At this time each year, New Orleans completely shuts down in order to hail the centuries-old tradition of Mardi Gras.

Tourists flood in, glitzy plastic beads become prized property (even for locals), and it seems that fraternities and families alike set up kegs on every corner.

But, if Fat Tuesday has lost its novelty for you, or if wandering up and down St. Charles with a bourbon-filled thermos and pounds of beads around your neck is not your bag, maybe some other activities around town can keep you from watching movies in your room all weekend.

If the decadence of the ancient Egyptians intrigues you, then do not miss the final days of “The Quest for Immortality.”

The New Orleans Museum of Art’s exhibit leaves the city on Feb. 25.

“The Quest for Immortality” boasts a huge collection of ancient artifacts: the biggest ever to be lent from Egypt to the United States.

The gold and bejeweled antiquities at NOMA are sure to outdo the flash and trash of sparkly Mardi Gras floats and costumes.

Think of the boat from King Amenhotep II’s tomb as a high-brow Orpheus float.

These “treasures of ancient Egypt” consist of artifacts from the pyramids, like Queen Ahhotep’s golden coffin lid and articles from Tanis, the most note worthy tomb discovery since King Tut.

And since all Loyola students (with ID) are automatically members of NOMA, then you can get into the exhibit for a discounted price.

There is one caveat: hitting up the exhibit on Saturday could prove perilous because Endymion rolls in mid-city.

If you’d rather investigate something a little more active, why not get back to your freshman roots at the Rock ‘N Bowl?

You probably haven’t been back there since your orientation days, and not much has changed.

But, if you’re trying to get away from the traffic and headaches that come with Mardi Gras, then bowling a few frames and rocking out to some songs will help you let go.

Bands like Sol Fiya, Anders Osborne and The Iguanas are scheduled to play The Joint this weekend, so you can order a drink at the full-service bar and listen to excellent tunes.

Face it: you’re going to be hard-pressed to find much else going on in New Orleans this week that is not purple, green and gold.

So if you don’t want to watch Bachhus with the expressed intention of waiting for Elijah Wood to roll by on the king’s float so you can steal him and make him your own personal hobbit, then try out a cool activity you’d neglect the other 360 days of the year.