on this day. He ended up being our protector and guide the duration of the trip. He picked us up and took us to City Park Café Du Monde for a family reunion. Cousin Damien treated Arielle, Amber, Chantal, Isis and me to beignets and coffee. Chantal’s family warmly welcomed us; it filled me with joy to be included in the reunion. I was also happy that Arielle was able to extend her network of support in New Orleans. Later, we went to Melba’s for dinner where I ate a poboy sandwich. They sold books in the restaurant and I bought one to support their schools. I thought to myself, what a neat idea but I later learned the proceeds did not support the schools, haha. Melba’s also sells daiquiris to go. I observed the popularity of the menu item and decided to buy one too. Our conversation was wonderful, and the hospitality was warm and welcoming. Kenny drove us to the hotel and we went to sleep with excitement for the big day!

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Isis, Chantal, Amber and I dressed in our festive outfits which included green, gold, and purple dresses and accessories, as well as masks for me and Isis. We examined one another and approved our looks before heading to breakfast with Kenny. Kenny treated us to a lovely Southern breakfast. I ate a hot sausage omelette and drank piping hot coffee. He gave us snack bags containing chocolate, nuts, chips and ice-cold water to sustain us throughout the Zulu Parade. We ended up going to the end of the parade route to stand for throws.  We met the Mardi Grad Indians, the Zulu Queen, and friendly and territorial people along the route. This day was our best day for catching throws. We caught unique necklaces, coconuts, stuffed animals, cups, etc. Mostly, I felt the energy pulsing through the city like an electric current. Later that night, Amber and I ventured onto Bourbon Street to drink the infamous Hurricane. We had a little excitement when a gunshot rang out. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and quite rapidly, the partying resumed.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

The morning of Ash Wednesday sort of felt like a somber one since none of the liveliness of the past four days was present. The streets were relatively empty. No one was in the risers, there was no stands selling food or drink. We went to St. Patrick’s Church for mass, and I was heartened to see the pews were full. We received our ashes and communion. Next, we headed to Drago’s for a final decadent meal of stuffed lobsters, charbroiled oysters and bread pudding. It did not disappoint!

As the plane began to ascend in the sky, I thought about my fun trip. What an experience! I look forward to my return. We shall Laissez les bontemps rouler!