For reference, I have learned since moving to the Gulf Coast that Mardi Gras isn't just a day; it's a month-long lifestyle, with parades and king cake out the wazoo. Also, parades aren't parades without beads and other throws (and the locals expect them). And so without further ado, the pictures.
(My first beads, thrown from a balcony on Bourbon Street)
(The Creole Queen riverboat on the Mississippi)
(St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square)
(Krewe of Southdowns night parade in BR)
I went to a total of 8 different parades in 4 cities (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Fairhope), and now I have soooo many beads decorating my apartment. I tried not to be a scavenger, as per unofficial NOLA rules, but I did snag the following beads on the ground outside the community park that I walk by on my way to work. Get a load of the mouth on that guy.
