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In their new show, travel writers Jason Kessler and Jeff Miller determine if activities at the world's most popular vacation destinations live up to the hype. These seasoned travel writers explored with French Quarter on an authentic mule-drawn carriage with Charlotte Jones and Mrs. Parker. Both Jason and Jeff were an absolute pleasure to tour around and we look forward to seeing their mule-drawn adventure. 

What's the absolute funniest part of filming with Jason and Jeff? 

Probably the fact that they didn't know that Charlotte Jones was our newest carriage driver! She was super nervous but she took the challenge like any pro-guide would. We love Charlotte's humor and passion for New Orleans, it's buildings, musicians, and accepting culture. Outside of driving mule-drawn carriages, she can be found working with local non-profits, listening to live jazz, and hanging out with her two dogs named Laverne and Shirley. 

Those two guys are the hosts of the TV show. They told Charlotte to just act natural! Ha! Great job, y'all!! We're looking forward to seeing the final results. #mulesofinstagram #mules #likealocal #beatouristnola #carriagetour #carriageride #jacksonsquare #travelchannel #travel #explore by @neworleanscarriages

Instagram by @neworleanscarriages

2016 was such a wonderful year for Royal Carriages. Together, the entire team at Royal Carriages really accomplished a lot of wonderful firsts throughout the year. We like to thank you for your contributions throughout the year and we look forward to a wonderful New Year!

Today, even though it’s raining in New Orleans, we are happy to celebrate the beginning of our Mardi Gras Carnival season by parading and eating king cake. Mardi Gras season always begins on January 6th of each year and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. The first parades are supposed to roll tonight, but rain has interfered, and a few are postponed. The first parades of the season are always that of Phorty Phunny Phellows and Joan of Arc.

Phorty Phunny Phellows Streetcar Parade

Phorty Phunny Phellows, a streetcar filled with costumed revelers, has paraded down St. Charles Avenue since 1878. At this time, the Krewe of Rex was only six years old, making Phorty Phunny Phellows one of the oldest carnival traditions in New Orleans. If you are visiting our city and love hijinks and satirical mockery, then you should make plans to attend the nonsense on January 6. Click here to learn more about Phorty Phunny Phellows and see the parade route.

Joan of Arc French Quarter Parade

The gilded bronze statue of Saint Jeanne d’Arc, a symbol of our French cultural heritage, was a gift from France in 1972. The statue is an exact replica of the famous 1880 Emmanuel Fremiet equestrian statue of Joan located at Place des Pyramides, Paris. For nine years, the Krewe of Jeanne d’Arc honors and celebrates the story of the “Maid of Orleans” and our French heritage with a whimsical and artistic walking parade throughout the French Quarter. This medieval-styled parade is set in the 1400s and features elaborate costumes, traditional music, horses, jugglers, knights, stilt walkers, giant puppets, king cake, and unique handmade throws. Our favorite location to view the parade is in front of St. Louis Cathedral. The parade is concluded with a King Cake Party at the Statue! Click here to learn more about the parade or see the parade route. 

King Cake

One of the wonderful traditions of Mardi Gras, and probably the most delicious, is the King Cake.  King Cake parties are held throughout the Mardi Gras season in offices, classrooms, and homes throughout the city. Like the Biblical story, the "search for the baby" adds excitement to the tradition, as each person waits to see in which slice of cake the baby will be discovered. While custom holds that the person who "finds" the baby will be rewarded with "good luck" and crowned King of the party, that person is also responsible for bringing the King Cake to the next party or gathering. The cake itself is made from twisted strands of cinnamon dough, frosted and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugar. Most people throughout Louisiana like King Cakes that have the added fillings in various flavors such as cream cheese, strawberry, bavarian cream, raspberry, cherry, or praline. One of the unique flavor combinations is that of the Zulu King Cake, which has chocolate frosting and coconut filling and honors the legendary Zulu parade on Mardi Gras day.

A Message from Royal Carriages

We look forward to celebrating Mardi Gras with you in addition to providing you with the most authentic New Orleans experience. Throughout the Carnival Season in New Orleans, expect to learn added history of our Mardi Gras parades, costumes, traditions, and more on your mule-drawn carriage tour.  

Throughout the carnival season, our mule-drawn carriages will continue to provide visitors the most authentic way to tour the city, but we will be closed for business beginning February 23, 2017 and won't reopen for business on March 1, 2017. Furthermore, mule-drawn carriage tours of the Garden District will be suspended from February 12, 2017 until March 2, 2017. 

Happy New Year and Happy King's Day from everyone at Royal Carriages!

Daddy's Place PC : Mumma 💋 Epic Strt of 2k17 🎀

A photo posted by 💖Harshita Panchbhai ..! 🎀 (@______harshi_____) on Jan 1, 2017 at 3:42am PST

New Orleans is a city that loves to celebrate. Give us the opportunity to throw on some glitter and have a party, and we'll make sure everything is dressed to impressed for the occasion. The Christmas holidays are especially exciting because in many ways they are the beginning days of our carnival celebrations. The countdown to the new year and Mardi Gras is already upon us, but before the year comes to a close, let us remember New Orleans' best Christmas decor of 2016. 

Royal Sonesta Hotel

Hotel Montelone

Roosevelt Hotel



French Quarter Homes




Garden District Homes

If you would love to see the lights while seated comfortably on one of our authentic mule-drawn carriages, we'd be more than happy to provide you and your family with one of the most memorable holiday experience in New Orleans. If these holiday photographs made you miss New Orleans, share them with someone you love! Happy Holidays from all of us at Royal Carriages! 
 

“The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds - the cemeteries - and they're a cold proposition, one of the best things there are here.” - Bob Dylan

What makes a graveyard attract more than a hundred thousand visitors each year? In New Orleans, most will say “The Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau”. It’s true that the legend of a powerful and influential voodoo priestess has enchanted spectators since her death in 1881.

Tall tails were weaved by locals and visitors resulting in a tradition that encouraged visitors to leave their mark behind in the form of XXX on the tomb in exchange for a wish granted. With more than thirty years of graffiti, the tomb of Marie Laveau finally received a much-deserved restoration in 2014.

St. Louis Cemetery #1 isn’t the oldest cemetery in New Orleans. The original graveyard was located two blocks away in the French Quarter and is now home to condos and a swimming pool. Unlike the original St. Peter's Cemetery, St. Louis Cemetery #1 was established in Spanish Colonial Rule and built in a swamp, resulting in strange above-ground tombs that resemble “Cities of the Dead”. Above-ground burials are efficient since each tomb can be used countless times.
 

Beside a renowned voodoo priestess, who else is buried in St. Louis Cemetery #1?

• In 2010, actor Nicolas Cage purchased a lot of land in the cemetery and commissioned a pyramid-shaped tomb to be built as his future final resting place
• The plaintiff from the landmark 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision on civil rights
• A womanizing gambling political millionaire who’d challenge anyone to a duel
• An architect who allegedly became one of Jean Lafitte's pirates
• Earliest World Champion of Chess
• Chief of the Golden Star Hunters and President of the Mardi Gras Indian Council
• The Governors Wives who both died of Yellow Fever
• The first mayor of New Orleans also doubled as a wealthy pioneer of the sugar industry
• New Orleans first African-American mayor

Recent changes to St. Louis Cemetery #1 require that all guest must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide working for a tour company registered and approved through the Archdiocese of New Orleans. While this may seem strange, supervision and education by a licensed guide have reduced the amount of desecration by tourists and vandals to the sacred burial ground over the past few years. The money paid to the Archdiocese by each tour company also pays for full-time security at St. Louis Cemetery #1. 

Join us as we walk amongst the orphaned and abandoned tombs, the disrepair, and decay. The architecture and symbolism found throughout the cemetery are utterly fascinating. Did you know that a flame or candle can represent the spirit?

Royal Carriages provides the most affordable tour of St. Louis #1. Our 1-hour Bare Bones Walking Tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1 is only priced at $15 per person. While other tour companies have tour groups of up to 25 participants, we believe in providing smaller group experience. Often times our groups are no larger than 10 participants total. 

Click here to buy tickets for an upcoming tour. 

Enjoy Royal Carriages Bare Bones Guide to St. Louis Cemetery #1

Carriage Driver, Mark Orfila, has worked in the French Quarter with carriage mules for about 5 years now. As a father who's raised two lovely kids, his experience working with our mules seems oddly family to the early days of parenthood. 

10 Reasons Why Mules Are Like 1500 lb Toddlers

1. Oversize fears of everyday objects. A plastic bag blowing down the street or a discarded couch on the sidewalk can send a mule into a full-on tantrum. A few words of encouragement usual helps us get past the scary plastic bag. 
2. Speaking of tantrums, if you think that a spoiled toddler in the checkout line can create a lot of drama, just wait till you see a mule demanding a treat with every trick at his disposal. 
3. Dirty diapers. We're talking ten pounds of wet stinking mule poo in a single dump sometimes! It's our job as carriage drivers to keep the diapers empty. 
4. Hating baths. (To be fair some mules -- like some toddlers -- love baths.)
5. Needing routine. Even minor changes to a route can sometimes be stressful. We try to do our best to keep them on new routes so that they don't develop bad habits! 
6. All-around stubbornness (as stubborn as a mule), which truly is also a sign of their intelligence. They know they can win. 
7. Testing limits. 
8. Putting every disgusting thing they can find in their mouths.
9. Rough/mean play. Ever wonder where the expression "horseplay" comes from? 
10. BUT... at their best, they can be incredibly sweet and affectionate. 

When I started driving the carriage five years ago, a colleague said to me, "Working with a mule is like working with a 1,500 pound 3-year-old." Four and a half years later I'm still discovering how true it is. 

Written by Mark Orfila 

Veteran Carriage Driver & Tour Guide at Royal Carriages.