News and information from the New Orleans area
Posts tagged Mardi Gras
HAPPY MARDI GRAS TO THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
016 years
That’s it, just HAPPY MARDI GRAS TO THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!
Rex riding down St. Charles Avenue
WDSU Parade Tracker System Review
016 years
I’m a big fan of this parade tracker system, when you want to find the start of a parade that’s rolling or a parade stops for some reason. How does the system operate? WDSU puts a car near the front of the parades they cover. The car uses the GPS tracking system to pin point where the tracking car is, and relays that information to a computer, which texts that info to all opt in phones. The system is a bit intrusive when you are already at a parade, catching throws and enjoying the sights and sounds of of the event. You constantly receive parade updates on your phone, when you don’t need them, as you are already parading. You could always opt out when at parade, and opt back in when you are searching for a parade on the street. However you might think this is a bit much opting in and out.
To get Parade Tracker updates on your mobile phone, text “follow parades” to 40404. This is the second year for this service. If you opted in last year, you were automatically opted in for this year. For some parades, you can track the parade’s progress on WDSU.com, via a special map. The markers on the map show the location of the lead float in the parade, and they update every 10 seconds or 20 feet.
The biggest flaw in the system is they skip parades! Babylon had to switch days because of bad weather. Could parade tracker keep up with parade rescheduling? NO. No parade tracking for Babylon. Earlier in the Carnival season, when some of the smaller parades roll, parade tracker opted not to cover the earlier parades.
Among the Orleans parades that WDSU opted not to track were Sparta and Ponchartrain.
My thoughts on the inconsistent tracking is that if you are going to offer a parade tracking system, you should cover all the parades in an area.
Iris & Tucks roll down St. Charles on beautiful Saturday
016 years
2010 Tucks Toilet Float & the Toilet Guy
2010 Tucks Super Bowl Float
Iris and Tucks rolled down beautiful St. Charles Avenue on a clear blue day. After all the cold and rain of the last few days, it really helps to finally have some great weather to enjoy Mardi Gras to it’s fullest. It was a good sized family oriented crowd. Iris, the oldest parading women’s krewe in the New Orleans Mardi Gras, had at least 6 bands from Memphis, TN. We caught some cool beads and throws at Tucks, they are a very irreverent krewe with a giant toilet bowl float they use every year. They throw rolls of Tucks toilet paper, miniature plastic toilets that shoot a stream of water, and other crazy throws. They feature their own original marching groups, such as a big foam rubber Dragon group, and the Duck Brigade. Iris is a very mainstream krewe, almost the last parading female krewe in New Orleans. Fortunately, Muses, a much bigger woman’s krewe has come to the fore the last decade to join Iris.
2010 Tucks foam rubber dragons
Saints Super Bowl Party “SUPER”
016 years
Super Bowl Champs N.O. Saints Super Parade AP
The consensus is in! The finest parade in recent New Orleans history, according to many eyewitness accounts, was last nights parade for the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl Champions 2010. Drew Brees stopped in Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar after the parade & taught his Pre Game Countdown Chant to the crowd, watch it here: Drew Brees at Lucy’s
Here are some quotes about the parade from my Facebook Friends-
Ivan Neville Been 2 many parades, & the Saints parade was mos definitely the best parade ever!! WHO DAT!! There’s no place like Nola!!!
Jared Zeller Time of my life last night…Carney, Payton, Young, Hargrove, Porter, Bush, Thomas, Colston, Morestead, Hartley, Roby, etc. the list goes on and on…
Jerry Who Dat Moran Likewise Jared, off the hook!!!
Bernie Cyrus Parade & new friends were awesome. Dat’s Who!
Katie Walenter The Saints marched in and I was in that number. Best parade ever!!!
Dave Jordan Last night was probably the greatest New Orleans experience I have ever had. Except for, maybe, last Sunday.
Jerry Who Dat Moran So the Lombardi Gras Parade was off the hook last night….caught it at the beginning by the Dome, over on Howard…but the coolest part of the night was when Sean Payton’s jumped off his float on Thcoup and Poydras and somehow I wound up in the street with him running around and Second lining with the Lombardi Trophy…It’s all a blur at this point(as I am sure pics are)…..proceeded to follow his float down convention center blvd to the brigde……started my… long walk home with a smile on my face that still can’t be wiped off…Yesterday was a beautiful day! WHO DAT!!!