Mardi Gras Information From Various Emails Over The Last Few Days!

The troop will charge each person going to Mardi Gras this weekend $30. This is expected to cover lodging and transportation. It is NOT intended to cover food. Each person should bring his food for Friday evening. (We will be racing to get to the Friday evening parade and won’t have time to stop for dinner). We will also be in a hurry or away from camp for many of the other meals during the weekend, so we are not planning to bring or set up a kitchen. Instead we are planning to stop for (fast) food for all meals. Boys should bring enough money for food for Saturday breakfast (it may be free??) Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner, and Sunday breakfast. About $20 seems reasonable. We will also likely be stopping at a bead store, where there will be a great temptation for each boy to spend anywhere from small to huge amounts of money on totally useless items. The boys also seem unable to resist spending money at each gas station we stop at. So a modest additional amount of spending money is not inappropriate.

Note: We will not be doing anything other than casually monitoring what the boys are spending money on. If your son chooses to blow his entire food money allocation on junk at the first gas station we stop at, I’d be inclined to not loan him any additional money, but rather view this as a great practical opportunity for him to learn the benefits of better money management. We assume that all you parents will let your sons know what the money is to be used for when you give it to them, and also will limit the amount of their own money they can take.
So far it looks like seven scouts and seven adults going (see attached list). The Krewe of Sparta had asked us about having the Scouts walk in the parade, carrying the Float signs. Are the boys interested in doing this? There are 8 floats, and we probably should have one adult with each scout, so maybe we can do all but the Captains float?

Here is a link to look at the rental units. http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/landopines/rentals.html

So far I figure we have ~14 people going. Here are the possibilities for cost:

Scout Rate - $5/person/night, min 20. Cost would be $200.00 for both nights. ($14/person)
Regular rate - $28/campsite and $6 for each additional person over 4. We'd need two campsites (2 x $28), and we'd have six extra people ($36) so $28 + $28 + $36 = $92/night or $184.00 for both nights. ($13/person)
Rent two trailers for $53.00 each, pay $6.00 for the six additional people ( 53.00 rate is based on 4 people, it's $6 for additional) and have 7 people per trailer for a total of $53 + $53 + $36 = $142/night or $284 total. ($20/person)

I figure we should go with option #2, and anyone that wants to get a rental unit is on their own on the cost. Right now all the rental units are full, but they may have some people leaving tonight and they'll call me later to let me know.


Here are the details for this weekend. Some changes:

Mike is reporting to Sparta for costume etc. at 6:00am. They will then start loading the floats about 7:00am.

The Troop has been asked to help load floats. They may have breakfast for us (I don't know yet) but we can go pick up some donuts or something if they don't. While helping the Krewe load their floats it is almost certain the boys will get tips (throws, beads and stuff) and the Krewe will certainly be generous to us when they see us on the parade route. I do not know if we are riding the floats to the line-up or not, we'll see Friday morning.

We will have to get up early Saturday to help load floats. It took us one hour and 20 minutes to get from the campground to where the floats are loading Saturday, but that was around noon, and the traffic will certainly be less at 6:00am.

After the parades on St. Charles Saturday we can go to Beads By The Dozen and lunch etc., then we will go to the parade in Covington. This gives us a much shorter wait between parades (the parade in Metairie would get to us around 8:30 or 9pm, so we would have from 2pm to 8pm at least to go eat and get beads.) and gets us back to the campground a lot earlier than if we saw the parade in Metairie.

Land O Pines charges $5/camper per night, and a minimum of 20, so it will be at least $200 for the two nights, no matter how many go. We can also pay the regular rate of $28.00/night for two campsites (for 8 people), and $6/person for additional people. Whichever is cheapest depending on how many people we have.

They also have some rental trailers that hold 6 - 9 people. These cost ~$6.00 per night. I am trying to get in touch with them to see what's available and perhaps we can go that route. We definitely need a head count by tonight.
Mardi Gras Trip Schedule

Friday February 17, 2006

3:30pm Gather at Porters Chapel
4:00pm Leave Vicksburg for Mandeville
7:00pm See Krewe of Eve (Starts at 7:00)
(NOTE: If we leave any later than 4pm we will have to catch the end of the
parade because we may not be able to park near the beginning.)
9:00pm Go to Land O Pines campground (Covington La.)

Saturday February 18, 2006

5:30am Reville
6:00am Leave for 1901 Tchoupitoulas
7:00am Start loading Sparta floats. While scouts are loading floats one or two of the adults will go get donuts or something for breakfast, if not provided by Sparta.
10:00am Leave for Napoleon and St. Charles
12:30pm See Krewe of Ponchartrain, Shangri-la, Pygmalion, Pegasus and Sparta Parades (Starts at 12:00noon)
The parades will be a lot shorter than in the past. There will be a total of 44 floats and very few marching units (bands etc.).
Mike will be in the 2nd float, the one with the Eiffel Tower, on the streetcar side.

~2:30 pm Leave for Beads by the Dozen in Jefferson (~20min drive) then lunch in Jefferson (probably Southern Po-Boys again.).
~5:00pm Go to Covington.
7:00pm See Olympia Parade (Starts at 6:00) 17 Floats

Sunday February 19, 2006

7:00am Reville
8:00am Breakfast
9:00am Worship Service
10:00am Leave for Vicksburg
1:00pm Arrive in Vicksburg

Cost is $30.00. This covers gas, lodging, campground fees and tolls. You should bring dinner Friday, or bring money to buy your dinner. There will be several places to eat along the parade route Friday night, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting something to eat if you don't bring your dinner. Saturday we will bring ice chests with ice so you can bring drinks (in bottles with your name on them) for the day Saturday.

Uniform is class A for Friday and Sunday, class B (troop shirts) Saturday.

Bring a book bag or day pack for use at the parades. It will provide a place for keeping throws, snacks, poncho etc.

New Orleans Weather Forecast via the Weather Channel:

Friday Forecast From The Weather Channel

Day
Night
Partly Cloudy
High77°FPrecip20%
Wind:
SSE 8 mph
Max. Humidity:
65%
UV Index:
5 Moderate
Sunrise:
6:38 AM CT
Avg. High:
66°F
Record High:
79°F (1967)
Mostly Cloudy
Overnight Low58°FPrecip20%
Wind:
SSE 6 mph
Max. Humidity:
74%

Sunset:
5:51 PM CT
Avg. Low:
46°F
Record Low:
28°F (1980)

Saturday's Forecast From The Weather Channel

Day
Night
T-Showers
High70°FPrecip40%
Wind:
S 12 mph
Max. Humidity:
67%
UV Index:
4 Moderate
Sunrise:
6:37 AM CT
Avg. High:
66°F
Record High:
81°F (1956)
Showers
Overnight Low48°FPrecip60%
Wind:
NE 9 mph
Max. Humidity:
71%

Sunset:
5:52 PM CT
Avg. Low:
47°F
Record Low:
29°F (1958)

Sunday's Forecast From The Weather Channel

Day
Night
Showers
High57°FPrecip30%
Wind:
NE 12 mph
Max. Humidity:
64%
UV Index:
4 Moderate
Sunrise:
6:36 AM CT
Avg. High:
66°F
Record High:
81°F (1956)
Showers
Overnight Low52°FPrecip60%
Wind:
E 7 mph
Max. Humidity:
72%

Sunset:
5:52 PM CT
Avg. Low:
47°F
Record Low:
31°F (1978)

PS: RICHARD HAS MAPS CONTACT HIM IF YOU NEED ANY I AM TRYING TO GET THESE MAPS WHERE I CAN UPLOAD THEM HERE BUT SO FAR NO LUCK!