Mardi Gras in NOLA in the RV 2019

This past year we traded in our 48ft yacht and bought an RV. We purchased a 2018 Fleetwood Bounder 36 ft with 3 slides. It sleeps up to 10 people and has a bath and a half. The Bounder is kind of an “entry level” type of RV we have come to find out as we meet friends with gorgeous higher end RV’s, but so far as beginners, we are happy. We put over 12,000 miles in the first year on our RV, and that’s a LOT.

George and I are constantly searching for new, fun adventures that we can use the RV. We came across The French Quarter RV Resort online and they had an ad for spots for Mardi Gras. We called up right away (about 3 months in advance) and were delighted to find out they still had spaces available. The place was great! Great location, great facilities, and friendly staff. I was worried about it being loud because it was so close to the highway and I had no troubles sleeping.

The ride from Charleston, SC-

We left Charleston, SC on Friday, March 1st at 5:30am with our friends Tracy and Karl. The ride took us about 16 hours on the way there due to several long accident delays. We arrived Friday night about 8:30 pm and the friendly security guard was there and let us in the gate and told us where our spot was. We decided to get out for a bit after being in the RV all day and grabbed an Uber to Bourbon Street to check out the action. Getting an Uber was pretty easy at night when there were no parades going on and only about a $10 ride. You could walk this in the daytime and at night when the streets were filled with Parade spectators, but Uber is easy too if you are feeling “unsafe” in the area.

Great Burgers-

Saturday we slept in a bit then we headed out in the afternoon to get a burger at Port Of Call. When we arrived there was a 45 minute wait. We went inside of this old bar/restaurant and had drink at the bar. The people eating literally looked like they were in heaven so I couldn’t wait to try one of their famous burgers.

Lisa Richart Hernandez at Pot of Call ready for Mardi Gras
Pretty much all they serve is burgers! We didn’t try the steaks, but I imagine they are great too!
Neptune’s Monsoon is their famous drink.
This drink has a good kick to it!
Waiting for our table at Port of Call New Orleans, LA

The Parades-

That evening we headed out to find a spot for the Edymion parade that evening. People get things set up VERY early for these parades. They have tents, and grills, and all kinds of food that smells wonderful! We were packed with our rolling coolers, drinks, and ice. We didn’t carry our chairs, although they may have been nice to have waiting for the parades. The other thing that I wish we would have known to bring are some big bags to put all the beads in that we caught. I think George ended up with about 30 lbs of beads around his neck!

The parades are a family event. There are kids, and grand parents, people of all ages. We met the people we ended up standing by and they were really nice and explained all the information about the Krewe’s to us. Apparently it’s a big deal to get into a Krewe (that’s a group of people that do the parade).

Here is my quick list of what I wished I had for the parades:

A few big bags to carry home beads and other stuff they throw
A bag chair to sit while you wait for the parade
$1 bills for the paid port o potty, so you can go in the cleaner ones
Ice and booze in a rolling cooler
Snacks
Extra light jacket, or sweater because the weather can change in a minute

We got so many beads George could barely walk with them on his neck!

Must eat when in NOLA-

The next day we went about exploring the French Quarter and hit all the “must do” places when in NOLA. First we stopped for a Muffulatta at Central Grocery and Deli. This is a huge sandwich, they had them ready and waiting for the people in line to get them. You can buy them now on Goldbelly and have them shipped home! Buy one today

Muffuletta at Central Grocery, New Orleans, LA
Muffuletta at Central Grocery & Deli in New Orleans enough for 4 people.

After our sandwich stop we had to head to Cafe Du Monde for some coffee and Beignets. TIP: Don’t wear black! You will be covered with powdered sugar by the time you are done eating. These delicious little fried dough delights were served on a plate of 3, and we each got a plate. This is all they serve there, but it was worth the long wait in line. They sell them online here.

Cafe Du Monde NOLA Beignets and Coffee

After wandering around the French Quarter Market we stumbled upon another daytime parade and got another huge thing of beads. It started to pour rain (see my previous tips on parades and bringing a jacket) and so we ran into the Harrah’s Casino to warm up and dry off for a bit until the bad weather passed. We ate some baked oysters there at Acme Oyster House which is another New Orlean’s favorite. George won some money at the roulette table and we decided to head back to the RV and get changed for the night time activities.

Fat Tuesday-

We had a blast on Fat Tuesday throwing beads off the balcony at The Bourbon Cowboy. It was an all-inclusive price for drinks, food and access to the balcony. I have to say this is one of my favorite memories from the trip. We saw so many crazy costumes, and people. It never felt crowded and the food was great. Next time we will do an evening and a daytime block.