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My First Mardi Gras Parade (part 1)

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Von at the Parade Photo - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The first thing I did when I learned that I would be part of the Wisconsin delegation to the US Soccer Federation annual meeting, I checked out the calendar to see when Fat Tuesday would be. Disappointed that I would be missing it by a little over a week, I put the thought of Mardi Gras out of my thoughts in terms of things to do while in New Orleans. What I didn’t know is that the Mardi Gras parade season leading up to Fat Tuesday actually starts a couple of weekends before the big event.The weekend of January 30 & 31 saw just two parades one on Saturday and another on Sunday. The weekend of our trip to the Big Easy, however had parades Friday, Saturday and Sunday . . . 17 in total...Read More

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My First Mardi Gras Parade (part 2)

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Krewe of Pontchtrain's King & Queen Photo - New Orleans, Louisiana

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A little more about New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. "Krewes" (pronounced like crews) are clubs or groups that organize the various parades. Largely social in nature, they often have a chosen king and queen who also ride in the parade on one of the lead floats. Many Krewes are named for mythical characters such as Thor, Isis and Zeus. Others are named for historical places or people. Examples include Napoleon, Caesar, Sparta and the one I attended, Pontchartrain."Throws" are the beads and trinkets the float riders toss into the crowds along the parade route. Most are the cheap novelty style of beads, but some do have some nicer bead items including doubloons (a two side dye cast metal alloy)...Read More

A little more about New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. "Krewes" (pronounced like crews) are clubs or groups that organize the various parades. Largely social in nature, they often have a chosen king and queen who also ride in the parade on one of the lead floats. Many Krewes are named for mythical characters such as Thor, Isis and Zeus. Others are named for historical places or people. Examples include Napoleon, Caesar, Sparta and the one I attended, Pontchartrain.

"Throws" are the beads and trinkets the float riders toss into the crowds along the parade route. Most are the cheap novelty style of beads, but some do have some nicer bead items including doubloons (a two side dye cast metal alloy) or those with the Krewe’s name and logo. I saw a couple of the later, from the Krewe of Kent, but didn’t see any such items from the folks of Pontchartrain. I did score some of the plastic cups commemorating the parade which I will keep as a souvenir of the experience. (The beads will most likely go to some of the kids of friends who like those types of things.)

There are some parade tips that will help to make your experience more pleasurable. The first and foremost (although this wasn’t an issue for the area I was in) is that you should never reach to the ground to pick up anything as that would be a good way to get some broken fingers. Had our area been a bit more crowded, I can see this being good advice. Another bit of advice that should go without saying, is to not be rude or pushy in order to snatch up the beads and other throws offered. There will be many floats with lots of stuff available. If the stuff is important to you, you can also attend other parades to get different types of items.

I did find not having my purse with me to be a very good caution. It is just easier not to worry about keeping up with your stuff, or having someone lift your wallet or other valuables. I was told to wear stuff with pockets and to keep cash, credit cards and an ID in my jeans out of view and reach. My camera and cell phone fit nicely inside my hoodie pockets, which was perfect. I did wish that I had my larger DSLR camera with me, but not having it around my neck was also a bit of a relief.

Dressing in layers was also a wise suggestion. When I left my hotel that morning, it was sunny and warm. Well warm is relative. It was in the 50’s and the sunshine radiated heat especially on my black denim and long sleeved tee shirt. Later in the day, however, the wind picked up and scattered clouds were in the sky making the air cool to outright cold. I was happy to have my hoodie along which was good to break the chilly wind. Later at my viewing point, I found a building wall to cop a seat on. I was in the sun, with the rays keeping me very toasty warm. Within about 90 minutes, however (and long before the parade reached me) the sun was behind the building and I was in the shade. While in the sun I didn’t need my sweatshirt, in the shade I was happy I had it.

Last and certainly not least was taking care of bodily needs, specifically hydration and rest rooms . . . which obviously go together. Carry bottled water or something to drink. Along some of the parade routes there are "blue room" porta-potties. In the area I was at and along St. Charles Street, there weren’t any. I scoped out my spot directly across from a pub which even advertised and promoted their bathrooms for parade goers. The buck it cost me was well worth it having sat out there after lunch for over three and a half hours.

I had a great time attending my first Mardi Gras parade and look forward to perhaps returning to New Orleans when business will not keep me away from enjoying more of the celebration and festivities. Who knows, I may even pay the $600 to participate as a rider on a float, in full costume, doing the throws to others.
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Harrah's New Orleans Casino

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Restaurant | "Got Fed & Won Some Money: A Great Night!"

Harrah's New Orleans Photo - Harrah's New Orleans Casino, New Orleans, Louisiana

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When I got into town, I thought Thursday would be my only free night to take a night on my own at the Harrah's Casino. During previous trips to the city, my hotel has been a bit beyond the range of safe walking alone, so I've not really done much here in the past. With the casino located kitty-corner from the Riverside Hilton, it was too convenient to not take in a second night too! This is especially true since I left ahead a few bucks after my first night of play at 3 card poker.The dealers and pit staff were pretty nice . . . not the most personable casino personnel I've experienced, but by far, not the worst either. The vibe in the place was hoppin, even early in the night (I was t...Read More

When I got into town, I thought Thursday would be my only free night to take a night on my own at the Harrah's Casino. During previous trips to the city, my hotel has been a bit beyond the range of safe walking alone, so I've not really done much here in the past. With the casino located kitty-corner from the Riverside Hilton, it was too convenient to not take in a second night too! This is especially true since I left ahead a few bucks after my first night of play at 3 card poker.

The dealers and pit staff were pretty nice . . . not the most personable casino personnel I've experienced, but by far, not the worst either. The vibe in the place was hoppin, even early in the night (I was there from 7p until 9p). The "Who Dat Nation" was really out in force too, as their New Orleans' Saints were down in Miami preparing for Sunday's Super Bowl. Their "Who Dat" anthem was played probably every hour or so, prompting a rousing sing along through the casino floor. Black and gold was the color of the night as Saints' fans were everywhere in this city.

I won a nice three-of-a-kind for $360 about ten hands into my evening, so I played on their money for the night. When I got to being "just" $100 up, I decided it was time to get some dinner. I have always enjoy casino buffets, whether in Atlantic City, Reno, Vegas or even the smaller Prairie Meadows Casino in Des Moines. It is also a comfortable place for me to dine as a single, so I headed over to their large dining area.

Dinner during the week is $29.95 per person, which on Thursday nights includes all you can eat dungeness crab legs. While I didn't feel like working that much for dinner, I must say they looked very good and many around me were enjoying huge plates full.

I kept my dining choices relatively simple, but everything was well prepared and delicious. I had a full salad, then a chicken breast, fried chicken, boiled potatoes and black forest cake. I also wanted to try their chocolate covered strawberries and asked the dessert counter gal to prepare me two. I mean two strawberries, but she did two skewers of three each. Of course, I didn't want to see them go to waste, so I indulged in eating all six. They were very good, made with very sweet strawberries. I was happy that I had more than "just" two!

I did head back to Harrah's on my second night in town, which was a Friday night. The place was jammed with people when I arrived at 10:30p. I decided I was going to play for no more than $200, which would have me losing $100 total after my small $100 win on my first night.

I got down to my final $30 in about an hour, I was ready to head out. Frankly, the 3 card poker table was just not very nice to me. At a $10 table minimum, that pretty much means you're in for at least $20 per hand, and if you're playing the full hand, a minimum of $30. At that rate of play, it's easy to see $200 go away quickly.

As I prepared to stand up and get ready to walk, BOOM it happened . . . another three of a kind (8's) and I was back in the game with another $360 winner. I decided at that point, I would play away my loose change (the $60) and once that was gone, it would be time to walk back across the street for bedtime. Well 90 minutes later, I was finally off for bed, leaving with another net "up" of $100. A nice couple of nights of play . . . with a couple hundred dollars in profits.

I enjoyed my time in Harrah's. They are like most other casinos, and consistent with what I've experienced with their other properties in Nevada and New Jersey. They have all of the table games you'd expect as well as a full house of slot machines, a high stakes area and a poker room. (David did enjoy his time in their poker room when we were here back in the summer of 2009.)

They have a disco music and dance club called Masquerade which was lively with lots of young people on Friday night. They also had some special event going on in their theater but I'm not sure what.

If you are in town and staying at a hotel near Poydras and/or Canal, I would encourage a visit.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 7, 2010

Harrah's New Orleans Casino
512 S Peters Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 533-6000

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Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill

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Restaurant | "Good Food - Convenient Location"

The Crazy Lobster Photo - Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill, New Orleans, Louisiana

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If you are staying near the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and staying at the Hilton Riverside, the Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill is a very good choice for lunch or dinner. We had a two hour window available for lunch on a Friday afternoon, and our group of seven got in and out with plenty of time to spare. More importantly, the food was very good.Everyone in our group was from the Upper Midwest (IA, WI, NE and KS) so good Na'Orleans food was high on the agenda for many. Between gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and poboys we did have an eclectic sampling of local cuisine.I must admit, I felt a bit out of place with my tropical salad (think leafy garden salad with...Read More

If you are staying near the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans and staying at the Hilton Riverside, the Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill is a very good choice for lunch or dinner. We had a two hour window available for lunch on a Friday afternoon, and our group of seven got in and out with plenty of time to spare. More importantly, the food was very good.

Everyone in our group was from the Upper Midwest (IA, WI, NE and KS) so good Na'Orleans food was high on the agenda for many. Between gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and poboys we did have an eclectic sampling of local cuisine.

I must admit, I felt a bit out of place with my tropical salad (think leafy garden salad with mandarin orange wedges, strawberries, sliced almonds and a light vinaigrette dressing with crumbled blue cheese. It was outstanding, but I knew I would have plenty of opportunities to have a good poboy later in my trip (see Mother's review) and sometimes "bar food" isn't the best way to experience local dining. I was wrong, however, in my assumption (or fear) as everyone in our group really enjoyed their meals and said it was too much food for lunch or dinner.

Speaking of too much food, the Crazy Lobster is known for their steamed seafood bucket which is priced at market rates and includes a whole lobster (one per person), snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, clams and dungeness crab legs with corn on the cob and boiled potatoes as the sides. Market price during our visit was $59.99 for one or $79.99 for two. While impressive, it really looked like too much food even for two. For an extra $20 they would add Alaskan King Crab legs to the bucket!

They also feature beef and chicken entrees and sandwiches, as well as other seafood items including Alaskan king crab legs ($32), crab cakes ($18) and shrimp ($18). Char grilled and steamed oysters are also available by the half ($10) and full ($15) dozen.

As with most restaurants in New Orleans, prices are higher than other cities that I've traveled in the US and the south in particular. My salad, as an example was $11 and is not too dissimilar to what Panera Bread offers for around $8 or $9. A cup of gumbo was $9 and the bowl was $11. Poboys ran $11-$13 each and came with Cajun seasoned fries. Even sodas were high at $3 each. To be fair, however, they are served in a souvenir plastic "to take" 32 oz. cup.

Lunch for the seven of us including tip came to $220 or just about $30 per person.

I would recommend the Crazy Lobster, which has a nice atmosphere and location along the Mississippi River at the Spanish Plaza located adjacent to the Riverwalk Marketplace. They also have outdoor seating and feature live music seven nights a week and all day on the weekends. They have posted hours of 11am - ?? so I suppose they stay open as long as people are having fun and drinking. After all, it is New Orleans!
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 6, 2010

Crazy Lobster Bar & Grill
1 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 569-3380

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Other Interesting Things In New Orleans

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Poboy from Mother's Photo - New Orleans, Louisiana

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There's a lot to see and do throughout the city. During my last visit (June/July 2009) we were closer to the French Quarter and did quite a bit there. We also rented a car for a day and went out to see several of the beautiful plantations along the Mississippi River.On this trip I was down by the Morial Convention Center so most of what I did was a bit different than my last trip to New Orleans. I did make a lunch visit to Mother's, however, which is a "must do" for me anytime I am in the city. Fortunately, it was convenient and within walking distance of my hotel (Hilton New Orleans Riverside). I enjoyed a roast beef poboy, which really was (still) as good as I remembered them from ...Read More

There's a lot to see and do throughout the city. During my last visit (June/July 2009) we were closer to the French Quarter and did quite a bit there. We also rented a car for a day and went out to see several of the beautiful plantations along the Mississippi River.

On this trip I was down by the Morial Convention Center so most of what I did was a bit different than my last trip to New Orleans. I did make a lunch visit to Mother's, however, which is a "must do" for me anytime I am in the city. Fortunately, it was convenient and within walking distance of my hotel (Hilton New Orleans Riverside). I enjoyed a roast beef poboy, which really was (still) as good as I remembered them from last summer. For more information on Mother's, check out my IgoUgo review here http://www.igougo.com/review-r1362594-Just_as_Good_as_I_Remembered.html.

The US Soccer Federation hosted an evening aboard the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler. We boarded at 6:45pm for a buffet dinner at 7:00pm. For those who chose to stay, there was a two hour cruise up the Mississippi River. Plenty to eat and an open bar couldn't keep everyone on the boat however. I think a lot of people wanted to get out and see a bit of the city. After all it was Friday night during Mardi Gras season, with a couple of parades in the area not to mention the activities out in the French Quarter.

For those who did stay, we were also treated to an outstanding jazz band, that kept the lower level hopping throughout the cruise.

For those interested in taking the public riverboat trip, check them out at http://www.creolequeen.com/. They offer afternoon and dinner cruises.

At the Riverwalk Marketplace there are a number of shops featuring the work of local artists as well as New Orleans' themed souvenirs and gifts. Of course with the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl, many shops had Saints' gear and apparel. Prices seemed about the same as you'd see in any other retail store or mall in a tourist area.

For more information including stores and restaurants that may be found there, go to their website http://www.riverwalkmarketplace.com/.

Can't make it to New Orleans during Mardi Gras season? No worries, you can head out to Mardi Gras World (http://www.mardigrasworld.com/) to experience a bit of the festivities. Tours are available every 30 minutes from 9:30am until 4:30pm. Ticket prices are not posted on their website (poor marketing in my opinion) but I believe I heard they run about $15 for adults. The website suggests that you call in advance to make a tour reservation and purchase tickets (504-361-7821). Read Less

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Hilton New Orleans Riverside

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Hotel | "Perfect Convention Center Headquarters Hotel"

Hilton New Orleans Riverside Photo - Hilton New Orleans Riverside, New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Hilton New Orleans Riverside is full service convention hotel, providing associations and other event hosts the perfect location for their headquarters hotel as they are adjacent to the Morial Convention Center. Beyond that, however, they are large enough in terms of meeting space, sleeping rooms and restaurants to meet the needs of groups large and small.For this trip, it was the US Soccer Federation's Annual Meeting, which fit perfectly within the hotel without having to go outside the premises for meetings or food events such as the Anniversary Dinner held on our closing night in New Orleans. But I am getting ahead of myself.Arrival and check-in were prompt and friendl...Read More

The Hilton New Orleans Riverside is full service convention hotel, providing associations and other event hosts the perfect location for their headquarters hotel as they are adjacent to the Morial Convention Center. Beyond that, however, they are large enough in terms of meeting space, sleeping rooms and restaurants to meet the needs of groups large and small.

For this trip, it was the US Soccer Federation's Annual Meeting, which fit perfectly within the hotel without having to go outside the premises for meetings or food events such as the Anniversary Dinner held on our closing night in New Orleans. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Arrival and check-in were prompt and friendly. In fact someone traveling in our Wisconsin delegation asked that I specifically mention just how helpful and friendly the staff was here, particularly the bellmen. I too had outstanding experiences with them throughout my three day stay.

As for the rooms, the Hilton standard is met and exceeded in terms of the spaciousness and comfort of the room. I had a king sized bed that was delightful. The work area was adequate, although I didn't like paying $16.95/day or $62.95/week for WiFi. At $200/night, they could spring for free Internet access in my opinion.

The bathroom was also roomy with nice Crabtree & Evelyn amenities. Water temp and pressure was perfect and consistent.

The hotel features Drago's Seafood Restaurant which is marketed as a favorite for locals in New Orleans. In addition to this gourmet choice, they also have the River Blends Cafe, Le Croissant Express Dining and a nice lobby lounge/bar. From all I heard from those who dined in the hotel, all meals were very good. The house specialty of char broiled oysters were apparently the hit of the meal folks enjoyed on their first night in town. I also heard rave reviews for the hamburgers in Spirits (the lobby dining area and bar).

I did enjoy my in-room dining experience my first breakfast morning in town. I had the standard eggs, sausage, breakfast potatoes and toast. Served with choice of juice AND a beverage, it was a fair price at $19 (plus service fees and tax). It arrived and was served hot, and tasted very good.

During our two days of meetings, the hotel staff appeared to be on top of all of the details that are apparent to attendees. As a planner for my own association's meetings, I have a critical eye for details, which seemed to be well under control here.

This includes the big closing night's dinner event. Serving 300-400 guests can be a banquet chef's challenge to get it all out hot and fresh. Kudos to the chef on an outstanding meal which featuring a petite filet mignon and stuffed shrimp. The green beans were crisp and the brown rice perfect. Cheesecake was an outstanding accompaniment and wonderful ending to a great meal.

From all points of service, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside exceeded all of my needs as a full-service destination hotel. I would not hesitate to stay here again, either as an event planner or attendee of another group's meeting.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 6, 2010

Hilton New Orleans Riverside
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70140
(504) 561-0500

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