It was a long day today. We got on the bus at 7:30 am this morning to travel to our seats along the route for the last of the parades. it was still very cold and windy, but the sun was out and it warmed-up very slightly as the day progressed. Still, it felt more like the Mummers Day Parade in Philadelphia in January rather than New Orleans in the middle of February.
The day's activities began with various "walking groups" parading down the route, more-or-less informally. The actual parade started about 9:30 am with Pete Fountain's Half-Fast Walking Club. Pete, who is perhaps one of the most famous living white New Orleans jazz clarinetists, no longer marches out in front with his group, but sits down on a float and waves to the crowd. His group started marching in 1961 and is one of the highlights of the Mardi Gras parades.
The first official large parade was the Krewe of Zulu. This krewe was founded in 1909 and started parading in 1914. The crew began as an all-black crew (and primarily still is) but now has caucasians and other minorities as members. All members in the parade however must be in "black-face". It is one of the best parades and the members on the floats throw a variety of interesting trinkets in addition to the traditional beads. Their trademark "throw" is a hand-painted coconut. Very few are thrown and they are highly prized by many (we didn't get one).
The next parade was the Krewe of Rex The 'King Of Carnival" Parade. This krewe was founded in 1872 and has become the main event of the last day of parades on Fat Tuesday. Although the oldest, the krewe has one of the most liberal admittance policies of any of the krewes. A feature of the Krewe of Rex Parade is the boeuf gras (fattened beef, bull, or ox) which symbolizes the last meat eaten efore the beginning of Lent.
Following the end of the Krewe of Rex Parade which is the "official" end of the krewe parades, the truck float parade begins. You almost have to see it to appreciate what it is. Approximately 100 deisel semis pulling flat bed trailers with floats on top pass by. Most of the floats on the trucks are family affairs with kids, adults, and old people on them throwing a vatiety of trinkets and beads as they pass by. Each float is decorated but there is no central theme. Every float is different and the quality of the decoration varies from float to float. There were many floats decorated with military themes that supported the troops, and we found that to be encouraging.
We finally arrived back at the RV park about 5:30 pm. We got a few groceries for the trip at a near-by grocery store and take-out pizza for dinner, just missing a fight in the grocery store parking lot that was about ready to move into the store when the store security guard broke it up . We have had enough excitement for the day. It is early to bed after an outstanding adventure in New Orleans.We leave in the morning following coffee and pastries at the trip coordinator's site, then head for the Florida panhandle. Our first stop for two nights will be at an Army recreation area RV park in Destin, Florida. It will primarily be a rest and recovery stop with doing laundry at the top of the list.
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