Monday, November 1, 2010

Halloween's Just Better In Ole New Orleans

This weekend, New Orleans was THE place to be.  It was Halloween, of course, which meant a parade (you can't have a holiday in New Orleans without a parade, beads, and booze).  Halloween is a major gay event--it's the Gay New Year, sort of, so the gay bars were packed, too.  Then there was VooDooFest (mostly alternative music, with HUGE crowds) AND the Saints/Steelers game in the Super Dome.  The French Quarter was crawling with people not only dressed up for the game--something they do every home game--but tons more ghouls, witches, werewolves, Scottish kilt-wearers, toga-wearers, GEICO pink piggies going "whee whee whee!", devils . . . Oh my god, it was better than freakin' Mardi Gras!

I mean, where else would you find a giant VooDoo Doll on someone's balcony?  We parked the car at the French Market end of the French Quarter and proceeded on our way towards Bourbon Street.

First stop was the Mojo Lounge for lunch and a bottle of Abita Amber.  I had a sandwich consisting of sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar on toasted sourdough bread.  As a salad, these ingredients come together as Insalata Caprese.  As a sandwich at the Mojo Lounge, it's called a Mazel Tov.  Huh?

Along the way, there were lots of beautiful wrought iron balconies with plants and vines.  This one was especially spectacular.  Such lush greenery at the end of October!  We were wearing t-shirts and jeans and wished we'd worn shorts. 


 Miz "I Heart Everything" recently wrote about SuperHippie's incredible van and that reminded me of the little VW bug I'd seen several times in the Quarter.  There it was, parked in front of The Abbey (a total dive bar)!  Very cool zodiac plaque on the back and a ton of little silver plastic gators.


 Unfortunately, it appears that the car had been severely vandalized.  Now the owner sits next to the car all day long selling postcards of the car as it USED to look, trying to raise  money to redecorate.  I can't believe all the stuff that was scraped off--it was packed with Mardi Gras beads, shells, Mardi Gras doubloons and other cool toys.  I hope the vandal burns in Hell!


Here we are at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann, sort of the line of demarcation between the straight and gay parts of Bourbon.  I think this is Lafitte's Bar--there's also a gay bar called Lafitte's In Exile since apparently the straights in Lafittes decided they didn't want the gay crowd.  I'm sure it's MUCH more fun in Lafitte's In Exile!


Here are a bunch of revelers on the straight side.  See those yellow pieces of cloth?  TERRIBLE TOWELS!  Which means the balcony was full of STEELER FANS.  AAACK!


The bikers are always a fun crowd even though more than two roaring bikes causes way too much noise in the narrow streets of the Quarter. 
(The bike chained to the pole is pretty quiet, though).


Can you believe it's October and not Mardi Gras?!

While at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann I snapped a photo of this gay bar on one side of the street with the giant spider on the roof:

and then pivoted 90 degrees to the other side of the street and took this photo of the other gay bar with skeleton angels flying above the balconies!   



I loved these poles--they were decorated for Christmas with tinsel and lights but it looked like that giant gay spider had woven its web all over Santa's stuff, leaving a bunch of baby spiders behind!

Oh, and P.S.
Saints 20 -- Steelers 10!!!!!

14 comments:

  1. Damn you for having a much better Halloween than I! I spent it jamming a screwdriver thru my hand. (No, really) And damn you for good weather and reminding me of aluminum foil and teeth. I'm wincing here!!

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  2. Looks like a good time was had by all! Happy All Saints Day and I mean that as in Go Saints!

    Liz

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  3. OH WOW!!! Next year I'm off to New Orleans for Halloween! That sounds SO COOL! I like the thought of it being Gay New Years, lol. I'd have to hang onto my boyfriend extra tight, he's already too cute and get hit on by boys all the time...its too funny, at least he is a good sport about it, no fist fights yet! I LOVE Halloween, wait till you see what I was this year, I'll do a post of it today! Thanks for sharing the art Bug, its too bad about the vandals, but now the owner has a blank canvas to design...who knows what he'll do next!

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  4. Great pictures. What a fun time! Someday I'm going to go to New Orleans. I love the new header by the way. Nice job. Glad you had such a blast.

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  5. I've never ever been to New Orleans, frankly because it scares me! Looks like you had a blast though. Oh, and Barbie cooks a mean turkey!

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  6. Chris, you have all the fun!! What a blast for you two! Time to unwind and let it rip. I never knew Halloween was so bis in New Orleans. Thanks for this. Now go rest!!
    Jim

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  7. Oh now you know West Hollywood is the real gay Halloween lol...

    j/k, wow, looks like a blast!! Damn, so happy you got out and had a great time!! =D

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  8. I am so due for a trip to the Quarter! After living in NO for years I miss the wonderful visual fun!

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  9. Love New Orleans! Voodoo Hoodoo's! Zootsuitmama

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  10. How exciting!! I love seeing stuff like this, being that I am so far away and halloween really isn't a thing here. And now that I can finally comment again, how did your fair go?

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  11. OH... I SO have to DO N'Orleans for Halloween sometime! Now... to scheme a plan to get DH there!

    (If only I'd known the Steelers were there - HE is a HUGE fan!!)

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  12. Now may I ask why you didn't take me along!? I would have had a licky, slurpy time and everyone would have loved me. Remember next time!!!

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  13. WOW! What a place. Thank you for sharing it with us. And thank you for your kind comments on my blog of late. Means a lot to me.

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