Fun in Florida!

Here we are, dipping our toes into the cold Gulf of Mexico in the state of Florida.  We were so happy to be here,  to visit with our friends, and experience all that Pensacola had to offer.  We have to say, our travel guides - AKA friends Irv and Elaine, did a great job showing us around a place where they lived for over 30 years.  

The first evening we arrived, we settled in to camp and then drove the 8 miles or so from Fort Pickens campground to I & E's condo in Pensacola Beach.  It was fun to get to see their lovely condo and also to use a proper flush toilet. Just keepin' it real, folks! Ahhh the joys of non-RV toilet paper.  Sorry, TMI I'm sure, but it's been many weeks since spending any negligible time whatsoever inside a home, instead of a motor home.  

We like to think that I & E's dogs remember us....  You can see Dazie in this next photo, snuggling up to John.  Hey, whoever said we were "cat people"? We love dogs, too.... as long as we are not the dog-owner! 

The first evening, we decided to get some fresh seafood at a wonderful restaurant, Peg Leg Pete's.  Elaine snapped this one of us getting up close and personal with Pete himself!  

I tried a new food at Peg Leg Pete's.  Grouper. People, if you have not had grouper, you need to give it a try!  Delicious! 

The next morning we woke again to gorgeous sunny skies.  Here we are, out to lunch at a place called Atlas. Yep, warm enough to eat outside, gotta love that!  

It was here that we both tried the WORLD FAMOUS "grits a ya-ya".  Let me preface this by saying that I personally love grits, but you don't need to love them to love "grits a ya-ya".  This was FAN-tastic, folks!  They mix the grits with smoked gouda cheese and Lord knows what else, then top them with perfectly spiced grilled shrimp.  Yes, I most definitely snapped a photo of this outstanding dish....

The hubs and I shared an order of the shrimp and grits, as well as a side order of the quintessential southern favorite, fried green tomatoes. Lawd have mercy, this was one incredible meal!  Here are the tomatoes:

After brunch, we made our way to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum.  Another fabulous place!  We took a trolley tour around the outside grounds and then checked out the huge inside area.  

There are simulators inside and John decided to go try out the Blue Angels fighter pilot cockpit simulator. I didn't consider this for even a moment as I knew if I did, I'd lose that stunning brunch that I'd so recently consumed. John survived it beautifully and lost not one of the grits a ya-ya. 

After the museum, we went back to the motor home, packed up an overnight bag, said good bye to Jinx, and went back to I & E's condo for a night in a real bed and a morning in a real shower. Heaven.  We had a lovely dinner and visit that evening, a nice sleep, and the next day, a pleasant shower.  

Morning broke bright and sunny. We had a delightful breakfast with our hosts and then drove back to the motor home where a none-too-happy feline awaited us.  He showed his disgust with our abandoning him by promptly throwing up his kitty breakfast.  Okay Jinx, we get it.  Don't ever ever leave you all night again.  Of course we felt slightly guilty that he had been trapped inside for quite a while, so it was outside for Jinx shortly after we returned home.  It was then that an animal came out of the thick brush.

Luckily, John had a good grip on Jinx's leash at that moment.... Jinx made a crazed run towards the armadillo!!!  Here's a snap of Jinx and John right after Jinx had been "reeled" back in.  He really wanted to go out there and get that thing!

John wandered as close as possible to the armadillo and got this shot:

Okay, we may have all gone a little "armadillo crazy". It was the first one we'd ever seen, in person!  

There were lots of Great Blue Heron nests in trees near us.  I took a photo of one, waaaaaay up there.

You can see that the clouds were starting to form from the Heron photo above. We were in for a WILD NIGHT from Mother Nature that evening.  But first, we went out to Fort Pickens with Irv and Elaine.  Needless to say, they've been there oodles of times but were gracious to escort us to this interesting historical place. Here are Suz and Elaine ambling in to the fort. Let me amend that. Elaine is ambling.  Suz is hobbling.  It's pathetic, really.

Here is another view of three of us, checking out the fresh water cisterns... or something like that.

We drove to the seashore after visiting Fort Pickens. This is the most beautiful white sand beach I have EVER seen.  The sand is really soft and hard to walk in, but sooooo pretty and clean.  As you can see from the next photo, the clouds were really taking over by now.  Pretty, nevertheless.

We enjoyed one more dinner with I & E before returning to our motor home for the evening.  During the night we were awakened at 4 am to the most torrential rain we've ever experienced while in the motor home.  Maybe ever. It was insane!  There were huge claps of thunder, bright flashes of lightning, and winds that were really shaking the coach. We even broke all our rules and let frightened Jinx onto the bed with us.  It was something else, I'll tell you!

In the morning, I woke feeling pretty cruddy.  Unfortunately, I had a sore throat and knew I was coming down with something.  The next day was another nasty one - weather wise, and we didn't really get the chance to say goodbye face to face to our friends. I continued to feel rotten and was simply not up to socializing.  So, we spent an extra night at the Fort Pickens campground, waiting for the weather to break, and for Suz to feel better.  Let me put it this way..... the weather broke.  

Here's a snapshot of the road as we headed out of the Gulf Shores National Seashore.  The wind and rain of previous days pushed a lot of sand over the road and yes, they had to plow the roadway again.

Seriously, it looks like snow, doesn't it?!!  

We left Florida and began our trek westward.  Be watching for the next post soon.... it could be a bit shocking!  Bye for this time - from John, Jinx, and Suz - the carrier of a full and proper cold.

Mississippi to Florida

Hello everyone!  When we last spoke, we were headed to Florida to visit with friends Irv and Elaine.  We didn't have any internet access while in the Florida campground, so we're updating the blog now that we are back in Louisiana. Five days ago, we said farewell to Bay St Louis and drove along the Gulf  of Mexico coastline, off the interstate freeway system. There were many gorgeous homes along Highway 90, here's just one.

As we got closer to Biloxi there were some pretty cute shops/stores. Gator city and Sharkhead appear to force customers to walk through some rather ominous looking sets of teeth!

Since we were driving slower (not on the freeway) we had a little visitor come up front to hang out with mom and dad for a while.  He has sure become a great little traveler. :)

Soon we were driving through downtown Biloxi, a smallish city, known for it's casinos.  No, we didn't stop and try our luck.

Next up was downtown Mobile, Alabama.  Looked like a nice place, but we kept plugging along towards our destination.

Finally, we'd made it. Florida. Folks, Florida is a LONG way from our home in Washington... we were overjoyed to know we were finally here.

Our campground was at Fort Pickens, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The drive to the park was pretty amazing. Here is our driver taking us right past those incredible white sand dunes.  

It's such a narrow strip of land that in places you can see the ocean and the bay on each side.  This next photo almost shows that, but not quite. They literally have to PLOW the sand off the road from time to time, depending on the wind and weather.

Upon arrival at any campsite, one of our first "duties" is to take Jinx the RV cat out of the RV for a look around.  The person walking the cat wanted to be cropped out of this photo, so it looks like Jinx is walking himself!  He loved this place (on the sunny days). Lots of nature to explore! Next time we'll show you some of the nature we encountered.

The next post will be all about our little adventure in Florida plus the visit with our friends.  It was pretty satisfying to make it to our most easterly destination on this leg of the trip.  We spent five nights at Fort Pickens... one extra due to very nasty weather that sometimes happens in the Sunshine State!  More coming soon!!

Update from Mississippi

Hi Y'all!  Thought we ought to put out a blog post tonight to let you know that we will be headed tomorrow (Saturday) to Pensacola Florida.  We'll be meeting our dear friends Irv and Elaine (former residents of the Sudden Valley 'hood) and spending a few days sight seeing and visiting with them. Getting all the way to Florida was always with the hope we would get to see them - and Lord willing, we'll make it there tomorrow.  During the time we're visiting, the blog will be on the back burner, but rest assured, when we begin our travels again we will be back to regular posts!  

We've spent four lazy days here in Mississippi at Bay St Louis in the "Hollywood Casino" RV park.  Unlike many other casino RV parks, this one is not just a big parking lot.  We have all the amenities we need and have really enjoyed our stay here, even though we are not exactly leaving here as "big winners". Oh well.  We're not leaving as "big losers" either.  :)  We have a (very) small gambling budget and we keep to it. 

While here, we did spend one of the days driving around the general vicinity and were really impressed with the gorgeous shoreline! 

Two of the days were bitter cold - so cold that our heat pump iced up and we had to resort (again) to our propane furnace. One day we went grocery shopping and I was sincerely aghast when I saw the following item on the shelf:

People EAT this stuff?  I guess I'm showing my "Northwesterness" here, but honestly, I was in shock when I saw it.  We have enjoyed some really tasty Southern cuisine.  Last night we went to the casino buffet (half price for anyone 50+) and tried some regional favorites.... crawfish pie, gumbo, collard greens, black eyed peas, dirty rice, fried catfish, & pickled okra. For dessert we both tried "King Cake" -- 

Lawd have mercy, that stuff is good!!  King Cake only comes around during Mardi  Gras season and always is sprinkled with purple, yellow, and green sugar - the colors of Mardi Gras.  There can be different fillings inside the cake. We had a cinnamon/raisin piece and a cream filled or custard filled piece. DELICIOUS!   One other dessert at the buffet took me back to my childhood.  Southern banana pudding.  OMG. I could eat that every night of my life it is SO good.  It's the one made with vanilla wafers, bananas, vanilla custard/pudding, and whipped cream. I'll insert a photo so we can all drool...

Okay, enough about southern food for this time.  

Jinx the RV cat has enjoyed this park as well.  He's been having daily walks, checking out the squirrels, birds, and whatever may be lurking in the nearby swamp.  This morning I was humming "Polk Salad Annie... gator's got your granny...." while we were circling the swamp.  His ear hair has started regrowing.  Guess we'll never know why it fell out in the first place.  So far, Jinx has set down paw in every state we've traveled through. I told John we need to write a new set of lyrics to the old Ricky Nelson song, "Travelin' Man" and rename it "Travelin' Cat". If we do it, I promise to make a YouTube video of the three of us singing it.  Well, maybe only two of us will sing... one may just yowl.  

We thank you for following along with us, and do be watching for more posts in the very near future!

Oak Alley Plantation

So.... I've gotta say Louisiana has sure been good to me. I got to scratch off another item from my "bucket list" today.  That makes 3 biggies here in the state of Louisiana.  Number one - coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Number two - my team WINS THE SUPER BOWL, while we were here in Louisiana.  Number three - I finally get to visit the gorgeous Oak Alley Plantation!  

What a stunning place... because I was unwilling to step into ankle deep mud to bypass the gate, this was my view of the front of the building...

I know, pathetic. We left our campsite this morning in complete cloud cover and gray skies, but look at the brilliant sunshine that came out upon arrival at the Plantation!

We took a tour inside the home, and here's a view from the upper verandah.

The Live Oak trees that line the path are approximately 300 years old. They were planted about 100 years prior to the construction of the plantation home. Several movies were filmed on the grounds, the most famous may be "Interview With a Vampire" starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.  I just can't get enough of this view!! 

This is the dining room of the "Big House". The red item above the table was a bit of a mystery, but then the guide explained that it is a fan! It's attached to the visible rope which, when pulled, "waves" the fan across the table. 

The master bedroom.  This only shows half of the room, it was huge.

I don't know what you call this white thing on the ceiling, but I like it. I really like it. Really jazzes up the room!

Beside the front entrance. John took this shot (obviously) and at first I thought I'd delete it.... but then it grew on me.  All the sunbeams or orbs or whatever the heck they are, sort of make it a bit mystical.

There are several other plantation homes along this stretch of the River Road in southern Louisiana.  Some are available to tour, some are private homes, and some are totally uninhabited. I don't remember the name of this one... a quick snap as we were driving past. 

I for one hope that we'll get to see some other plantations/historic homes while we are here in the deep south.  They speak of a long-gone era I've only ever read about. 

On to another subject - RV living.  As luck would have it, we've had a couple of disasters in the past week or so. One minor and one kind of major.  The minor: The toilet seat cracked and came apart, beyond fixing. A trip to Lowe's solved that.  The major: The microwave/convection oven is fried. We won't go into just how this unfortunate event occurred, but suffice it to say that it could be a LONG time before we can microwave or bake anything... no fan or light over the stove, either.  We are now challenged to dream up meals that can be either barbecued or done on the stove top. Oh wait, I've still got the crock pot too.  See, things aren't quite as bad as they first sound.

Soon we'll be heading east again.  Ever been to Mississippi?  We'll soon be able to say "yep"... or maybe the more southern sounding, "Yes Sir"; "Yes Ma'am"!

Howdy from N' Awlins!

When last we spoke, we were suffering through a freaky snow/ice storm - apparently quite atypical of winter weather in the south.  We never planned to be "cold-weather campers" but were thrown in feet first. It was discovered fairly quickly that the electric heat doesn't work well when the temps drop below 40 degrees, and the propane furnace must be used.  Then it was discovered that we were low on propane, and of course just that morning there was a blurb on TV about a propane shortage. Luckily, we were able to refill our tank in Lafayette.  After three frigid nights in Lafayette, we gave up sightseeing and took off for New Orleans. We bypassed Baton Rouge, with the plan to check it out on our way west. 

Between Lafayette and New Orleans on I-10, we drove literally over a swamp for miles. Here are a couple of photos...

Before we knew it, we were crossing the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge. Here is a quick view of the city from the bridge.  In hindsight, I'm sorry we didn't stop there.  They've got the only Trader Joe's in Louisiana and we LOVE that place!  

It was a relatively short drive (135 miles) from Lafayette to New Orleans. After arriving at our campground - the New Orleans KOA - we hopped in our car and found our way to the French Quarter. 

It was just as I imagined. Busy, crazy, weird, and wild. We drove slowly down all the streets, as walking all that way was just out of the question for me and my bad leg. Some of the streets in the French Quarter were a little wilder & crazier than others.  It was ALL fun to finally get to see!

This photo shows St Louis Cathedral across from Jackson Square, all within the French Quarter. It is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in continual use, in the USA, started in 1727. 

The next day we went to the National WWII Museum.  It was a fabulous facility, full of very interesting stuff - if you are a history buff.  Here is Suz, about to make a speech....

We stayed ALL DAY and still didn't see the museum in it's entirety.  They closed at 5 pm, and I snapped this photo from the parking lot. 

The next morning (Saturday) we made our way to the French Quarter a little early for our city tour, so Suz could tick off one of her bucket list items. Here she is, all smiles at Cafe Du Monde, ready to get a cafe au lait and beignets! :-)

I should add at this point that we are having ongoing problems with "Maggie" Magellan - our gps. This morning she had us "take the next Left and make a U-turn" -- which we did, only to hear her say "take the next Left and make a U-turn"... when I heard that I told John, "I'm throwing this thing into the trash!" but of course that hasn't happened - yet.  Actually, I want to stomp on her and then throw her into the trash... that would feel SO good.

We took a city tour around New Orleans, and one of the places we stopped at was one of the many above ground cemeteries. SO COOL.  I've seen them featured in movies, and it was fun to be able to see one in person. We were told that there are 43 above ground cemeteries in the greater New Orleans area.

The White Knight found an above ground crypt that looked a lot like a castle, and checked it out.  We were told that the windows in the crypts were called "Windows of opportunity". I guess if you were accidentally entombed alive, you could break out... or maybe NOT so accidentally :) 

Here is the White Knight again (lower right side). Clearly, not all the crypts have those windows of opportunity. Once you're in, you're in. 

Some of the tombs are quite large... and expensive.

If you have no money to spend for a fancy final resting place, we were told you end up here - in what the guide called "the low rent district".  

Okay, enough about burials.  Our tour took us through many different neighborhoods, one called the "Garden District".  I took lots of photos but loved this one which was built to be a replica of the plantation home from the movie Gone With the Wind...  This is "Tara".  Love it.

After the tour, we were dropped off again in the French Quarter, where we decided it was time for some lunch.  We have tried some interesting southern cuisine, but this was SO good.....  Our first "muffuletta" sandwich. 

It was SO good, but no, I didn't finish mine.  Ham, salami, pastrami, with lots of chopped olives on top and melted provolone cheese. Holy cholesterol Batman, remember your statin tonight !

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....  After returning home from a long day's sightseeing, we brought Jinx outside for a bit of fresh air. You can't really see him in this shot, but he's out there, sitting next to John on the picnic table. 

We have more sightseeing planned before we depart from "The Big Easy".  Of course we'll be documenting it right here, so do check back soon!