ride the "City of New Orleans" to Mardi Gras

if you have ever wanted to come to mardi gras in New Orleans but you thought maybe not … Just come on and let those Bon temps roll!

This is so much fun.

Yesterday we romped down Bourban St and some side streets and caught lots of beads. I even caught a feather boa.

There was a huge parade where people carried fire on dark shingles on sticks and people with full face masks three coins, beads, umbrellas and stuffed toys into the crowd.

The ambience was more festive than rowdy, but there was some of everything.

Our hotel is on the French Quarter. Right now, we’re taking a break in the lovely courtyard after allday walking about. We got the last drinks of the day from the hotel bar. Mahinui hurricanes: dark rum, grand marnier, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, Perrier side. And a praline.

May get a chance to put up some photos.

On both sides of the train, wetness. Swampy wetness with algae and reeds. Breakwaters along the lake that look hastily built.

We are about an hour outside New Orleans.

The best part of the train ride by far is meeting people. You are seated at meals at tables for three or four and each table is filled before the next. At lunch we met a young woman from Mississippi who was raised by a Spanish speaking mother from Argentina and a dad from Mississippi, who is a funeral director and a lawyer who works for a judge. Last night we met a couple who had been organic farmers in Canada.

The ride is bumpy. Bumpier than air travel as there is almost no let up. The train goes mainly through rural areas with roads crossing the tracks several times a minute. That is a lot of whistle tooting. I almost don’t notice it now, but in the night the bumps and toots were. . . there.

The family room is totally the way to go. Lots of room and welcome privacy.

I’ve been reading The House of Mondavi. Easy to look up & out the window and down again.

Right after the Chicago meet up.

Tonight we pack!

Now all that remains is to book the flights to Chicago and from New Orleans, and the travel plans will be set.

And of course, to see where all we’ll be having that Chicago meet up!

I am adding an entry.

We have our train tickets, and we have our Mardi Gras reservations in place.

But Chicago overnight remains up in the air, as does our airfare out, which is a but silly. I think my honey is planning to use his SWA free flights, but I bet those get used these next few days to go see his folks.

We’ll see. It is happening for sure, one way or another way!

Even though I was seriously contemplating riding a Canadian railway train between Vancouver and Banff, the lure of New Orleans at Mardi Gras swept me along into this goal.

So, this is the way it goes:

We fly into Chicago for the weekend. Then we catch the City of New Orleans and ride on down.

After finding only one hotel in the French Quarter where we could book rooms for under $300 a night even this far out, and discovering one whole category of seats on the train are also already booked, I went on ahead and recklessly booked the train and New Orleans portion of the trip.

We are going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras!

Laisser les bons temps rouler!