“Throw me some beads, mister,” is the cry heard all along parade routes, except at the Zulu promenade, where tradition calls for coconuts to be given away.
New Orleans embraces joie de vivre at Mardi Gras ; a jolly spirit like the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning. Strangers are friendly; they hand out small tokens; passersby smile and speak to one another.
Should that be unusual? Well no, but sadly, most city streets don’t feel that way.
In New Orleans, folks wear outfits or masks on Fat Tuesday, which helps create a lighthearted mood. They hang glitzy wreaths of purple, green and gold. But unlike Christmas, Mardi Gras plays to a soundtrack of rhythm and blues, and is celebrated outdoors. The air smells from the pulse of the crowd, of hot dogs, beer and alcohol.
No one tossed me a coconut at the Zulu parade, but I caught lots of beads and gave most away. I dressed as Cruella DeVil ; my friend as a Dalmatian. Revelers stopped us to take our picture.
Bourbon Street Awards contestant
We gawked and laughed along with the participants in the obstreperous Bourbon Street Awards : a flamboyant drag-queen contest that, honey, is just something else.
At breakfast, I stuffed myself on waffles; ate a shrimp po’boy (sandwich) for lunch in a hole-in-the-wall cafe. Dog and I drank wine as we threw beads from a balcony over hanging the street.
In Louisiana, Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday, a date celebrated with abandon; one I look forward to annually. Thankfully, the ghost of Katrina has faded. As Tiny Tim might say, “God bless Mardi Gras, every one.”
Mardi Gras Costumes--Dalmation Puppy and Cruella DeVil
Time to head to the New Orleans for Mardi Gras Madness.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday as it sometimes called, is the last feasting day before Lent , indulgence before penance. The weeks leading up to it, known as Carnival, are celebrated with parties, masked balls, parades, and food. It’s a time to be a bit naughty and so I have good reason to devour New Orleans’s finest fare.
I make an annual Mardi Gras pilgrimage to the Big Easy and always return to fine dining at Arnaud’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. The 90-year-old landmark features Creole fare and a reputation that never disappoints. Start with gulf shrimp covered in spicy Remoulade sauce, teetering at the edge of too hot.
Then I move on to Pommes Souffle, a house specialty served as an appetizer or a side. The dish is an extraordinary rendition of French fries, light as helium-filled pillows. The fluffiness comes from frying the potatoes twice. They end up looking like fat toddler fingers and are served along with Bearnaise sauce.
Dinner suggestions include Trout Almandine, Pompano en Croute, and Roast Louisiana Quail Elzey (filled with Foie Gras mousse or Filet Charlemond) with more Bearnaise sauce. Last year, I chose Veal Tournedos. They arrived covered in wild mushroom gravy and simply melted as they encircled my tongue.
Dessert is the finest show in the city (and, needless to say, there are many competing shows). Cafe Brulot requires an expert, and the headwaiter performs the flaming touch. An orange is peeled in one intact piece and then studded with cloves. A brandy mixture is heated then ignited and slowly poured down the spiraling peel into the bowl, which another waiter fills with chicory coffee. The drink, prepared tableside, slides down so smooth that there is no need for dessert. But if you are inclined (and I was), Bananas Foster can’t be topped.
During my yearly visit, I must also feast on a few beignets at Cafe du Monde, the famous, no-frills coffeehouse/cafe. The beignets, similar to doughnuts, are rectangular (no holes) and doused in mounds of powdered sugar. They coat everyone’s fingers and clothes but are, unquestionably, worth the whitewash. You never know who (Rod Stewart) or what you will see there. One year a lady clad only in body paint sat down to order!
I’ll find time to squeeze into Pat O’Brien’s, home of the famous hurricane–a powerful fruit punch. Lesson learned —Sip, don’t drink, or your head will be filled with a storm. Do join the friendly crowd and sing along with the lively dueling pianos.
Celebration time in New Orleans surely puts an end to dieting. I’ll indulge decadent food and when Ash Wednesday arrives, start to eat healthy again.
I visited Mount Vernon shortly after new museums opened in 2007 and shared this story in Chesapeake Family Magazine. I still love the old house and grounds, but believe the addition of state-of-the- art technology in the museums makes a visit or return mandatory.
New Museums: Grand Old House
George Washington sleeps in his tomb at Mount Vernon, as he has for the past 210 years. However, most Americans believe he slept in every city, state, and tavern up and down the east coast during his 67 years of life. Confusing myths grow like vines on a forgotten gravestone, intertwined with few facts about the real George.
To awaken national interest and debunk untrue stories, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association spearheaded a $100 million campaign. They built new educational centers and a museum mostly underground — leaving the original, tranquil grounds undisturbed. The decade-long project was completed two years ago — in time to celebrate GW’s 275th birthday.
Visitors discover rarely seen glimpses of our first president, through the action-adventure move, “We Fight to be Free,” featured in the Ford Orientation Center .Young Washington, a British officer under General Braddock, encounters a violent attack during the French and Indian War.Braddock is mortally wounded, so GW takes charge of the regiment, though, in this battle they are defeated.
In addition, guests may be surprised to learn that as a plantation owner, George experimented with crop rotation, ran a lucrative fishery and owned the largest whiskey distillery in the colonies.
Another exhibit drawing attention is an intricately crafted dollhouse, an exact one-twelfth replica of the mansion. Fifty miniaturists spend over five years creating flickering candle lights and fireplaces that glow, needlepoint rugs, hand-painted china and bedrooms prepared for guests (apparently a common practice for the Washingtons, as they had 637 overnight visitors one year).
Some choose to tour the historic estate and gardens, hike to the tomb or visit (April- October) the working Pioneer Farm. Others proceed directly to the Reynolds Education Center and Museum, featuring state-of-the-art galleries, interactive displays and five additional theaters.
The exhibits teach through an osmosis-like process, slipping knowledge into the minds of children and teens without their notice.The atmosphere is a pleasing new-age design:a combination of a natural history museum with Disney-type animated motion, wax figures Madame Tussard would envy, a theater in the round and computer games.Despite all the gadgetry, the presentation retains a reverence for the genteel hero, without sugar coating his lifestyle or his era.
My teenage daughter raved about the Revolutionary War film, complete with seats that rumble during cannon fire and falling snowflakes during scenes re-enacting the crossing of the Delaware.
Toddlers explore the hands-on history room, bursting with child-sized colonial costumes, a push-button mural that produces the sound farm animals and 18-th century toys.
I overheard a teenage girl joke that a forensically age-reversed wax replica of nineteen-year-old George liked “sorta hot.” A father and son jumped with fright when a surprising cough arose from a lifelike sleeping soldier, encamped at a reconstruction of Valley Forge.
Most tourists seem fascinated by the famous false teeth, encased similar to the crown jewels’ display in London.The dentures aren’t wood, but human and animal teeth sunk into a metal contraption.No wonder the picture on the dollar bill depicts a puffy-faced George.
The Reynolds Museum, another 6,000 square-foot complex, houses over 500 Washington artifacts including a portrait gallery, Martha’s table set for entertaining, a war room full of military memorabilia, jewelry displays and original documents. History buffs savor the previously unseen treasures.
By George, anyone wishing to learn about Washington and our country’s past can triumph at Mount Vernon .The place isn’t asleep; it’s awake with new energy and dancing (not on Washington’s grave), but under a slumbering old homestead.
If you go:
Mount Vernon is located in Virginia, just 16 miles from downtown Washington, DC.The estate is open 365 days a year and includes on-site dining options.Usual admission fees are $15 for adults, Seniors are $14, youth ages 6-11 are $7 and children 5 and under are free.
