Who would have thought that there’s a place to camp with our trailer only 15 miles from New Orleans’s Bourbon Street? Bayou Segnette State Park is across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. From there, we found the best way to get to the French Quarter was to catch the ferry in Algiers and cross the Mississippi on it. It drops you right off at Canal Street and costs $2 (bring exact change).
As soon as we got off the ferry we saw a Mardi Gras parade, huge floats riding past, beads and other stuff getting thrown off to the crowd (no flashing required).

In the French Quarter, our first stop was Tommy O’Hara’s for Hurricanes, then course we had to stop at Café Du Monde for beneigts.

 

The night parades are fantastic with lit-up floats and burning torches.

People reserve their parade space with ladders topped with seats.

And then there’s the costumes, families, marching groups, random inebriated folk, they’re everywhere.

Finally if you forgot to bring a costume, the body-painting shop has you covered!