We are now at Natchez State park ,about 10 miles from Natchez itself, which is right on the Mississippi river and a very historic town. We will be here till the 21st hopefully. Drove 196 miles today from Waveland by the coast. We are no longer by the ocean or the gulf, but north, inland. Pics below of our site and the lake below us,

Our site

Lake Natchez which to the left widens out.

NOW A WORD ABOUT THIS CORNES VIRUS.

When we went to New Orleans Wednesday and Thursday, to visit the world war II museum and take a guided tour for the day, we had no issues, on Friday however, the museum is now closed and no more tours for the next few weeks, at least. I have not been thinking of this virus at all, until now. All the reservations we have coming up are at State parks. Most parks have cancelled events, and I think this week some may start to close parks. If that happens we could go to private parks, but with everything closing down, we may not be able to do what we planed. So I am already thinking in the back of my head ,we may be heading back to our home base, at my brothers sooner than we like. I think this week will tell.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 We are enjoying our stay at Buccaneer State Park in

                                                            Mississippi

  

              One of the trails we took in the park.

                   

There is also a water park,  a huge wave pool and a waiting pool in the park

 

 

 

The entrance gate and ranger’s house

You can also stay right across from The gulf of Mexico on these camp sites.

We walked and rode our bikes to the beach across the way from the campground. These are the combined pictures.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Today we walked on the beach to the Silver Springs Casino just down the road from the campground.

 

Houses on the beach

One of them even has a private pier out to the water . . . .

Today Friday the 13th will be our last stay on the Ocean until we return once again in October, Good by for now ocean.

 

Dave and I have been through small towns and big cities on the ocean and gulf , mostly in Florida, with our Fifth Wheel. And of course you notice some homes right by the water are on stilts here and there, some old some new.  In Waveland, however all homes are required by law to be on stilts.  This new law was put into effect after Katrina hit in 2005.

Hurricane Katrina has been called the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Waveland, Mississippi was Ground Zero. Katrina’s winds and tsunami-like surge devoured dozens of lives and tens of thousands of homes across the coast, leaving behind devastation and heartbreak on a scale that stunned the world.  Waveland is generally accepted as the point where Katrina packed it’s strongest punch.

We didn’t realize that this was the hardest hit area by Hurricane Katrina until we went into the museum…. I would definitely want my new home built on stilts according to the new code.  Would I still want to live in Waveland?  I don’t know? The people that did are strong and courageous to say the least!

  The museum building took 11 years to be made habitable again. High winds tore off the supposedly hurricane-proof roof, and the storm surge pushed the floorboards up from below into steeply angled ramps. Most of the doors, and all of the windows, vanished. The eight-foot-high waterline, painted with blue paint along the central hallway, is far above people’s heads.

 

  All of these pictures of Waveland are in the museum.

The museum is not a memorial to a disaster, but a tribute to the strength and beauty of the human spirit. The museum had a movie showing how people survived the storm and there were 3 ladies in the museum who were there when the storm hit and they shared their stories.  One of the ladies said how people came across the nation to help, she mentioned that the Amish helped a great deal by re-building houses for free and how people helped in different ways like this:

This picture shows all the businesses there were once on Coleman Avenue before Katrina.

Looking straight from the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, is what  Coleman Avenue looks like today.  The Ground Zero Museum down the road a bit, is the only building left out of all that were on the sign above.

Buccaneer State Campground was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.  It remained closed until 2013, eight years after Katrina hit.  That is why the entrance gate and  ranger’s house are now on stilts.  We haven’t seen that in any other state park.

   

 

 

 

 

We are now in the fine state of Mississippi. Drove 155 miles today. The state park is almost right on the gulf. There are 177 Rv spots here, all the roads are paved and the Rv sites are concrete. There is a waterpark right next to us. We are halfway between New Orleans and Biloxi. The road to get to the park was about 100 feet from the water, pretty neat driving on it. We will be here 10 days. Hoping the weather improves so we can go to the beach a little more, and ride our bikes. Pic below is of our site.

 

Our stay here at the park is almost over. It has been a fun time here. It could have been a little warmer, and a lot less windy but otherwise it has been fine. We are planning on coming back in April 2021 for a week before we head out west.

GULF STATE PARK

This is a huge state park, not only with the Rv spots but it is big. There are almost 3 miles of state beaches right across the road. Accessed by two overhead bridges over the beach road., you can walk or ride bikes over. There are over twenty miles of paved, eight feet wide trails in the park, 5 or so miles are elevated walkways, through swamps, marshs, creeks, and all that.

This is the park, all the black lines are trails.

The Amphitheater

 

One of the two overpasses to get to the beach and pier.

 

The Pier, goes out 800 yards or so.

The beach from the pier

Again from the pier.

Picnic area by the lake.

Maybe our next tow vehicle???

One of the elevated walkways through the park

One of the lakes

THE BEACH

To the Beach

Almost there

 

 

 

 

FOOD, FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD

As this is a Meca for snowbirds, the area is full of places to eat. Everything you would want is down here. From your chain resturants to your choice of cajon food, fish, crawfish (horrible), oysters, and all that stuff. We ate out more here than we did staying at Key Largo for three months.

WAFFLE HOUSE

Yep , my favorite breakfast place. We have visited four times while here. Just love it.

My favorite, two eggs, hash browns, toast, $4.20 plus coffee. Melissa gets scrambled eggs, grits, biscuit, same price plus coffee.

 

LAMBERT’S CAFE

HOME OF THE THROWED ROLL. Yep they throw your dinner rolls to you. A guy comes out of the kitchen and yells HOT ROLLS, and people put there hand up and he throws them to you. I had three come at me from about 30 feet away. Saw one guy get hit in the back of the head with one. They are the size of a softball, and hot. The food is good, you get two sides with your order, and they have people coming around with 8 different pass arounds, like fried potatoes and onions, fried Okra, tomatoes and macaroni, black eyed peas, apple butter. Way to much to eat, especially if you eat a few rolls. It was good entertainment

 

My first roll throwed at me, it broke apart and this part hit me in the face.

Here comes my second roll

Caught it.

Eating it, they were very good.

Melissa eating her roll throwed at her.

Isn’t she so pretty.

SUNLINER DINER.

A retro 50’s style joint. We went twice and it was like stepping back in time, really neat. Period music, and all the employees are dressed in 50’s style soda jerk outfits. We had a great time both times we went.

 

This is the menu, opens up like a paper.

Into the 50’s baby

Snowbird special. Hamburger with all the fixins and a load of fries. Includes the ice tea for $5:99

Melissa got the same thing and a chocolate malt. Yummy

Isn’t she a hip cat. See below

SHRIMP BASKET

A few people told us to go here, for shrimp and grits, which Melissa likes. The place is not to big, but known for good food. Melissa ended up getting the stuffed Flounder, with shrimp inside and a sauce with rice. I got all you could eat whitefish. We enjoyed them both

Next stop Buckaneer State park in Mississippi.

 

 

The wharf is like a huge village located at Foley Beach Expressway and Canal Road in Orange Beach on Portage creek that flows into the gulf . Sorta like an entertainment center spread out. There are shops (boutiques), restaurants, a huge AMC theatre, marina, condos, hotels, a water park, concert hall, a huge Ferris wheel, and a few other rides. It’s a huge place and from what I’ve heard the best time to experience it is at night because they have a light show, even the Ferris wheel has lights on it.

     

Dave & I went to The Wharf at Orange Beach on Saturday. We went because there was Seafood Festival, Classic Car Show and an Arts/Craft Show, all going on at the same time.  It was a great day to be outside and enjoy the day. The only down fall was the Ferris Wheel wasn’t running.

 

 

 

There was musicians playing along the way

 

                        ARTS & Crafts Show

 

 

 

I thought the bunny wreath was cute, but where the heck was I going to keep it!  We decided we like the really cool airplane better.  When you hang it up the wind spins the front propellers around and makes a neat noise.

 

Not a real big show but it had . . .  .  .

an old truck

 

Dave’s father took his family to PA in a car like this.  His dad got pulled over by the police because he had the 4 kids in the very back, which had no seats or anything.   The cop called it a playpen but nothing happened after that.  The things you could get away with back then!

 

General Lee was there, missing was the Duke boys, Bo & Luke

 

Last but not least a Pinto?

 

the Planters Nutmobile  was even here to pick up Dave!  Actually they were here but not to pick up Dave.

It’s a really big peanut on four wheels – and believe it or not, it even runs on fuel that can be made from peanut oil, bio-diesel.

The Nutmobile was made using several reclaimed materials and sustainable features, starting with re-used glass for the windows and windshield and steel recycled from old Fords. A wind turbine, as well as roof top solar panels, charge the internal batteries that power tour stop events.

The interior lighting is powered by low-energy LED’s.  The flooring is reclaimed wood from an old 1840’s barn in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

 

After the wharf we went to the Shrimp Basket for a great dinner!

We were right next to a big shark so we walked over to say HI!

The end of a fun day!  And Dave didn’t even get a scratch!

 

 

It seems that New Orleans & Alabama are disputing over who actually had the first Mardi Gras, who knew!

Those who believe New Orleans started Mardi Gras say it took place on March 3, 1699, when French explorers Bienville and Iberville put down stakes on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about 60 miles downriver from the site of what would become the Crescent City, “La Pointe du Mardy Gras,”

Those who side with Mobile, however, claim New Orleans has it all wrong. They say the first Mardi Gras celebration in America took place in 1703, when a group of French soldiers held an impromptu celebration in the settlement of Mobile.

Today both New Orleans and Mobile continue to celebrate Mardi Gras.  All we know for sure is that, for 300 years, America has loved Mardi Gras.

Dave & I went to our 1st Mardi Gras parade on Tuesday, known as Fat Tuesday, right down the street from where we’re staying.  As you can tell by the pictures It was a lot of fun ! !

By-Standers were wearing costumes and best of all, the people in the floats were throwing candy, moon pies, toys, and tons of beads into the crowds! 

Why beads you ask?  It is rumored that when Grand Duke Alexis visited in 1872, his welcoming committee handed out purple, green, and gold beads to the party-goers that year, as they were the colors of his home.

The trio of shades came to symbolize the festivities and were later given meanings: purple for justice, gold for power, and green for faith.

It was a really fun time.  We met a lot of great people and got lots and lots of beads!

 

Our collection of Mardi Gras Beads !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are now pretty settled into Gulf State park, which is in Gulf Shores Alabama, right along the Gulf of Mexico. This is our first time in good ole Alabamie. The campground itself is kind of in the middle of the park. The main campground road is almost two miles long, with eleven off shoot roads to other loops. All the spots are paved, have water, sewer and electric. There are 496 very large Rv spots here, way more than any state parks.  Also 10 big bathroom buildings about 40 x 60 feet. They remind me of a bunker, they are made of concrete with concrete roofs, I guess for the hurricanes here. Also a huge laundry building, and get this a huge POOL, yep a pool, never heard of one being in a state park. The main entrance is open 24 hours a day. Normally you can only stay at state parks for two weeks at a time. It is the same here except for November thru April, when you can stay as long as you want, and a lot of people do. We have started to explore the park, and will post on that next.

Campground is in the middle, right above middle lake.

We have a nice 100 foot pull thru

We are now at Gulf State park in Gulf Shores Alabama. Today I drove 169 miles in the rain. It has rained all day here, and a cold front is coming in. Hello Alabama, good bye Florida. It will be about 10 degrees colder than normal for the next week. So no more 70’s and 80’s only high 50’s or so. What in the world was I thinking when I made reservations last year, oh well. In four days I have drove 725 miles or so, and I have to say i am tired, my neck is sore and my back hurts. It’s tough driving days in a row, you never get to set up all the way in the Rv, and you really never get to see much of where you are for the night.  The park here is right on the beach with a main road running through it, so the campground is on the other side from the beach. More on the park in a few days. We will be here for two weeks, so time to sit back have a few drinks, and hope we get a few warm days.

Today we traveled west to Falling Waters State park, driving 191 miles up the hills of Florida. That’s funny, Hills. We are now in the panhandle of Florida, about 100 miles from the Alabama border. Yes, in the hills, This area is the highest elevation in the state about 324 feet above sea level. The park is pretty nice, only has 23 sites. The draw here is the highest water fall in Florida, almost 100 feet. The water falls into a deep hole and then just disappears under the limestone rock, pretty neat.

One thing that caught me by surprise is that it is an hour earlier here. So far have not got used to that.

Today I was a little bit nervous about driving, have no idea why, even Melissa commented on it. Tomorrow one more day of driving, then staying put for two weeks, at Gulf Shores state park in Alabama.

The water falls, not running to swiftly today

Sinkhole carved out by the water, no one knows where the water goes

Lake from which water travels to the falls.  You can see the beach at the other side of the water.

Melissa gives a HOOT

Now at Stephen foster state park for the night, drove 196 miles non stop today. Before we left Hillsborough River state park this morning we talked to the Vol. Coordinator, about working at the park. We will send in our resume and see what happens. It always helps when you meet them in person. This park is nice and we have been here before, it is about 30 miles south into Florida from Georgia. So we are no longer into the heart of Florida. Tomorrow we head west into the panhandle of Florida, for a stop over at Falling Waters state park for one night, then into Alabama, at gulf shores, Thursday for two weeks. That’s it for now.