Mardi Gras in Moh-Beel 'Bama

She had to pop her hood to get those beads but it was worth it!

What IS Mardi Gras anyway? I knew it was a party and there were beads and boobs and costumes and adult beverages but how did we get to this state of mega-party I wonders? So off to the research department I went and found some interesting things. Mardi Gras began in Mobile Alabama NOT New Orleans. Mobile was originally a French settlement and the original capital of French Louisiana. That background meant a heavy Catholic tradition and the festivals that came with it. Called "Carnival" in the rest of the world, Mardi Gras is a season of parties, parades, and balls in the 6 weeks leading up to Lent when Catholics traditionally sacrifice and live an austere life until Easter. The real beginnings no doubt run back to the Dionysian festivals of the greeks which involved much drinking, carousing, dancing, and promiscuity. The Catholic Church co-opted many of the pagan festivals into their mythologies to sell it to the locals. Mardi Gras in the US began in Mobile in 1703 when the French settlers threw a party and made a paper-mache bull and paraded in through the streets while drinkin' and dancin'. New Orleans first parade with floats at Carnivale wasn't until 1857. That year Mobile's most elite Mardi Gras Society, The Cowbellian de Rakin Society, traveled to New Orleans to help form the "Mystic Krewe of Comus", New Orleans oldest parading Krewe.

Mardi Gras wasn't celebrated much during the Civil War and the 2 World Wars but except for those interruptions the party has been on! For the Blue Honey the debate was to travel to New Orleans or stay put here in Mobile and do the Mardi Gras.

The Museum and Inca Parade

We finally decided to stay here and began our Celebration with a trip into downtown Mobile to the Mardi Gras Museum.

This guy guards the door to the Mardi Gras Museum

Inside the museum are artifacts and history's of the Krewes and the Kings and Queens of Mardi Gras's past. People involved take this stuff seriously and the money spent on costumes and dresses and Tuxes surpasses any other time of the year locally.

A royal outfit - NOT the most elaborate we saw!

After the museum we made our way into the streets for our first Mardi Gras Parade - The Order of the Inca! The parade was a good 90 minutes from starting so we found a local watering hole on Dauphin Street - The OK Bicycle Shop. They had a few tables on the street to watch the action go by and we parked ourselves right there. A few Mexican beers, some South of the Border food, and some great conversation with our server and her boyfriend - the greeter - unti we heard the parade a-coming. We had been advised to listen for the  "Thumpers" - the big Bass Drums of the bands - and to watch for the glow of the lights from the "walkers" - the people who walk alongside the floats.

Vendors and Lights and Dancers and Marching Bands

And, of course, THE THROWS!! The floats elaborately designed and manned by people in costume who throw candy, beads, toys, and other sundry gifts to the revelers. Originally the beads were made of glass and far fewer thrown so it was quite a coup to go home with a string of beads from one of the Krewes. There is a hierarchy of throws: The Krewe chiefs throw the special Marshalls medallions which are the rarest followed by the Insignia Medallions and then the beads. The longest beads are thrown by riders of the higher ranks. In addition there may be stuffed animals or other toys, tootsie rolls, gum and of course the greatest prize of all: Moon Pies!! We were lucky enough to come away from the Incas with a Marshall's Medallion (caught by the red head) and an Insignia medallion each. I think they knew we were new as we were the oldest people acting like 6 year olds "Hey Mistah - throw me something" all while jumping up and down and screeching - you get caught in the moment y'know!

Inca Medallions

The pile of Swag and loot from this one parade was so overwhelming we piled it up and just looked at it in complete marvel:

Inca SWAG

Because of so much loot I made Dorothy Queen of Blue Honey for Mardi Gras and we loaded boxes of the loot and sent them off to friends and children (or own and others).

Queen Dorothy of Blue Honey

The Mystic Order of Mirams

The next Wednesday we were sipping beverages at the Silver Moon by the Florida border with new friends Wayne and Frankie Gregory and listening to some Hot Licks from Luther Womble and the dulcet song stylings of Johnny Barbato. Queen Dottie related to them how much fun we had at the parade and the next thing we knew we were being invited to not one but two Mardi Gras balls in Orange Beach. Both Wayne and his impossibly lovely wife Frankie are real estate agents so if you are looking to visit or move to Gulf Shores area click on the link for them above (shameless plug!!). They are members of different Mardi Grad Krewes and both ride in their parades and attend the balls after. One day to acquire a Tux and Tails for me and a long gown for the Queen - a noticeable hole in our wardrobe!

Dottie Queen of Blue Honey

It was fairly surreal to see 20 or 30 dressed folks dressed in gowns and tuxes standing along side the road hollering for beads at 8pm in the night but there we were - adding to our loot. After the parade we went inside and waited for Frankie to return from her float - the alcohol was wet everywhere. We had to stay inside as the doors were 'Locked' in anticipation of the Queens arrival. With great pomp and ceremony the Queen was introduced and all her subjects (the members of Miram) came to her and laid tribute (dubloons) at her feet. It was waaay too much like prom I think - an over the top pretend prom Moms and Granmoms that is. The Queen who made her own cape and gown which were incredible was an ex-Mrs. Ohio! and Mrs. Alabama! It must be her hobby I guess - this Queen thing, Luckily we were seated at a table with extemely friendly and Southern Charm type folks who engaged us all in conversation and fun. The band was very good and The Queen of Blue Honey and her escort actually got up and danced in all of our elegance. The operative word here was fun and even though I think there may have been a few to whom this was a 'serious' event most were there to play dress up and have a good time. We thoroughly enjoyed it all!

Mystics of Pleasure

On Saturday we moved to Perido Beach Resort the home of the Mystics of Pleasure Ball that we were to attend that night. Our plan had been to rent a condo on the beach for Mardi Gras and attend the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Parades on Fat Tuesday. With the MOP ball being in the resort we just decided to stay there for 5 days that way we only had to crawl to the elevator to get to bed. This proved prophetic as the MOP ball had a free bar with what I have been assured were great Margaritas - and you may know about the Queen of Blue Honey and Margaritas! Let it be known they renewed their acquaintance that night.

The scheduled parade was canceled due to rain all along the coast so we only had to put the tux and gown on (D wore the gown in case your keeping track) and go down the elevator to the ball room.The only hitch was that ball was only open to members until 9pm so we had to find wet beverages before that on our own. Thankfully had a half a bottle of Bailey's up in the room to take the edge off and the Queen had her wine. By nine both were gone and we went in search of the Mystical 'Free' bar below. We arrived in our usual splendor just a tad tipsy and found our friends.

Frankie and Wayne Gregory

Walking through through the resort I noticed quite a few people dressed in Confederate uniforms and thought "Well, it is the South". When we walked into the ballroom the first thing that you had to notice was a giant Confederate flag behind the bandstand.

The Bandstand

Now I'm from the north and have a whole set of preconceived notions about that flag and what it stands for so I got kind of nervous when I saw it. But I got a true education about culture that night that opened my eyes to my own ideas about who people were. We met people all night who were warm and gracious to us as only Southern folks can do. There was FatBack.

FatBack

Dressed elegantly as a Confederate General he was friendly when we talked as though we had known each other for years. He owned a local restaurant that we will get to when we return.

I spent an interesting political conversation with Joe Galbraith owner of the Flora-Bama the last great American roadhouse.

Joe Galbraith and the Queen of Blue Honey's date.

I talked to artists and musicians, business men and women. Folks from all walks of life. There was an incredibly hot band that did everything from Clapton to complete Temptations routines.

Never got their name

But the moment the light came on for me and I learned what it meant to be Southern and what the Southland actually was came when a girl, Tonya, who had been sitting with us at our table got up and went on stage to sing "Sweet Home Alabama" with the band. Now I had been expecting to hear that song as it is the Alabama national anthem no matter where you are but I was totally unprepared for how it could set off fireworks. It was late and crowd was definitely oiled and ready to cut loose. There ahd been several hundred jammed tightly on the dance floor this entire set by the band dancin' and having a great time. When the first familiar chords of "Sweet Home" rang out the entire crowd (about 1000) people let out a cheer and close to half of them jammed the dance floor hands thrusting in the air as Tony started singing.

Tonya on "Sweet Home"

When she got to the line "Sweet Home Alabama" the crowd called back "Roll Tide Roll". When she said "Where the skies are so Blue" nearly 1000 voices chanted back "Blue! Blue! Blue". When she sang "Comin' Home to You" the crowd sang back to her "Home! Home Home!" Throughout the song Tonya just wailed the lyrics and crowd sang along and called back to her. Well hit me with a hammer and you will get my attention! The entire thing was electric and gave me goosebumps. These people were not caricature stubborn Confederates refusing to believe the Civil War ended with them on the losing end. These were real flesh and blood people celebrating where they lived and grew up and the place they called home. There was no Jim Crow south in this sentiment from where I stood - just jubilant celebration of the things they loved. And that is what the Confederate flag meant to these people NOT the southern stereotypes I had been loaded with up north. Now I am certainly not naive and recognize there ARE people who personify those stereotypes in that room but at that moment nothing applied but celebration of home and hearth and it was really an incredible thing to witness! I cannot see 500 Ohioans singing "Hang on Sloopy" on a sweaty dance floor and getting the same rush of emotions. Something would be lost in the translation.

To top it all off the Queen of Blue Honey and I danced close and slow for the second night in a row.

We dance.

Dorothy though did have a few too many Margaritas and had to escorted gently upstairs where she stayed for the next entire day while I went out again on Sunday to the Silver Moon for some more beads and Beer and Music!

Fat Tuesday at the Shores


On Monday a tornado touched down by Mobile and we spent the day holed up in our room watching a spectacular show as lightning and thunder pounded the ocean out our window. In the evening the rain let up and the surfers came out to crash and burn in the 12 to 15 ft waves.

Surf was UP!

Tuesday - Mardi Gras - started sunny but quickly clouded up - though no rain. We drove down beach road to Gulf Shores to watch the first parade of the day at 10 am. Family friendly it had Kings and Queens;

Princesses and pretty girls;

Floats and Funny Hats;

Singers and Bands;

Cars;

Dogs and Kids;

and of course MOON PIES!!

And because it was Mardi Gras - the unexplainable:

Elvis

He said he was Elvis. He didn't really die - just moved to the coast to be a shrimp boat captain and to get away from the crowds. He said he gave them the idea for Forrest Gump anonymously. I said I believed him but what was the name of the boat? He said, "Thank Ya Very Much" as he scooted away.

After that encounter we drove off to Shuckers, a marina and bar near the Wharf - the starting place for our last parade - the boat parade from the Wharf to Lulu's. We ate lunch and had us some beers and great conversation with the waiter Damian who had traveled all around the world before alighting here in 'Bama.

The boats lined up all decorated for Mardi Gras:

Then sailed down the Inter-coastal to the next party,

Afterwards we took a stroll through the Marina admiring the boats still there and decided that next year if we are here for Mardi Gras we will have a boat to sail away on too!