Tips For Taking The Kids To Mardi Gras

By Kaeli Conforti
January 14, 2022
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ErikdeGraaf / istock

Are you ready for Mardi Gras 2022? Parades start taking place around New Orleans every weekend starting Jan. 6th, leading up to the main event Tuesday, March 1st, historically the day before start of the Catholic season of Lent. While most of us may envision wild teenagers and scantily–clad women when the phrase Mardi Gras is mentioned, it is traditionally a family season of celebration. Many New Orleans natives have been known to attend the festivities with the whole family, letting the kids collect beads, toys, and other goodies. Here are a few tips for those of you planning to make this year's event a family affair.

Stick to the Garden District: The good thing about Mardi Gras is there is something for everyone. The official website for Mardi Gras New Orleans recommends families stick to the calmer garden district where crowds are smaller and there is a more family–friendly atmosphere, particularly along St. Charles Ave. between First St. and Napoleon Ave. It's also a good idea to check out local area parades happening in Metairie for other toned–down celebrations. Be sure to check the day's parade schedule before you head out.

Be prepared for fast-changing weather: Make sure you and your family wear layers, as typical New Orleans weather can be rather unpredictable.

Help your kids get their share of the goodies: Bring a ladder so that kids can have a "box seat" and be higher up to catch more prizes thrown from the floats. Most importantly, bring along a few tote bags to carry all the beads, stuffed animals, and other goodies you're bound to catch during the parade. Be careful that the youngsters are catching them from the air, not picking up discarded beads on the grounds, which might be broken and sharp.

Breathe new life into old Halloween costumes: Dressing up is half of the fun! Use the parade as an excuse to break out that old Halloween costume or make it an arts and crafts opportunity and construct the most creative, feathery, sequined mask you can imagine.

Don't get lost in the crowd: Odds are, whichever parade you chose will be pretty crowded. Choose a meeting place just in case one of your group gets separated from the rest, and write your child's name and phone number on their shirt tag or give them a card with that information on it to keep in their pocket for the day. Stay in touch with older kids with a cell phone and check in with each other throughout the day.

Teach your children well: Use Mardi Gras as a learning opportunity. Teach everyone about the historical and traditional significance of the parade, masks, and colors—gold for power, green for faith, and purple for justice—or take them to Mardi Gras World to learn about krewes and see how the floats are built. (Tickets are $22 for adults, $14 for children ages 2 to 11, and $17 for students with a valid college ID and seniors over age 65).

Be sure to check websites for current Covid Guidelines/Restrictions.

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The top 10 most budget friendly ski resorts in the USA

With the cold air starting to nip at our nose and the holiday season upon us, what better time to start planning your next winter getaway. But which ski resorts are the best bang for your buck? Holidu, the search engine for vacation rentals, decided to carry out a study to determine which US ski resorts offer the least expensive trips without having to sacrifice on the slopes this season.1. Powder Mountain, Utah $74 (Average per person per day; ski pass + accommodation) Coming in at the top of our list is snowy Powder Mountain in Utah. Located in Eden, Utah this slope comes in with a whopping 135 km, and has the most skiable acreage of any other resort in the United States. Open 9AM to 9PM daily and with 9 operational lifts, you are sure to get your money’s worth on this mountain. On Powder Mountain there are 154 runs, 25% of which are best for beginners, 40% are designed for intermediate, the remaining 35% is reserved for the advanced. With over 500 inches of annual snowfall, Powder Mountain should be at the top of any ski enthusiast list. Total Ski Area: 135 km ///// Recommended For: All levels ///// Cost per km of slope: $1.83 2. Schweitzer Mountain, ID $78 Considered some of the best skiing in Idaho, Schweitzer Mountain, located in Sandpoint, comes in second for the most affordable places to ski in the United States. Considered the largest ski area in Idaho, there is truly something for everyone at Schweitzer Mountain. From Nordic Skiing trails to Terrain Parks you are sure to find something that suits you within its 95 km of slopes. With 10 lifts carrying a whopping 15,900 riders every hour, Schweitzer Mountain is sure to impress. Schweitzer Mountain also offers many other fun experiences such as twilight trails and even tubing! Total Ski Area: 95 km ///// Recommended For: All levels ///// Cost per km of slope: $1.21 3. Mt. Hood Meadows, OR $103 Next on our list is Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon coming in with 90 km of ski slopes. Located in Mount Hood, Oregon this resort is only 90 minutes from Portland. With a special permit, this resort operates in the Mt. Hood National Forest and intern has some of the most stunning views! Check out some of their specials or events including Breakfast with Santa on December 22 + 23, or get your ski on this New Year’s Eve and check out their extra special celebratory dinner presented by pFriem. No matter the reason for your trip, make sure to check out Mt. Hood Meadows for all your ski and snowboarding needs this winter season. Total Ski Area: 90 km ///// Recommended For: All levels ///// Cost per km of slope: $0.87 Mt Hood Wilderness, Oregon. Photo by Laura Brown, Budget Travel 4. Alta, UT $109 Celebrating its 84th winter, the next on our list is Alta in Utah. With 85 km of skiable slopes, this resort packs in 105 trails and 12 lifts. Alta offers everything from ski school for the kids to mountain adventures and helicopter skiing for the thrill seekers. Alta also has 19 restaurants, 5 of which are even directly on the mountain for all your apres-ski needs. So what are you waiting for! Plan your next winter wonderland trip to this snowy mountainside. Total Ski Area: 85 km ///// Recommended For: All levels ///// Cost per km of slope: $1.12 5. Purgatory Resort, CO | $110 5. Purgatory Resort, CO $110 Head on down to the charming ski town of Durango, Colorado for our next top pick, Purgatory Resort. With 116 km of ski slopes, this resort is equipped with 119 runs and 6 lifts. Ski through the wide open mountain or check out one of their more challenging tree trails, Purgatory has so much to offer. Nestled along the San Juan Mountains you are sure to get your ski fix in this snowy town! Total Ski Area: 116 km ///// Recommended For: All levels ///// Cost per km of slope: $0.77 Purgatory Resort in Durango Colorado 6. Mt. 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Look no further than Winter Park Resort for your next snowy adventure. Total Ski Area: 143 km ///// Recommended For: Intermediate to expert ///// Cost per km of slope: $1.06 Winter Park, Colorado. Photo by bauhaus1000, iStock -------- Methodology: Holidu surveyed over 500 ski resorts in the United States and selected all with over 80 kilometers of slopes for the 2021/2022 Ski Price Index. The vacation rentals data was collected on 11/23/2021 from the Holidu database. The travel period 12/06/2021 - 12/27/2022 (high season) and 03/28/2022 - 04/25/2022 (low season) were considered. For the price analysis, an average was taken from the median weekly price of vacation rentals per person per night. The prices for ski passes were taken from the official websites of the ski resorts. Where seasonal prices for 2021/2022 were not available, prices for 2020/2021 were used as a reference. Ski resorts could not be considered if no ski pass prices were available for the ski resort. 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InspirationRediscover AmericaTravel Tips

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Travel Tips

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