My Unforgettable New Orleans Mardi Gras Experience: A Story

Howdy, folks, it’s story time today! I traveled solo to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras experience and lived to tell the tale.

At first, I was nervous. Part of me was dreading it. All the crime you hear about on the news can get to you. And there I was–a solo female traveler going into the middle of it all for one of the biggest festivals in the world. What was I thinking?

But I wanted the experience. And I’m glad I had it because it was an absolute blast! And now I’ll tell you my story in a series of photos. Oh, and it’s not as dangerous as one may be led to believe. A little common sense goes a long way–I cover safety more in my post How to Travel Solo to Mardi Gras: a Comprehensive Guide

So without further ado, here’s my Mardi Gras experience!

I met some interesting characters

That’s me with the lovely Big Mama, a fantastic singer and performer who I met on Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras. Big Mama was kind enough to take this photo with me, which is one of my favorite photos from the whole festival. My orange tongue suggests I’d been drinking one of the infamous Hurricane drinks before taking this picture, available pretty much everywhere on Bourbon Street.

I saw all kinds of people dressed up in elaborate costumes who loved posing for photos! I don’t recall these pirates’ names, unfortunately.

I made some fun party friends

The two lovely ladies with me were from California. I met up with them through a solo female travelers Facebook group, which is one of my methods for making friends in a new city.

One of the girls stayed in a hostel, where she made more friends each day. At one point, we had a group of about 6-8 people!

But most of the time, it was just the three of us. Without those two ladies, I wouldn’t have stayed out as late as I did and likely wouldn’t have spent much time on Bourbon Street. I felt safe with them. One would call me if I got out of her eyesight for more than a few seconds–that’s the kind of friend you want at Mardi Gras!

The three of us partied from the Sunday before Mardi Gras all the way til Ash Wednesday!

We made some vague plans to travel together in the future, but alas, I never saw them again.

Sad.

But that’s the nature of the digital nomad beast, I suppose.

I pushed myself way outside of my comfort zone

Being an introverted solo traveling digital nomad means that I pretty much live outside of my comfort zone. But Mardi Gras took it to a whole new level. Just the sheer volume of people would be enough to make me run far away in most circumstances. Not to mention, pushing through all the people on Bourbon Street felt like I was pushing through the birth canal. I’m so glad I stuck it out though. It was well worth it!

I went to elaborate parades

Mardi Gras has seriously ruined me for all other parades. If the parade isn’t in New Orleans, I’m not interested. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are amazing parades at places like the Brazilian Carnival, but I haven’t been, so I can’t compare. But as far as your ordinary Halloween parade in whatever city, USA? No thanks.

I felt safe

There’s a huge police presence on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. It’s generally safe as long as you keep your belongings secure and use common sense. Just stay where the people are and don’t go into any of the dark alleyways off Bourbon.

I caught quite the collection of throws

A “throw” is anything thrown or handed to you from a parade float (or a balcony). Throws can be beads, plastic cups, socks, or even my awesome Spock ears (they lit up too)! My ears, my Zulu coconut, and my Zulu beads were my favorite Mardi Gras throws.

And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to flash or do anything that makes you uncomfortable to get throws. The parades are family-friendly!

Bourbon Street, however, is a different story. I saw plenty of flashing there for the big Mardi Gras beads. And plenty more women adjusting their shirts post-flash. But for those who want no part of that…there’s no obligation!

I sampled allll the neon drinks

Probably the biggest waste of money at Mardi Gras, the neon-colored drinks are part of the fun, especially if you’re a first-timer. I tried them all–Hurricane, Hand Grenade, Daiquiri, you name it. Next time, though, I’m just going to BYOB. Well, maybe one daiquiri…

You’ll want to watch it, though, they’re quite strong! Keep in mind that all these photos of me holding drinks were taken over several days–not one night. I wouldn’t have been able to walk…

I listened to music on Frenchmen and Bourbon Street

There are two types of music at Mardi Gras–amazing, blow-your-mind music and drunk tourist anthems.

I listened to both. I’d recommend hitting up music clubs on Frenchmen and Bourbon on any trip to New Orleans, not just Mardi Gras.

You’ll hear jazz music, rock, and R&B that will have you moving and grooving all night long.

You’ll also hear cover bands playing a category that I like to call “Music Drunk Tourists Like.” Think “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Hotel California,” and so on. You’ll pass by a club doorway and hear a singer and several inebriated folks shouting “Zooooombie! Zommmmbie! Ey Ey Ey.” Then you’ll pass by another club and hear a different band playing the same song. And later on, you’ll walk past the first club again and hear the same band playing the same song again!

It’s all part of the fun, though, and chances are, you’ll find yourself dancing along to “Who Let the Dogs Out” at some point during the night.

Speaking of…

I danced

Why did I mention dancing to “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

Because I did it myself.

That’s right. And it wasn’t even in a club. It was in front of a speaker on Bourbon Street.

A huge group had formed around the speaker, and the people were just dancing away in the street. I joined and it was fun.

I guess you just had to be there.

I saw more garbage on the streets than I’d ever seen in my life

Not to worry, though. The street cleaners do a real bang-up job of hosing down the streets each night. Bourbon Street gets the equivalent of a sponge bath in a gas station bathroom and actually looks decent around 7 a.m. Only to get trashed all over again that day and night. Rinse and repeat.

My green feather boa was claimed by Bourbon Street. Someone slipped on fallen beads and took a dive right next to me into a puddle, splashing me with “Bourbon Street Soup”–a mixture of stagnant water, piss, and alcohol. My boa got soaked and I had to let it go…

Holy smokes, that’s a lot of people

I continued the “circle of life” by throwing my beads to the Bourbon Street crowd

At the end of Mardi Gras night, my friends and I climbed up to a balcony and threw beads at people. We got flashed multiple times, even though our beads were nothing special. Some beads I threw landed right on top of a bald man’s head, stopping him in his tracks. The beads then rolled off his head and into the hands of their intended recipient. So it worked out I guess. To my surprise, the bead victim never looked up at me and kept walking once the surprise wore off. I guess it just comes with the territory.

The takeaway? Traveling as a solo female to Mardi Gras was Totally worth it

I’d do it again. And again and again.

Would you go or have you gone to Mardi Gras? Let me know in the comments!