Parade Part 4: To the CBD and beyond...
We are under the I-10 overpass. The band has kicked up the volume a notch to take advantage of the echo underneath- fantastic! The float passes under and out heading around Lee Circle. At this point on the route the crowds are now back behind barricades along both sides of the parade. Folks are really packed in trying to get close- it's harder now to single out individuals- when I make throws I just try to make sure people in the general area are looking. At this point, I am down mostly to plain beads altho I do have a couple stack of plastic Krewe of Mid-City cups, some packages of KMC potato chips and lots of doubloons (I will really have to work on my doubloon management if I do this again!). We pass thru the circle and move on down St. Charles- there are bleachers and viewing stands- along with pockets of people on ladders- on both sides of the street. The crowds are now more or less at eye level with riders on the float and at points you can just lean a bit, reach out and hand beads directly to people as you ride by-nice! There are also people even farther back and higher up on balconies of residences and apartment houses. I make a couple attempts to throw way, way up and back. More often than not the beads fall short- man people are way way up there. We are approaching the official viewing area around Gallier Hall. I realize that I need to figure out where my wife will be as we pass by-my krewe buddy Arthur riding next to me knows they are in a viewing stand on the other side of the float (sidewalk side) but we aren't quite sure exactly where it is along the route. As our float stops- the King's float has reached Gallier Hall and the parade has stopped for him to make his official toast with New Orleans city officials as well as VIPs in the KMC viewing area- I make my way to the other side of the float to ask one of the senior riders if they know where the KMC viewing stand is . He points it out a little ways ahead up past Gallier hall. I head back to my side of the float to wait for us to start moving again. As we begin to move, my friend Arthur and I make our way to the other side of the float. As I look up ahead, I see my wife and Arthur's wife in the front row of the viewing stand. I catch my wife's attention and as we roll up I am able to take their pictures as they snap photos of us in return. I am also able to throw my wife some signature KMC beads as we go by- very cool! We're now in the home stretch as we reach Canal Street on the edge of the French Quarter. At this point I've (finally) got a pretty good rhythm going as I reach down and grab a bunch of beads, tear off the banding and throw. I'm getting less tangled now and having a much easier time. I finish up throwing my cups and potato chip bags as we roll up and then come back down Canal St. towards the finish. I also throw some doubloons but folks don't seem to know what to make of these-some people seem to think it is money as they hit the ground and scramble to grab them up, others just seem confused- probably expecting beads instead of coins. As we get closer to the finish, I have thrown the last of my beads. The crowds are still yelling and cheering as our float rounds the final corner and we slow to a stop. We were told to exit as soon as the floats come to a stop and I am ready. I grab the bag of beads and throws that I had put aside as souvenirs, throw the rest of my doubloons into the bag and exit down the back steps of the float. It's over just like that. I help a few of my fellow riders unload their remaining beads and throws from the float. We all congratulate each other on a great ride and then disperse. I realize that since I am on float #3 that there is still a lot of our parade left, so I go around the corner back onto Canal Street (costume on but mask off) and find a spot on the street to watch the rest of our parade. The foil covered floats really do look pretty spectacular as they roll in and out of the sunshine. I get to see some of the marching bands and my fellow riders on the remaining floats. As the last float rolls by (it's the women's float- the only double decker float and it comes at the very end of the parade) I head back inside to the hotel . I make my way up to the ballroom where we had started the morning with our pre-parade breakfast where there is now a post-parade buffet set up-the jambalaya is hot and the beer is cold- a great way to end. The room is buzzing as all the riders and their families and friends come back together after the parade. I re-connect with my wife and with my friend Arthur and his wife and kids and we compare notes about the parade. Everybody seems to have had a great time and already discussions turn to doing it again next year...We'll just have to see....
We are under the I-10 overpass. The band has kicked up the volume a notch to take advantage of the echo underneath- fantastic! The float passes under and out heading around Lee Circle. At this point on the route the crowds are now back behind barricades along both sides of the parade. Folks are really packed in trying to get close- it's harder now to single out individuals- when I make throws I just try to make sure people in the general area are looking. At this point, I am down mostly to plain beads altho I do have a couple stack of plastic Krewe of Mid-City cups, some packages of KMC potato chips and lots of doubloons (I will really have to work on my doubloon management if I do this again!). We pass thru the circle and move on down St. Charles- there are bleachers and viewing stands- along with pockets of people on ladders- on both sides of the street. The crowds are now more or less at eye level with riders on the float and at points you can just lean a bit, reach out and hand beads directly to people as you ride by-nice! There are also people even farther back and higher up on balconies of residences and apartment houses. I make a couple attempts to throw way, way up and back. More often than not the beads fall short- man people are way way up there. We are approaching the official viewing area around Gallier Hall. I realize that I need to figure out where my wife will be as we pass by-my krewe buddy Arthur riding next to me knows they are in a viewing stand on the other side of the float (sidewalk side) but we aren't quite sure exactly where it is along the route. As our float stops- the King's float has reached Gallier Hall and the parade has stopped for him to make his official toast with New Orleans city officials as well as VIPs in the KMC viewing area- I make my way to the other side of the float to ask one of the senior riders if they know where the KMC viewing stand is . He points it out a little ways ahead up past Gallier hall. I head back to my side of the float to wait for us to start moving again. As we begin to move, my friend Arthur and I make our way to the other side of the float. As I look up ahead, I see my wife and Arthur's wife in the front row of the viewing stand. I catch my wife's attention and as we roll up I am able to take their pictures as they snap photos of us in return. I am also able to throw my wife some signature KMC beads as we go by- very cool! We're now in the home stretch as we reach Canal Street on the edge of the French Quarter. At this point I've (finally) got a pretty good rhythm going as I reach down and grab a bunch of beads, tear off the banding and throw. I'm getting less tangled now and having a much easier time. I finish up throwing my cups and potato chip bags as we roll up and then come back down Canal St. towards the finish. I also throw some doubloons but folks don't seem to know what to make of these-some people seem to think it is money as they hit the ground and scramble to grab them up, others just seem confused- probably expecting beads instead of coins. As we get closer to the finish, I have thrown the last of my beads. The crowds are still yelling and cheering as our float rounds the final corner and we slow to a stop. We were told to exit as soon as the floats come to a stop and I am ready. I grab the bag of beads and throws that I had put aside as souvenirs, throw the rest of my doubloons into the bag and exit down the back steps of the float. It's over just like that. I help a few of my fellow riders unload their remaining beads and throws from the float. We all congratulate each other on a great ride and then disperse. I realize that since I am on float #3 that there is still a lot of our parade left, so I go around the corner back onto Canal Street (costume on but mask off) and find a spot on the street to watch the rest of our parade. The foil covered floats really do look pretty spectacular as they roll in and out of the sunshine. I get to see some of the marching bands and my fellow riders on the remaining floats. As the last float rolls by (it's the women's float- the only double decker float and it comes at the very end of the parade) I head back inside to the hotel . I make my way up to the ballroom where we had started the morning with our pre-parade breakfast where there is now a post-parade buffet set up-the jambalaya is hot and the beer is cold- a great way to end. The room is buzzing as all the riders and their families and friends come back together after the parade. I re-connect with my wife and with my friend Arthur and his wife and kids and we compare notes about the parade. Everybody seems to have had a great time and already discussions turn to doing it again next year...We'll just have to see....
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