What are on your 4th of July plans? A friends cookout, day at Sunset Beach, home just relaxing, Fireworks at downtown St. Pete, Clearwater of Tampa? This year has changed in what the GLBT community have called a “Miracle decision from the Bench.”

    It doesn’t matter of your feelings pro or con on Same-Sex Marriage but what does matter is that equality is equality! I remember groups marching and chants that were spontaneous at the old Suncoast Resort in St Pete. Prior to the evenings fireworks display and big name concert, it was always announced to remember our history to the 10-15,000 attendees.  2nd, that the 4th of July was Freedom’s Day for all Americans. It started by a time and place we all know and call “Stonewall.”

    Well, I guess that tradition will be again chimed to the 10’s of millions GLBTA’s that now have the legal right to marry whom you love. Remember your NEW historic 4th of July Celebration.

    We want to know, ” Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about the landmark SCOTUS, Same-Sex Equal Marriage decision? “

    We will post your stories in the weeks to come. write us a line or 2, mcfilmfest@gmail.com, heading, “I Heard”.

    Spotted at Bradley’s on 7th this week. TV’s daytime soap series, “DAYS OF OUR LIVES” mega star Bryan Dattilo, who is celebrating 22 years on the soap having a great GaYBOR time. Along with him were 2 of the newest actors also on the show.

 

    Mark & Carrie hadn’t been to New Orleans for a long time. It was way before Hurricane Katrina and we wanted to revisit the “Big Easy” with all the great music, festivals and seafood foodstuffs in the French Quarter. Of course we had to revisit the many Gay bars on Bourbon Streets East End also. One thing never changes is the 90% hot humidity in NOLA.

    You really can’t get the robust feeling of New Orleans outside of New Orleans. Yes, we live and work in Ybor City but the feeling, charm, assorted jazzy or blues music, architecture, spontaneous partying and food are all an eyeful of aromatic inner culinary absorption.

    We had to take in the famous Gay clubs including Friendly Bar, oldest continuous operated gay bar Cafe LaFittes, Bourbon Parade, Oz, Eats and famed breakfast /sandwich corner, Clover Grill.There motto:Have character….don’t be one.

Everyone brings happiness into this business,

some when they come in, others when they leave.

Dancing in the aisles only, please keep off the tables.

No talking to yourself. Keep both hands on the table.

 

    One never will forget the exploring of the historical French riverside city. The area have a mass assortment of 100’s tours accompanied by 100’s of tour companies. Obscure Cemetery Tours, Haunted Ghost Tours, Regional Home and Garden Tours,  Isolated River Swamp and Alligator tours and the huge sugar cane Plantation Tours that are approximately an hour away from the Quarter. Any will enrich your knowledge & expectation of the historic South’s French city.

    We happened on the Plantation Tour of the 200 year old Alley Oaks Plantation and the Laura Plantation. Both were a welcoming wealth of Antebellum pre- Civil War era information. Both located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Both were enriched with being profitable Sugar Cane farms. One being American and very stiller with huge white 2 story pillars in the front of the 2 story, twenty-eight 300 year old oak tree lined shuttered white family mansion.

    The Laura Plantation on the other hand was an 1800 Louisiana Creole built estate house and the difference was the bright colors of this house is of French influence. Both showed equal charm and the commitment to preserve the historic estate to be maintained after decades of neglect and the huge weathering storms.

    The preserved historic tours envisioned you taking part in the huge lavish parties that were thrown on the landscaped gardens in the era. We took in the many buildings maintained including slave quarters, sugar refineries, outdoor kitchens, sheds, barns, worker’s structures and guests quarters away from the main house. The Alley Oaks had over 300 working slaves on the plantation in 1840’s.

    A full day of witnessing southern history. Told that so many of these thousands of Southern mansions have been neglected and destroyed because of weather, land progress or being too expensive on restorations costs of the old plantation houses maintenance to be preserved.

    Our trip in New Orleans took in a new captured landmark. Like Gasparilla is to Tampa, New Orleans’ Mardi Gras is Party time. A side trip lead us to the makings and processes of the popular Mardi Gras floats at Blain Kern’s Mardi Gras World right in the famous Garden District and Business area of New Orleans. How exciting to be on the floats in the many Tampa Bay parade events we have to offer but seeing them in the process of being made is an understatement. Step by step year round elaborate design work from a large group of talented committed artisans. Over 550 floats are in the huge float barns and the created characters and colorful hand made cartoonish characters and props are made out of huge sheets of Styrofoam, paper ma she’ or fiberglass. We saw so many characters from Marvel Cartoons, Wizard of Oz, Marilyn Monroe and 10,000’s of pure animated prismatic fantasy.

    The new mammoth floats building location is close to the city center to where you can hop on the river front train to the floats buildings front door steps. Its old humongous warehouses were across the Mississippi River but have relocated in the past years to the New Orleans Riverside District.

    Mark loves his ghostly tours and we chimed in on a 2 hour walking tour of the quarter. Our guide knew how to scare the bejeebers out of all the walkers. We walked the alleys, side streets and into buildings to hear all the mutter of deranged New Orleans residents. One particular haunted spot was at Delphine LaLaurie Mansion. Hundreds of experimental human torcher tests were done there.  Yes, the guide knew it was time to replenish us at a local watering hole for some refreshing adult beverages and more upcoming adventures. A few walkers actually had ghostly orbs appear on their digital cameras.

    We indulged in the many popular cuisines, drank adult beverages under the stars, had assortment of Creole/ Cajun meals and explored the newest Frenchmen’s’ Street District with up and coming dozens of new jazz & blues clubs and eateries. It is located adjacent East of the main French Quarter.

    We had a great time and when you go you will too.

   FMI      www.lauraplantation.com          www.oakalleyplantation.com