Perfect Weather

On Sunday, we drove from Biloxi, MS to Ft. Walton Beach, FL.  It was an easy 3 hour drive.  We are staying at the Destin West RV Resort.  It only opened in April of this year.  It's a beautiful park right on the Choctawhatchee Bay and across the street from the beach.  Nice, wide sites that are paved, 10 x 20 patio, free cable and WI-FI (super fast), nice landscaping and a pool.

Because we are in the Gulf area, we get a nice sunrise and sunset.

Sunrise this morning.

Sunset on Sunday.

On Monday, we just relaxed around here waiting on Enterprise to call us with a pick up time for the car.  Finally at 5:00, they had a car for us.  We don't always rent a car when we travel, but there are so many beautiful beaches within a 10 mile drive, both east and west, that we wanted a car to check them all out.

Yesterday, we went to the beach at John Beasley Park.  We saw a lot of low flying helicopters yesterday.  The yellow flag was out (moderate surf and/or rip currents) so maybe that's why all the helicopters.  It also could have been activity from Eglin Air Force Base which is nearby.

The weather here is just beautiful.  The high temperatures and humidity that we experienced in Mississippi are gone and it will be in the low to mid 80's with a nice easterly breeze the rest of the week.  There are some rain showers out in the Gulf that look like they are headed our way but a bit of rain will be welcome.  I think we have only seen rain one time since we have been on the road and that was the night it poured buckets on us up in Tunica, MS.

Doug and the dogs are still sleeping.  I'm ready for more coffee and back to reading my book.

"I don't have a problem with caffeine.  I have a problem without caffeine!"  ~ Author Unknown

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday, September 8, was our 14th wedding anniversary.  When Doug was diagnosed with cancer in May, 2009, we weren't sure we would see our anniversary that year.  Unless you have been diagnosed with cancer or are very close to someone who has, you can't know the uncertainty, anxiety and fear that a cancer patient and his/her family first go through.  You just don't know anything about it or your treatment, you don't know what to expect and it's a constant roller coaster.  It gets easier as you learn about your disease, the treatment and the expected outcome, but it's never really far from your mind.  You live your life in segments.  When's my next chemo?  When will these weeks of radiation be over?  When's my next checkup?  What's the new ache or pain about?  Is the cancer spreading?

We take trips now that we were going to take in retirement.  We're not letting life pass us by.  Yesterday, for our anniversary, we went to the beach for a couple of hours.  Even though the beaches are not totally cleaned up yet from Hurricane Isaac, it was nice to have our toes in the sand.

The license plate on the rental car we had while in Biloxi was an odd coincidence.  We were married on September 8, 1998 outside of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, county of Sevier.

I am grateful for the time we've had together.  Doug, you are my partner in crime, my companion through this journey of life.  In all the ups and downs that life has thrown at us, we have weathered the storms.  I love you with all my heart and look forward to many more days together.

The Big Easy

We drove from Vicksburg to Biloxi on Thursday using U.S. highways and state roads.  A nice drive through lots of small towns and the Mississippi countryside.  We are staying at the Majestic Oaks RV Park and highly recommend this place.  Concrete paved roads, sites and patios, free cable and WI-FI (super fast), dog walk stations throughout the park, a nice pool and magnificent landscaping.  It's about a mile to the beach and about 3 miles to the Beau Rivage.  A very convenient location.

We rented a car and yesterday morning, we drove in to New Orleans.  Our first stop was, of course, at Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee.

The French Market and the French Quarter are filled with happenings on the streets and it's an easy walking tour.

I love the architecture in this part of the city.  The iron grill work, the hanging flowers and the colorful buildings.

We also stopped at Jackson Square.  It was originally called Place d' Armes.  It's a National Historic Landmark designed after the famous 17th century Place des Vosges in Paris, France.   After the Battle of New Orleans, in 1815, the Place d' Armes was renamed Jackson Square after the victorious United States general Andrew Jackson.

We also walked up the levee that protects the French Quarter from the Mississippi River.

It was a great time in the Big Easy and I want to thank my  friend, Evvie, for showing me to the way to do this.  I have shared this side trip to New Orleans with my best friend, Jean, and now my husband, Doug.  I will also share this trip some day with my sisters, Karen and Gloria.

Between Biloxi and New Orleans is the Stennis Space Center, a NASA rocket testing facility.  In April, they opened Infinity, a science center for visitors.  Marlin Miller, a Gulf Coast artist, created an eagle from driftwood and metal that came from testing at Stennis as well as turbine blades from a Space Shuttle main engine that flew in space.

 Marlin Miller is the same artist that created the sculptures out of dead tree trunks after Katrina in 2005.  These sculptures dot Highway 90 along the Gulf of Mexico including several in Biloxi.  These were all donated by Mr. Miller to bring hope to the people of the Gulf Coast.

There are lots of interesting displays at Infinity.

You can even pose as an astronaut.

It was a good day with lots of sightseeing.  This morning the sun is shining and the dogs have already had their walk.  It's time for that second cup of coffee and to warm up my slot arm.  I think I hear the casinos calling.

"The powers of a man's mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks."

~Sir James Mackintosh

Vicksburg

We left Tunica on Tuesday and drove south to Vicksburg.  We're staying at the Ameristar RV Park.  Cable, WI-FI (super fast), pool, shuttle to the casino and only $22/night.  What a deal!

Yesterday morning, we rented a car to explore the city.  We first headed downtown to see the famous murals that depict the history of Vicksburg.  They are absolutely beautiful and so life like.

They also have a flood marker.  

After driving around downtown and seeing many beautiful, old buildings, we headed out Vicksburg National Military Park.  It marks the battle of Vicksburg in 1863.  The siege lasted 47 days.  Taking control of the Mississippi River combined with the battle at Gettysburg were the major turning points of the Civil War.  This park is the most well marked battlefield of any in the world.  There are over 1300 monuments.

The USS Cairo is also on display in the park.  It's an iron clad gunboat used by the Union.  It was sunk by the Confederates in 1862 in the Yazoo River.  The wreck was discovered in 1956 and was finally raised in 1965.  It was brought to this site in 1977.

Vicksburg is a city steeped in history and there's so much we didn't get to explore.  We hope to return here some day to check out the rest.  But for now, I need to finish my coffee so we can hit the road.  This coffee quote seems appropriate to me since Mr. Flaubert lived during the Civil War.

"Coffee: Induces wit. Good only if it comes through Havre. After a big dinner party it is taken standing up. Take it without sugar -- very swank: gives the impression you have lived in the East."

~Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

Walking in Memphis

On Monday, we took the Blues City Tour up to Memphis to go to Graceland.  The tour got off to a rocky start when the bus overheated at Harrah's where they were picking up a couple of other people.  They sent another bus down from Memphis for us and we were on our way again.  It only delayed us about an hour.

A few things were a bit different than the last time we were here but mostly Graceland lives on as it always has.

It's amazing how many singers have been influenced by his music.  Elvis lives on even 35 years after his death.  He will always be the King of Rock and Roll.

When our tour bus driver picked us up at Graceland, we had an hour before he had to pick up other people at a different location.  He asked us if we wanted to drive by some other places in Memphis and of course we said yes.  

He took us to the Stax museum.  I didn't even realize that Stax records was in Memphis.

He drove us by the church where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous "mountain top" speech.

He drove us to the Lorraine Hotel where Dr. King was assassinated.  The Lorraine is now the home of the National Civil Rights Museum.

There are few places we have traveled to that have tugged at my heart and brought tears to my eyes...President Kennedy's grave, Robert Kennedy's grave, the World Trade Center site, the Flight 93 memorial, the Vietnam Memorial.  And now the place where Dr. King died.  In my prayer here I asked God to keep us moving forward.

It is a glorious, sunny morning here in Mississippi, the sun is just streaming through the windows and I'm practicing my gratitude.

To the Mid South

We left home on Friday morning and drove to Bowling Green, KY.  Stayed at a nice KOA with the usual amenities, free cable and free WI-FI.  The problem was that our utility connections were a bit far, so we had to use our older piece of co-ax which made for a terrible cable connection and their WI-FI signal was slow at our site.  I topped off the Virgin Mobile MI-FI and it was zooming.  It was only an over night stay so it didn't really matter.

We left there Saturday morning driving through Nashville, TN.  As many time as we have travelled, we have never driven through Nashville.  Beautiful downtown area and since it was Saturday, not much traffic.

We drove to West Memphis, AR where we met up with a man who has a Texaco gas station on his property.  The station had been stored in 2 semi-trailers for over 30 years when he bought it and had it re-constructed on his property.  Doug and I enjoyed meeting Vernon who so kindly shared not only a tour of the Texaco station, but also of his other collections - neon signs and old cars.

We took so many photos, it's impossible to share them all.  We really appreciate the time he took with us.  Collectors are such nice people!

We left his place and headed to Tunica, MS where we are staying at the Mid-South RV Park.  It's part of the Harrah's properties here.  We checked in, got our site assigned, headed into town for a few groceries and then got set up.  We no sooner turned on the TV when we got notice of a severe thunderstorm headed our way.  The last time we stayed here, we had our pop-up and a big storm came through then, too.  I have to say I felt safer in the MH, but we decided to sit here until the storm had passed.

About the time we thought it was safe to go, we grabbed a couple of umbrellas and starting walking up to the office to catch the shuttle to the casino.  We hadn't gotten far when the skies opened up again, drenching us by the time we got to the office.  Even though we were soaking wet, we still went to the casino (and made a small donation), had the great Paula Deen buffet and then headed back.  There's still a chance of thunderstorms here today, but it appears that the severe stuff (remnants of Isaac) have moved on...finally.

Today is a day for taking it easy.  Doug is already down for nap number one and I think I will get out of here and see what trouble I can stir up in the casino.  Besides, they have free coffee and as you all know, coffee is my favorite beverage.

Deja Brew: The feeling that you've had this coffee before.

~Author Unknown