Pomp and Circumstance

 

Not many people know this, but Mardi Gras started in Mobile and not New Orleans. Of course, if you talk to a Louisianian, they will hotly contest this. Technically though, Mardi Gras started in 1703 when Mobile was the capitol of Louisiana. Who knows.

The Carnival Museum, although there was mention of Krewes and parades, seemed to be mainly focused on the high society aspect of Mardi Gras. We are talking debutantes, masked balls, high teas and secret societies – pomp and circumstance. We have Mardi Gras kings, queens, pages and oh, so much money spent during the Mardi Gras season. If your ancestors were not part of the Mobile Carnival Association, you would have no chance at being selected to be king or queen. I guess that would make the Carnival Association a lineage organization. The king and queen are selected a year in advance of Mardi Gras. The debutantes of the season make up the Ladies of the Court. They all need that much time to prepare. Each king and queen needs to design and create their outfits to be worn during the Mardi Gras season. They would try to incorporate symbols of their lives into these clothes, especially the elaborate traditional trains. I was quite blown away by these trains.

You had to have bling to go with all these outfits

Parasols

Blakeley State Park - Alabama

 

Motoring along I came to Mobile Alabama. Again, I lucked out and was able to get into Blakeley State Park. I loved this park – it had full hookups, every site was a pull thru, you could hardly see your neighbors because they were hidden behind the trees. Besides the wonderful campground and the hiking trails which meandered through the oak forests, the park has a lot going on for it. Blakeley is now a ghost town which, in the 1800s, had a deep natural port that was reachable by ships that could not navigate to Mobile. After the Mobile Harbor was dredged, Blakeley withered away. Blakeley was also the the place where one of the last battles of the Civil War was fought. The Union won in April of 1865.

My campsite

Another glorious tree

They say that during the Blakeley battle, Confederate soldiers were found hiding in this tree

The bay

For my northern neighbors - Spring is coming - Have faith

I don't know what this bug is, but it is huge, maybe a couple of inches?
 I told him that he was pretty incredible and he just sort of sat there and let me admire him.