2/9/22 Mississippi-into Alabama

 2/9/22 Wednesday

Blueberry pancakes this morning at the campsite, yum. Glad we had heat last night because it was 31 degrees this morning with frost on the ground!

We head back down to the coast and pass the Pascagoula lighthouse just before going into Alabama. 

 Rather than I-10, we take smaller roads across Mobile bay. Past lots of pecan orchards. A variety of housing as we travel through some industrial areas and then more small towns.  How rural?  

Beth had heard of Fairhope over the years and thought it might be an interesting stop. It was founded in 1894 as a Geologist "Single Tax" colony. They hoped to create a model community, a kind of utopia and attracted artists, intellectuals and others.  It now seems a kind of affluent suburb of Mobile with nice homes, lots of shops, restaurants, etc. close to Mobile Bay. They had beautiful flowers around town and a nice museum. very busy.

Jubilee is an event that happens on the shores of Mobile Bay occasionally when crabs, shrimp and fish flock to the shallow waters waiting to be scooped up by locals.  It has something to do with oxygen levels but is not predictable and can last only several hours.

Lots of majestic oaks.

 We were surprised at how close to shore some of the visible oil rigs were, all along the Gulf Coast.

Lots of homes along the water.

   

From here we decided to go take a look at Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan on the coast. We stopped at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge but found their Visitors Center and Boardwalk closed.  We did walk the four mile  Pine Beach Trail.

Heading east again, into Florida the coastal area was pretty busy.  Not much in the way of camping, so we settled for the Walmart in Pensacola. Quiet night but still pretty chilly!

2/8/22 Mississippi

 2/8/22 Tuesday

37 degrees this morning! Brrrrr.  Stopped at a Waffle House for a mediocre but hot breakfast. It looks like Waffle House is the state restaurant in Mississippi, as we see one every 10 miles or less! 

After breakfast, our first stop is the Mississippi West Coast Visitor Center in Bay Saint Louis, housed in a 1929 train station which was refurbished in 1996.

  It had a nice Mardi Gras costume display and some local history. This area was hard hit by hurricane Katrina - before Katrina there were 78 buildings on the list of historical buildings; after Katrina there are 16 remaining.

We heard somewhere before that Mardi Gras keeps sequin makers in business and the above costume was totally covered in sequins!

 Upstairs was a small gallery of the folk art of Alice Moseley - a local Grandma Moses-type artist.

Greg walked around outside and found this mountain of railroad spikes near the railroad tracks.

Also some information on the 100 Men DBA Hall, an African-American men's social club begun in the 1920's, and a colorful building which was part of the Mississippi Blues circuit.

Nearby, we drove by The Angel Tree.  It is the remains of an oak to which four people clung to survive Hurricane Katrina.  The tree subsequently died but has had several angels carved into the remaining branches.

One of many bridges crossing various bays along the Gulf Coast.

Then, on to Biloxi, whose name means "first people".  The Biloxi Visitors Center is an impressive new building built post-Katrina and was filled with history.  The Spanish explorer DeSoto was in this area in the 1540's, followed by the French who made this their Capital in 1699.  Mississippi joined the US in 1798 and became the 20th state in 1817.  It is noted for seafood, a large Air Force base, popular beaches and casinos.

The Biloxi lighthouse was just across the freeway.

From Biloxi we decide to visit the Mississippi Sandhill Crane Nat'l Refuge.  Apparently this is not the time of year when the cranes visit, unlike Arizona and NM where this is prime time. (They are here in the Fall, we read.) We stretched our legs on a trail but saw little except lots of trees and shrubs. But it was a pretty day for a walk!

We next headed to Big Biloxi Campground in DeSoto National Forest, which turned out to be a great place.  We were one of about 5 campers among the trees.   Enjoyed electric, hot showers and water for $13 a night!  Greg made a nice fire and we charged all of our electronics. Enjoyed chili and a cozy night even though the temperature dropped to freezing!

2/7/2022 Louisiana Gulf Coast

 Monday, 2/7/2022

Continuing along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, there are many homes with blue tarps on the roofs.  Occasional cement slabs where something once stood, some of which have an RV parked on them.  This area has been hard hit with hurricanes the past few years.

Many homes are on stilts in this area; we pass a few with interesting names - "Coon Ass Hilton". (Coon ass is a controversial term sometimes considered an ethnic slur against Cajuns.  Others consider it a badge of pride, which we assume is what the folks who named this home thought).

And here is "Camp David".

Gas has gotten more expensive- $3.20 at home, $3.65 at Stella's Grocery (though they don't have much in the way of competition).  We have to take a small ferry at Cameron. Lots of bridges, including draw bridges along this watery route.

Quite a few flocks of black birds. It has been a while since we've seen such large flocks! 

We cross the Intercoastal Waterway a few times.

Beth has forgotten extra camera batteries and a new portable power pack at home.  We check at a Best Buy we come across and find that the batteries aren't available anywhere in Louisiana.  Beth buys a replacement power pack that we hoped to use to charge Greg's hearing aids at night, but it doesn't seem compatible...

Crawfish are just coming into season and we pause to watch this guy emptying his catch from wire cages in the shallow water fields.

In Morgan City, we look for a place that sells poor boy sandwiches (usually great in this part of the country) and end up at a small house called Rita Mae's Kitchen, recommended by Google.  It has about 8 tables in 3 rooms, and is mostly full, but we are seated.  Good shrimp po'boys, but not great. 

We continue on to Houma but find the Bayou Terrebonne Wildlife Museum closed, even though the website shows open.  This will, unfortunately, be a repeated scenario.  Thanks, COVID.

We avoid New Orleans area and soon cross into Mississippi.  Rickey Levy Memorial Park, on a pier near Bay St. Louis, is where we land for the night, along with hundreds of nearby gulls.

Pretty as the sun sets, but after the sun is down it lights the sky even more brilliantly!

SOUTHERN ESCAPADE 2/6/2022-2/23/2022

2/6/2022 Sunday

Excited to be on the road again!  This will be our third trip during COVID times.  Though things are beginning to be more relaxed, we still are a bit nervous about crowds, so we'll stick to mostly off-th-beaten-path type places.  Still finding a mix of things open,  with shorter hours, closed when supposed to be open, and closed either temporarily or permanently.

We begin with a jaunt down to High Island, off the Texas Bolivar Peninsula.  Some great birding spots in this area in the Spring, but not much happening this time of year. There is a new elevated walkway since our last visit and - good news - no mosquitos!

A few egrets and cormorants, but temperature is in the 40's, so not a lot of activity. The gators are off somewhere trying to stay warm.  In a few more weeks things will be hopping, as this is a rookery for the egrets and the spoonbills.

We continue through Port Arthur, Janice Joplin's hometown, and into Louisiana and decide to boondock on the Gulf at Rutherford Beach.  A few fishermen and an ATV rider leave as evening falls, and all is quiet for the remaining few campers, which are well spaced out. We pick up a few shells and enjoy the beautiful sunset.