Les bon temps are underway! Carnival season in the Big Easy ends with the grand parade on February 21, 2012. Once again, news anchor Anderson Cooper will be Grand Marshal this year, just one of the celebrity visitors for this month-long celebration that began in January. Actor Will Farrell, singer Cyndi Lauper, and Maroon 5 will be appearing also.
Mardi Gras season is a great time for a romantic escape to the "other Bay Area." Throngs of revelers will enjoy parades and events culminating in the big parade day. Don’t miss the renowned Rex Krewe parade down St. Charles Avenue on Fat Tuesday, with 600 members and 27 floats. Parades began February 10 and will continue over the next week.
Vintage Mississippi riverboats provide a backdrop to the picturesque riverfront walk with its casinos and roulette tables, while an array of gourmet dining options line nearby Decatur Street, the Rue Royal and Bourbon Street. Fresh oysters, jambalaya, shrimp etouffee, beignets, barbecue and po’boy sandwiches are just a few of the traditional Creole dishes you’ll sample.
Swankety-swank antique furniture stores abound in the French Quarter, interspersed with bookstores, cafes, and tiny specialty boutiques offering bejeweled bibelots and ante-bellum treasures. Daytime, stroll the famous ‘cities of the dead’ on a quiet Sunday morning, or take the streetcar through the sumptuous Garden district on St. Charles Avenue. Tour LaFitte's tavern or a voodoo museum to soak up some historic vibes.
If you want to avoid crowded Bourbon Street at night, make a trip to the original House of Blues on Decatur Street, or nearby wildly popular Tipitina's instead. Visit the historic Mardi Gras museum at Antoine’s restaurant for an unforgettable glimpse of Mardi Gras memorabilia, and try their original recipe Oysters Rockefeller. Go where the locals eat in the funky Marigny District, just east of the French Quarter, or try these “Don’t Miss” dining destinations for an unforgettable southern gourmet meal:
There are numerous upscale and boutique hotels, to choose from. You might want to try the historic Pontchartrain or the Columns in the Garden District. Closer to the French Quarter is the Dauphine on Decatur Street, where some people say the ghosts of Civil War soldiers can still be glimpsed. Rooms in boutique hotels will be in short supply come Mardi Gras, but there are also large 4 star hotels nearby at the Casino square area. Flights from the Bay Area are plentiful.
© Copyright 2012 Mary Holman. All rights reserved. This article and content may not be republished, rewritten or excerpted.
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