Beads, Beads, and More Beads – the Weekly Recap

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I’m all about those throws… beads, beads, and more beads could easily sum up my week.

But that wasn’t the only good part for the weekly recap. It’s been a good week from all sides. I got my car back, I’m in New Orleans for one of my favorite weekends, and things at work are good.

Last night was the Endymion Extravaganza at the Superdome, one of the largest of the many black tie parties thrown during the Carnival season.

My dress. (Not shown... the flip flops I'm wearing with it!) — My dress. (Not shown… the flip flops I’m wearing with it!)

I’ll paint you a visual picture – it’s the only place where you will see a gorgeously clad woman in an expensive fully beaded gown and flip flops who is pulling a large wheeled cooler with one arm and carrying a box of Popeyes chicken under the other. It’s a BYOB affair and self catering plans vary by table!

The evening starts with a live band. And then the Parade of Bands (featuring all the marching bands from the parade lined up and called in one by one). The noise gets deafening.

Marching bands, marching bands, and more marching bands!

And then the floats for the Endymion super crew finish their parade route by making a final loop INSIDE the Superdome where the rule is “everything off the floats”.

That means it *literally* rains beads inside the Dome.

Riders are pelting the tuxedo and gown clad crowd, knowing that the faster they empty the float, the faster they can get off it and join the party. Last year I ended up with a black eye after getting hit in the face with an entire bag of the large specialty beads. Nails get broken, sequins knocked off dresses. And at the end of it all, revelers are swimming in an ankle high sea of swag before dancing until 4 am. And then everyone pours into the streets where the Mardi Gras revelry is still in full swing.

State trooper keeping the parade route clear inside the Superdome.

This was what the crowd looked like next to the table we were at (which was prime real estate at the very front of the parade entrance).

Now that’s Mardi Gras fun. And yes, I’m exhausted this morning. But there is no rest for me – today is a busy parade day so we’ll put in twelve hours Uptown watching all the fun from the neutral ground.

My pale skin will again be under my "parade shade" ! — My pale skin will again be under my “parade shade” !

If this all sounds like gibberish, you may need to catch up on part 1 and part 2 of the How to Mardi Gras Like a Local series. While I’ve been busy at Mardi Gras, other travel bloggers at Prior2Boarding have been sharing the week’s news (including lots of mistake fare talk)!

My life has revolved around hotels lately – and likely will continue to do so for the coming weeks. Whether its sleeping with teenagers (under the same roof at conference hotels) or hotel reviews (like this week’s at the Hyatt Regency Orange County), my life has revolved around them lately!

This week I’m leaving New Orleans and headed directly to the far north (like high temperatures below zero this week), but not before trying to transit through Atlanta in tomorrow’s weather! When I finally get home, I’ll stay for a few nights to enjoy my birthday with friends and family before starting three straight weeks of site work. I’m also getting ready for a featured blogger spin on BoardingArea at the beginning of March. If there is anything you want to read about then (or any time), drop me a note and I’ll see what I can do!

Have a fantastic week!

xoxo

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