Come Wednesday morning, Mardi Gras will be over, and beads, streamers and beer bottles will be the only reminder of the fun. (Apart from that hangover, of course.) Somewhere in the mix, you were probably pretty naughty.
Luckily, New Orleans has just the cure for guilty partiers: Ash Wednesday! To kick off the Lenten holiday, during which Catholics give up at least one vice, we've got three recommendations for your post-Mardi Gras detox: church, fried food and spa treatments.
We're in disbelief that it's already time to plan for Mardi Gras, but Easter--and thus Fat Tuesday--comes early next year. And instead of simply guzzling hand grenades on Bourbon Street, maybe you could lift a finger or two to help rebuild New Orleans?
Hands Up Holidays makes it easy with a nine-day trip from January 28 to February 6 that includes an invite to the black tie ball at Mardi Gras. You'll earn it by working at Habitat for Humanity's Musicians' Village, a development in the Upper 9th Ward designed to lure artists back to the city. Even President Bush has chipped in on the project, so you should be able to hack it.
You'll also have time for fun on the trip, with plantation and swamp tours and a flight-seeing excursion. Accommodations are at the Hotel Monteleone, which is a great place right in the French Quarter. While the price tag for the trip seems steep at $2,500, booking a hotel for nine nights on the run-up to Mardi Gras will cost you close to that. Might as well have some fun and do some good while you're at it.
Due to Katrina, Fodor's never released its 2006 guide to New Orleans even though it had already been printed. Its 2007 edition won't be ready for months, but in the meantime my former colleagues have put up on the web a free 32-page PDF guide for Mardi Gras and beyond. --John Rambow
Mardi Gras itself is still a couple weeks away, but the parades began this past weekend. The first, run by Krewe de Vieux, is famous for its wit and raunch -- Fleshbot blogger Jonno's photoset makes us sorry we missed it.
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by laurenuta
Due to Katrina, Fodor's never released its 2006 guide to New Orleans even though it had already been printed. Its 2007 edition won't be ready for months, but in the meantime my former colleagues have put up on the web a free 
Mardi Gras itself is still a couple weeks away, but the parades began this past weekend. The first, run by Krewe de Vieux, is famous for its wit and raunch -- Fleshbot blogger Jonno's 
