Month: February 2019

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Note: As this post was getting a little long tomorrow’s post will include the Battle of Chalmette and Fountainbleau. Today’s post is the French Quarter only.

Our original plan to head north had been short circuited by some bad weather. Instead we left Fairhope and stayed close to the Gulf coast. Slidell, LA, the location of the Pine Crest RV Park is about 22 miles from New Orleans. With all the parades and partying going on almost daily we decide to slip into town in the morning and amble through the historic French Quarter.

The mutzos accompany us so we are somewhat limited as to what we can do, but no matter, it is what it is. They were well behaved around people, (shock!) and actually were obedient (gasp!). We first walked the grassy Woldenberg Park that lies on the levee along the shore of the Big Muddy passing the ferry building and the sternwheeler Natchez. From the park’s elevation we can easily look into the French Quarter.

Excerpt from Wikipedia: The French Quarter (French: Quartier français), also known as the Vieux Carré (“Old Square”) or Vieux Carré Historic District, is the oldest section of the City of New Orleans. Founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, New Orleans developed around the Vieux Carré, the city’s central square. Today, the district is commonly known as the French Quarter, or simply “the Quarter,” a reflection of the diminished French influence after the Louisiana Purchase.^[4]

Most extant historical buildings were constructed in the late 1700s, during a period of Spanish rule, or during the early 1800s, after U.S. annexation and statehood. The district is a National Historic Landmark, and numerous contributing buildings have received separate designations of significance. The French Quarter is a prime destination for tourists and local residents.

We reach a wide set of stairs that either takes one down to street level or……. into the Mississippi River? I don’t know why they lead into the river but they do! We chose the less wet route and walk into Jackson Square. We are within 50 feet of exiting the square when a nice young fella informs us that dogs are not allowed in the square and points in a direction that would have us walk the entire square in order to comply. I point towards the Cathedral and say we will exit that way since it’s about a mile closer to the street. Ok, I exaggerate, 300 feet closer. He agrees and we exit.

The first church built on the Cathedral’s site was completed in 1718. That church burned in the Great New Orleans Fire of 1788, rebuilt in 1789 and raised to the cathedral rank in 1793. That church proved too small and was essentially torn down to its lateral walls, expanded and rebuilt in 1850. Pope Paul visited here in 1987.

Ok, now it’s time to explore the Quarter. We strolled many rues, er, streets enjoying the beautiful architecture, most of that comprised of the ornate cast iron railings and posts that sets this section of town off from any other that we’ve visited.

I also found it interesting that most of the buildings were three stories high, also novel. In our experience most old brick and masonry buildings in other parts of the country rarely exceed two stories unless its a big hotel or other prominent structure, then four stories was very common.

Of course we visit at nearly the height of Mardi Gras. With that celebration comes the human horde….. and great decorations. We stay long enough to get a flavor of the Quarter and it’s party atmosphere, then make a quick exit as the sidewalks are starting to fill up with humanity.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

We are in no hurry to get to our next destination, Pine Crest RV Park in Slidell, Louisiana. We won’t be able to arrive there before noon and the office is closed for the lunch hour. The fast route is taking Interstate 10 almost directly to our new home of three nights but the coast route of US 90 will take us through the towns that were devastated by two hurricanes- the 1969 category 5 storm Hurricane Camille and the 2005 category 3 storm Katrina. Of the two Katrina caused more damage due to the higher storm surge of 28 feet. We wanted to see what progress has been made almost 14 years later.

Driving through Mobile is usually no big deal. Traffic isn’t that bad on the interstate. Surface streets are a different matter. Approximately 26 miles after leaving downtown Mobile we cross into Mississippi. We’ll again cross another state line on our way to Slidell, that of Mississippi and Louisiana. That’s three states in one morning.

We zinged off towards Pascagoula (22,000 souls) in which the Pascagoula River runs (aka the Singing River) which brought us to the westbound US 90, nicknamed the Old Spanish Trail which eventually would extend from Fort Lauderdale FL to San Diego CA. Click on the link or copy and paste for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Spanish_Trail_(auto_trail). US 90 is the main coastal route between Mobile and New Orleans. US 90 goes through all of the towns on the coast, sometimes right on the white sand beaches of the Gulf.

We cross over Biloxi Bay via the Biloxi Bay Bridge. It was heavily damaged by Katrina in 2005, rebuilt and reopened in 2007. Biloxi (44,000 souls) is a casino town, a fun and sun town with beautiful white beaches.

We stopped in an area that looked like an unkempt park across from Harrah’s Casino. It wasn’t an unkempt park, is was in fact a series of vacant lots. Prior to Hurricane Katrina most of the casinos were located on floating barges, now they are all large land based buildings.

As we looked around heading west it was apparent that a lot of new commercial structures had been built including a couple of small malls. A few new homes were under construction, some had already been built but the majority of the residential lots along Beach Blvd and for blocks inland are still are vacant. We pass Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s lovely retirement home.

We find that true in Gulfport (71,000 souls) , Long Beach (15,000 souls) and Pass Christian (5800 souls), in fact all of the coastal towns large and small. Most of the new construction, at least of residences are being built on stilts as most of a hurricane’s devastation in coastal locations is the tidal surge. All of these places populations were downwardly affected by Hurricane Katrina but are slowly recovering.

We cross another long bridge over Bay St. Louis to the city with the same name. The old bridge was destroyed by Katrina was replaced by a new one. Bay St. Louis (12,600 souls). Bay St. Louis was ground zero in 2005 with a storm surge over two feet higher than the 28 foot surge of Camille.

Not long after leaving Bay St. Louis we pass the entrance to NASA’s ,Stennis Space Center rocket testing facility. At the facility is the Infinity Science Visitors Center where visitors learn that the facility specializes in all aspects of earth and space science. The place is loaded with exhibits that would be of interest to anyone.

Crossing the Pearl River brings us into the State of Louisiana and to our home of three days, the Pine Crest RV Park in Slidell, LA.

Well, actually were spending several days at the Fairhope Motorcoach Resort. Not by choice, our first choice being the very nice Meaher State Park about 15 miles closer to downtown Mobile. Fairhope Motorcoach park is nice- and brand new, opening only a month ago. It’s set up as a own your own lot RV Park but is encouraging prospective buyers to stay on a daily basis. We are one of five staying here. One is a work camper who also owns a lot here, his renter, a new owner couple from Mississippi, a full time California Couple from SoCal, and Jil and I. The park is nice but very expensive. Mardi Gras is in full swing, places to stay are rare so here we are!

Our route from Natchez MS to Mobile AL includes a stop in Laurel MS (18,400 souls). Jil has been watching a HGTV home improvement show, Home Town, for quite some time which is based in Laurel. So……. we go! We spent the night at nearby Big Creek 10 campground, then went into Laurel the next morning.

Erin and Ben Napier take pride in improving Laurel by helping local folk buy run down homes and renovating them into beautiful, functional places that the new owners can take pride in. Laurel is a very nice little town making our visit very enjoyable.

Our route to Fairhope via Mobile is a good one. We see a lot of interesting terrain with farms, ranches and lots of woods. Going through Mobile is rather painless as we skirt the downtown area. Interstate 10 splits the Chacaloochee and Mobile bays via a causeway. Twenty miles from downtown Mobile is Fairhope located on the east shore of Mobile Bay.

We took a side trip back into Mobile (190,000 souls). Back over the causeway and past the WWII Battleship Alabama. Boy, is she a big ship and is now a museum. In town we visit the old quarter which coincidently is located just down the way from the new skyscrapers.

We can never pass up a visit to a historic church. The Cathedral- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is right in old town across the street from the plaza. This one’s history dates back to 1704, the cornerstone of the church laid in 1835. The church is one of the more elegant that we’ve visited.

We like visiting the old sections of any town. Our destinations include the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The cornerstone of the beautiful church measuring 162 feet in length and 90 feet in width was laid in 1835.

We also visited Mardi Gras Museum located a block away. Ironically, the church was open but the Mardi Gras Museum, almost in the height of the celebration, was not.

Next we visit Fort Blakely in Spanish Fort. The fort has the distinction of harboring the last battle in the Civil War. The running battle was fought between April 2 and April 9, 1865, hours after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. It’s considered the last major battle of the Civil War. Many of the three mile long line redoubts, trenches and artillery positions are still intact. The Confederate Army outnumbered by almost 5 to one put up a good fight but eventually were overwhelmed.

Fort Blakely Monuments and The Sixth Redoubt

We spent a little time in Daphne, mainly to visit the infamous Alligator Alley- only to find one gator- and not a real one. We also visited a preserve in Daphne just to get some exercise.

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Magnolia Springs, now that’s a great name for town, isn’t it? This quaint village of 700 folks is just beautiful. Not much here but beauty, some homes, some churches and a famous restaurant. Heck, what more does a person need. OK, a nice grocery store would be nice, I suppose.

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Tomorrow, February 25th we are leaving the Mobile area and heading towards the Big Easy. Not sure if we are going into town……who knows?

We and our neighbors were invited to a BBQ by our campground hosts. Hamburgers and sausages were cooked to perfection accompanied by a potato casserole, chili beans, potato salad, veggies and dip. Oh yes, and an adult beverage or two. It was good getting to know new folks a little better.

We’ve spent six wonderful days in the Fairhope, Spanish Springs, Magnolia Springs and Mobile area. Maybe we’ll return some day as we’ve just scratched the surface.

February 19, 2019

We left Grand Gulf Military Park the morning of February 15th. Port Gibson isn’t far away and we haven’t been in town since 2011. Nothing has changed except the industrial plant at the edge of town is more dilapidated and overgrown with vines. Downtown doesn’t look like its full of life either. But the town is lining Main Street with Old Glory flags in honor of Presidents Day.

Port Gibson, Mississippi

We headed back to the Natchez Trace. Not the most direct route but definitely the most relaxing. Almost zippo traffic and most of that is heading the opposite way. One disappointment was not being able to access Emerald Mound and Mount Locust- roadwork on the access road to Mt. Locust and a possible road to hell leading to Emerald Mound, at least from an RV’ers point of view. We’re not sure if we can get turned around so we chicken out.

Our home for several days is the River View RV Park in Vidalia. LA (3990 souls). It’s the best park near Natchez (14,800 souls). While here we talk to some folks who are enjoying each other’s company- The Easy Rollers RV Club. It just tickles us that a club composed of mostly black folk are enjoying the RV life. They average an outing once a month. This one includes good food, lots of laughter and dancing to some tunes. What a great bunch of folks!

One thing we’ve noticed while here in the South is everyone is extremely friendly and courteous, and I mean everyone. Doesn’t matter what color, size, sex- everybody is friendly and courteous. Did I mention slow? The folks running the cash registers are in no hurry, preferring to gab while performing their tasks. So don’t be in a hurry- it won’t do any good. Besides, gabbing can be enjoyable, y’all.

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Under The Hill Section of Natchez- Shops Now, Slave Traders in 1800’s

The Forks of the Road was a slave trading location in Natchez. Natchez and Baltimore, MD were the two slave trading capitals of the U.S. at the time. The South’s cotton plantations could not have existed without the use of slaves. Owning a hundred slaves was common for plantation owners. Many owners saw themselves as kindly to their slaves. That was true for some but for as many the opposite was true. Many were tortured by whipping if they tried to escape the bonds of slavery. Many families were separated during the slave trade.

The Civil War brought profound changes to the lives of the enslaved persons in and near Natchez. The Union forces who occupied the city after the fall of Vicksburg in 1863 were overwhelmed by the sea of slave refugees. This unforeseen mass departure found the Union Army ill prepared. A hastily prepared plan called for leasing plantations to the government where former slaves would work for wages, some able bodied would be conscripted into the army to defend the city and refugee camps were established to care for the sick, the displaced and those unable to work. Despite efforts to emancipate the slaves, a goodly amount of them would die from disease and pestilence. It was a sad time in our history.

Natchez is just brimming with historical buildings. The town surrendered, was not destroyed by military action, so many buildings still stand that date back to the 1700’s.

We enjoyed walking around the downtown area. Eye candy is everywhere. Beautiful old homes, a few mansions, awesome churches, all dating from the 1800’s, all of historical significance.

OK, Maybe not as Old as Some Establishments, But the Best Tamales in Town!

Our last day in Natchez included the Natchez National Historical Park. Melrose, the 1800’s Greek revival style mansion represents the height of Southern prosperity and the “Cotton Kingdom”.

Guided tours of the home give visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of the pre-Civil War American South and help them understand the roles that slaves played in an estate setting. Sitting today on 80 lush acres maintained by the National Park Service, the home stands as a well-preserved piece of America’s history.

A young lady ranger told us that the original owners, the McMurrans, sold Melrose as the civil war had ruined them financially. They left the house in 1865 essentially intact, taking no furniture with them.

The next owner essentially left the mansion unoccupied for most of next of the four decades. The house was passed from father to daughter to grandson and it is the grandson who returned and restored the home after its extended time of closure sometime in the early 1900’s. The Kelly’s lived in Melrose until 1975.

The Callons purchased the property in 1976 as their personal home. They retained the integrity of the house and ground and took preservation issues as part of their restoration process. Material samples were saved and hundreds of photos were taken of the property that have become valuable sources of information to curators today.

As Melrose was one of the most intact antebellum estates in the South, due to the fact that the McMurrans had sold their furniture with the house and subsequent owners did the same, the National Park Service purchased the estate in 1990. Melrose along with Fort Rosalie and the William Johnson House form the Natchez National Historical Park.

We’ve been to Natchez in 2011 but we are so glad to have returned. This town is a fabulous place to visit.

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Our drive today is a short one, about 25 miles. At most we’ll add another 35 miles to take the circumpolar route to Grand Gulf. Access to the Natchez Trace Parkway isn’t too far away- so let’s slip on over there! We head north on highway 61, then southeast on MS 27. We travel through ranch and farmland. It’s a pleasant drive for sure. We pass over the Parkway, then make access on a spur road. Our experience of the parkway is this: a quiet drive with little traffic, the road is very good as it’s maintained by the National Park Service. Good signage with quite a few turnouts to points of interest large enough for at least one big rig. The speed limit through this mostly wooded parkway is 50 mph- we cruise along usually at no more than 45 mph. How relaxing is this parkway!

An excerpt from the National Park Service:

A Drive through 10,000 Years of History

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the “Old Natchez Trace” a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the parkway.

Sections of the Old Trace are the common ground that connect us to the stories of people across centuries. The most celebrated travelers of the Natchez Trace were farmers and boatmen from the Ohio River regions of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky floating supplies down to ports in Natchez and New Orleans at the beginning of the 1800s.

Regardless of where they came from, they were collectively known as “Kaintucks.” But the story of the Natchez Trace is not just about the Kaintucks. The Old Trace ran through the heart of Choctaw and Chickasaw country. It also ran through a series of mounds that had been built by people over the previous 2000 years and through a diverse terrain of swamps, rivers, and rolling hills that provided significant obstacles for travelers. More info here:https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm

Our destination is Grand Gulf Military Park a few miles from Port Gibson. The Parkway takes us within a mile of Port Gibson and 12 miles from Grand Gulf Military Park. We exit the Parkway and head towards a very fascinating place.

History alone makes this a worth the stop. Within the park are artifacts from the now extinct town as well as the town’s cemetery.

An OK RV park is within its boundaries and that’s where we will spend the night. As far as we are concerned Grand Gulf Military Park is a “must see”. This is our second visit so it must be! So nice to hear the sound of crickets and other creatures this evening.

And the moon is visible through wafer thin clouds- the weather is warm tonight. We only have one neighbor, the road is a long way off, so I let the mutzos out after dark to do their business. Off they go up the hill! What the? Megan goes over to some downed tree branches that seem to cover a hollow then takes off up the steep slope. Doyle spends more time near the downed branch. More time, more time, more time. Megan crests the hill and disappears for a moment. Doyle flushes an Armored Dillo, er, armadillo. The animal gives Doyle a head fake and goes back in its hideout.

More on Grand Gulf Military Park and Port Gibson here: http://www.grandgulfpark.state.ms.us

H

February 14, 2019

Vicksburg National Military Park

Modern Vicksburg Map

Vicksburg Under Siege

During the Civil War Vicksburg had been the target of many Union attacks- all repulsed by deft Confederate defensive maneuvers and some of the most difficult terrain of the Western Theater. Vast quantities of supplies passed through the city on its way to main Confederate armies. Its location on a high bluff made it strategic for controlling the Mississippi River. The city had not been conquered- that was before General Grant figured out how to gain control beginning May 18, 1863. It was not to be easy. The port had to be sealed which required the assistance of the Union Navy but the Admiral was not convinced that Grant’s plan was viable. Grant finally convinced him and the Admiral agreed to assist in conquering Vicksburg.

Excerpt from the American Battle Trust:

In the summer of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee converged on Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, investing the city and trapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. The city was located on a high bluff, and Union occupation of the town was critical to control of the strategic river. Grant’s bold 6-week campaign began in early June and took his army south through Arkansas opposite Vicksburg, crossed the river 30 miles below the city, captured the Mississippi capital of Jackson, turned west and pushed Pemberton’s army into Vicksburg itself.  By mid-May, Pemberton’s men had constructed a series of trenches, forts, redans, and artillery lunettes in a 7-mile ring surrounding the city.  Grant’s army surrounded Pemberton and outnumbered him two to one. Wasting no time, Grant launched two major assaults on May 19th and 22nd and was repulsed with heavy casualties.  On May 25th, Grant decided to besiege the city. With no reinforcements coming, food and supplies nearly gone, and after holding out for more than forty days, Pemberton finally surrendered on July 4th. Grant’s Vicksburg campaign was one of the most brilliant of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army at Vicksburg and the Union victory at Port Hudson five days later, the Union controlled the entire Mississippi River and the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant’s victory boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies.

The National Military Park in Vicksburg is a beast of another color. Unlike many Civil War Military Parks the names, dates and maneuvers and locations of infantry, calvary and artillery batteries of the Union and Confederate armies are well documented.

As one enters the park through a grand arch one begins to see one of many blue colored signs. The signs explain the significance of that location. Some even explain the running battle of Union troops as they advanced to within 40 feet of a Confederate emplacement, only to be repulsed.

We have entered nearest the emplacements of the Union Army. Infantry trenches are still visible, cannon batteries still intact. Trenches dug by Union soldiers towards Confederate positions in an attempt to overpower them are still on the hillsides.

We learn that in an attempt to breech enemy lines Union soldiers dug a tunnel until reaching a point underneath a rebel position, then set off 2200 pounds of black powder. The crater created by the explosion is still there. 

The road through the park is several miles long following both ridges and bottom land. One can see how steep sided ravines and hillsides around Vicksburg worked in its defense.  At most locations of note are marble monuments, some large some not, that pay tribute to the companies of each state who fought here. Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee- the list goes on and on. Some bonze busts of Union heroes are found along the road. 

We had a hard time understanding how the Union Army could see Vicksburg from their positions for all the trees. We are at the edge of the city and cannot see one measly building. We later are made aware that the areas other than steep sided ravines and hillsides were farmland. Duh! That explained a lot!

We travel a great distance on the park road before coming upon signs in the color red- the confederate army positions. In comparison to the Union plaques, monuments and signage explaining their army’s positions and maneuvers and the Union National Cemetery, the Confederate side is lacking.

It’s as if the park was set up by Union sympathizers and their Confederate counterparts were not invited to participate.

Even the Confederate soldiers killed in battle were not buried within the National Military Park. They are laid to rest at the Cedar Hill city cemetery in their own section called Soldiers Rest. Kind of sad, really. 

If you ever visit Vicksburg be sure to visit its beautiful downtown. The museum located in the old courthouse is a must see as are the mansions and churches, heck, the old city in general. And don’t overlook the Vicksburg National Military Park and give yourself at least a good day for that visit.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Vicksburg is so interesting I’ve chosen to divide it’s two prominent elements, The City and The Vicksburg National Military Park into two posts. This one concerns The City.

Vicksburg (49,000 souls) sits on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers. As you can imagine, this place has a ton of history. It is a great town to visit not only for all the beautiful old buildings downtown but the most comprehensive National Military Park in the country.

A little history is in order. Natchez Native Americans lived here for a very long time but other indigenous cultures had occupied this strategic are for thousands of years. The French were the first European settlers. They built a fort in 1719 to protect their fur trade and plantations. The Natchez didn’t like the French and attacked in 1729 killing several hundred settlers and took a number of women and children as captives, adopting them into their families. The colonists never recovered from that disaster but did get even. Aided by the Choctaw the French defeated and scattered the Natchez and their allies, the Yazoo.

In 1790 the Spanish founded a military outpost on the site, Fort Nogales (Walnut Trees). The Americans took possession in 1798 after the Revolutionary War and a treaty with Spain and renamed it Walnut Hills. The village was incorporated in 1825 as Vicksburg, named after Newitt Vick, a Methodist Minister.

Vicksburg became an important port on the Mississippi. It built an extensive trade from the prodigious steamboat traffic. It shipped out cotton and in turn became a major trading city.

During the Civil War it was determined that Vicksburg was too important to remain in the South’s hands. The Union made extensive plans to take the well fortified city.

The Union Army attacked many times only to be repulsed and suffering high casualty rates. General Ulysses S. Grant finally decided to lay siege to the city, cutting off it’s supply lines by land and by river. The siege lasted 47 days. The surrender of Vicksburg by Confederate General Pemberton on July 4, 1863, together with the defeat of General Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg the day before, has historically marked the turning point in the Civil War.

Some accounts state that this city occupied by the Union Army is said to have not celebrated the 4th of July until 1945. Truth is a large Independence Day celebration were being held by 1907.

Today Vicksburg is a vibrant city. It seems like the city’s residents want to keep downtown and it’s extensive history intact. Instead of tearing down old buildings it has built all the modern amenities on its perimeter near the interstate. Big box everything is out there as well as quite a few of the chain eateries. It’s a good mix.

With that, I’ll rest. Hope you enjoy the photos of Vicksburg!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Monday morning was get away day. It doesn’t take long to ready our rolling stock for travel. It’s a little foggy out but not too bad. We say goodbye to our friends across the field- Mooooo! The plan is to avoid any road that starts with LA, meaning a State of Louisiana administered and maintained road. I use maintained loosely as the last LA road was just short of a disaster. A big rig likes to have a road shoulder and LA’s do not have shoulders. Eight foot wide big rigs like wide travel lanes, not the ten foot LA roads. Big rigs don’t like pot holes or rough surfaces such as those on LA roads. The route today is take US 84 to US 165. Notice no LA anythings in that formula.

We motor to Winnfield (4800 souls), home of three previous Louisiana governors, looking to stay on US 84. US 167 and US 84 merge on the west side of town. I see a road sign that I interpret as LA 34 turns to the left and US 84 continues straight. Wrongo Cowboy!

Twenty miles down US 167 Jil says we are heading towards Alexandria. NO! But YES! We are at a place called Dry Prong, a village of 400 souls. Legend has it that a family moved to the area in the 1870’s, built a sawmill powered by a water wheel, only to discover the creek on which they built the wheel went dry in the summer- the relocated it to a year round creek.

Dry Prong is definitely on US 167. Crap! It seemed the farther we go the loster we get sometimes. Not having a built in GPS system in the rig, a temperamental navigator and no compass has cost us time and distance more than once. So we backtrack towards Tullos utilizing a dreaded LA! LA 123 actually was the best LA road that we had been on. Not straight by any means, and not wide but well maintained. It spits us out on US 165 and we head north. We only lost 24 miles of distance and 45 minutes of time, which included a stretch for the mutzos. Good catch, navigator!

Now on US 165 we pass Georgetown (324 souls), Tullos (386 souls), Grayson (440 souls), Banks Springs (1190 souls). Columbia is on the bank of the Ouachita River. Back in its heyday its harbor was a busy port for shipping cotton by steamboats or packet boats- until the arrival of the railroad. Its population has actually reduced to around 390 souls. From Columbia huge fields have been cleared. This is farmland. Miles and miles of farmland.

OK, now we are getting into more populated areas. Richwood (2100 souls) and Miller’s Crossing are on the outskirts of Monroe . To refresh your memory, Monroe is the home town of the Robertson Clan of the Duck Dynasty TV show fame. Many of you will remember Phil and Kay, Phils brother Uncle Si, kids Jase and Missy, Willy and Korie, Jep and Jessica, and a few of their many grandkids John Luke, and Sadie. One would believe after watching their TV show that Monroe is a small town. On the contrary, Monroe is a city of 49,000 souls!

Finally, we hop on Interstate 20 eastbound towards Vicksburg. The interstate highway system has a bad habit of bypassing small communities. The automobile traffic that once passed through now favors the interstate highway. Sometimes the bypassed towns flourish, sometimes they don’t. We bypass places with names like Rayville, Start, Bee Bayou, Holly Ridge and Delhi. We graze Richmond (400 souls), bypass Mound and Delta.

About 20 miles from the Louisiana/Missisppi border is the town of Tallulah, LA (7500 souls). This place is 77% African American: the surrounding parish is 80% African American. This reflects the regions history of an agricultural economy based on cotton plantations which employed numerous African Americans, first as slaves, then after emancipation as paid laborers or sharecroppers. A history lesson: In the late 19th century some immigrants from Sicily moved into the area where they established small stores. In 1899 a mob of white residents lynched five Sicilians because they felt that they did not observe Jim Crow rules: they made white customers wait their turn behind black customers already waiting rather than give the whites preference.

The Vicksburg Bridge lies ahead, we cross it with the historic town within sight to our north. Six miles to the south is our home for three nights, the Rivertown Campground. We are really looking forward to exploring Vicksburg once again.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

The weather has been a bit nasty. Every conversation with the locals confirms that the cold weather is not what would be considered normal February weather. The nights have been around freezing and the days have been overcast with a cold breeze blowing. Temps never reached the mid-40’s. Howsomeever, this morning dawned with warmer temperatures. It’s already 40 degrees as the sun rises. Yeah! The high today is forcast to be 20 degrees warmer than the last three.

The first order of business is to attend Mass at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception downtown. This is the sixth continuous Catholic Church in Natchitoches. The first Mass was celebrated in 1717 by a Spanish Franciscan Monk who traveled by foot the fifteen miles from the Spanish Mission in Los Areas. The first church was in Fort St. Jean Baptiste. Five churches later this one was built in 1909. The chandeliers came from France in 1856 and the hand carved wooden altar dates from the 1890’s. The Mass was one of the best on the trip thus far.

It’s a good morning to cruise. Serving first as a French outpost and later as a Spanish one, Natchitoches was a crossroads for many cultural groups. Spanish and French soldiers, traders and farmers crossed paths with African slaves and American Indians on a daily basis. The beginnings of Creole Natchitoches lie with the descendants of these early colonial groups.

As the area’s earliest families, the Creoles of Natchitoches Parish had first choice of farmland and wisely settled in the rich Red River Valley, where the largest plantations flourished through the antebellum period. In southern Natchitoches Parish, the Creole descendants of Marie Thérèse Coincoin, an enslaved woman, and Claude Thomas Pierre Metoyer, a French soldier stationed at the Natchitoches Post, established the community of Isle Brevelle. Today’s Cane River Creoles form the basis of the Isle Brevelle settlement, which has continued as a Creole community since its late 18th-century beginnings.

Americans, who were latecomers to the area, tended to settle in the piney uplands away from the Creoles. Arriving with the English language, Protestant religion and a new form of representative government, Americans were foreign in almost every way to the Creoles of Natchitoches. Creoles maintained a dominant influence in local society despite the influx of Americans into the area.

This is Creole country. so we head off for the Cane River National Heritage Trail. There are a total of 32 heritage sites on the trail. Ann at the visitors center stated that many are on private property and some are not marked. OK then! We’ll do the best we can to find them.

The we stop at the first plantation that was easiest to find, the Cane River Creole National Historic Park. Back in the day eating squab was a sign of wealth. This place had two pigeon houses! The collection of over 27 buildings tells the story of a plantation from 1789 to 1960. The plantation survived the Civil War. The slaves were freed but many remained and worked as freemen.

We stop at one of only 10 post in ground constructed buildings that are known to exist.

We’ve passed a lot of places and plantations listed in the brochure. It becomes obvious that even though of historical significance they are privately owned and not open to the public. One such place is Oaklawn Plantation which was purchased and restored by playwright Robert Harling, best known for his play and movie, Steel Magnolias.

St. Augustine Catholic Church was founded in 1803, established by and for people of color. Today the church symbolizes the heart of the Cane River culture. It was the first traditional cultural property to be added to the National Register of Historical Places in Louisiana.

Our last place to visit is Melrose Plantation. Here’s an abbreviated version of the history of this great place. It’s long, but so is the history of Melrose!

In 1742 Marie Therese Coincoin was born a slave into the household of Natchitoches’ found Louis de St. Denis. He later leased her as a housekeeper to French merchant Metoyer. They had 10 kids together. He purchased her and several of their children, giving them freedom. With her yearly allowance, and parcel of land given by Metoyer she began raising tobacco, cattle and harvesting bear grease.

Her fortunes grew by virtue of receiving land grants and purchasing slaves. They became the leading family of a community called Isle Brevelle, populated by free people of color who thrived as a business people, plantation owners and slave owners.

The neighboring Hertzog family bought the property. for $8340 (estimated value at its peak was $100,000). The Magnolia big house was destroyed in the Civil War and not rebuilt until the 1890’s. The Hertzog’s farmed the land until 1881 when it was sold to Joseph Henry.

Her son Louis Metoyer was deeded a large parcel of land on the east bank but development of the current Melrose property began in 1810 with the construction of Yucca House. Big House construction began in 1832. The property passed through several generations and ended in near bankruptcy in 1847.

The property passed to Henry’s heirs where the big house was expanded and historic log cabins from all around the parish were brought to Melrose. Cammie Henry also collected Cane River art, weaving techniques and Louisiana lore that was at risk of being forgotten. Melrose became a retreat for visiting artists and a center of creativity.

Among Cammie’s employ was a cook named Clementine Hunter. Clementine began as a field hand at Melrose when she was twelve years old. Originally born at Hidden Hill Plantation in 1887, her family moved to Melrose as sharecroppers for the Henry family. Later she became a house keeper but it was while she was a cook that she found some discarded paints left behind by an artist at Melrose. Those discarded paints changed her life and continue to touch those who view and admire her work each day.

Clementine is a self-taught, primitive artist. She never completed any formal education and did not learn to read or write. She expressed herself, told her story, through paint. Her unique African-American perspective, considered “insider art”, tells stories that historians overlooked while documenting plantation life. Plantations are far more than the big house and the crop produced. Clementine captured the community of workers, the life of the “gears” that make plantations successful and prosperous.

In 1986, two years before her death, Clementine Hunter received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. A University that, in the 1960s, had previously not allowed Hunter on campus to view an exhibit of her work, due to the segregation laws of the time. Today, Hunter is recognized as one of the most famous African American Folk Artists in the United States. She died in 1988, at 101 years of age, after completing thousands of works of art. Her creations, including the African House Murals, are still viewed by over 15,000 visitors annually at Melrose Plantation.

And the legacy goes on and on and on. Today the property is owned by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches. It operates Melrose Plantation as a historic house museum fo the public. Melrose has been named as a National Historic Landmark.

I’ll conclude with an interesting story. During the Civil War the Union Army was about to plunder a Plantation near to Melrose Plantation. The owners raised the French Flag- and the plantation was spared!

Saturday, February 9, 2019

First thing Friday morning we head the 6 miles into town. Natchitoches was founded by a French Canadian, Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis, in 1714 while he was en route to Mexico from Mobile, Alabama on a trade mission. When he reached the village of the Natchitoches Indians on the Red River, he had two huts constructed within the village and left a small detachment there to guard the stores and trade with the inhabitants. This became the first permanent European settlement in the territory later known as the Louisiana Purchase.

A small company of colonial troops were then sent in 1716 to build a garrison, Fort St. Jean Baptiste de Natchitoches which was built near the Nathitoches Indian village to prevent Spanish forces from advancing across the border of French Louisiane. Economically, Natchitoches evolved into a primary French trade center in the Lower Mississippi Valley. In 1762 France’s defeat by England in the French and Indian War forced her to cede the Louisiana colony to Spain. Spain continued its use as a trade center, eventually abandoning the fort. The the US acquired the area under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 the fort was in ruins.

The fort replication that stands today is based on original plans and extensive archival research in Louisiana, Canada and France. Construction began in 1979 using local building materials. All the hinges and latches were handmade at a nearby foundry

Some more history: The Americans made another large impact by removing the Great Raft, a 100-mile long logjam situated north of Natchitoches. From prehistoric times, this obstruction had made river travel any further north nearly impossible. The project had an unforeseen effect of making the main channel shift gradually away from Natchitoches. The river bypassed the city almost completely by the 1870s, leaving Cane River open to riverboat traffic only during the rainy seasons. What was left of the river was later dammed to make the oxbow lake that exists today and that’s the lake that runs through Nak-A-Tish! er, Nacthitoches.

Downtown Natchitoches reminds us of other southern communities. Maybe even New Orleans but on a smaller scale.

We love the wrought iron railings, pillars and fencing on Front Street buildings.

Kaffie Frederick General Mercantile, circa 1863, is oldest general store in Louisiana. The store is filled with items from the “good old days” such as hardware, housewares, kitchen supplies and classic toys. Many old tools of the trade are on display- and some new ones too! The 1910 cash register not only works but is still used for everyday sales.

Downtown is a very nice place to visit. We found the visitors center and went in. A very nice college student by the name of Ann was very helpful. She showed us on a map and spoke of places of interest. She was very knowledgable in the history of this part of Louisiana. Thank you for your help, Ann!

The Cane River runs on the east side of Front Street. Beautiful old buildings on one side of the street and the river on the other. A park adjoins the river bank which makes for a fine walk. Across the river are some very interesting looking buildings.

We ate twice at Lasyone’s Meat Pie Kitchen and Restaurant. Eating out twice in one town is a first for us. Sometimes we don’t eat out in two months. The big draw was the delicious Fried Green Beans. The batter on the beans was very much like tempura- light and crunchy. One day I had the meat pie, which is famous here in Nak-A-Dish. It consists of a spiced ground meat wrapped in dough, then deep fried. It looks like Michigan’s pastie but tastes completely different.

While in town we visited the oldest cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase, the American Cemetery. The oldest grave marker I found was 1801. The funeral scene from Steel Magnolias was shot here.

So that’s it for our first two days here in Nak-A-Tish. More to come!

Friday- February 8, 2019

We moved from Beaumont to Nachitoches Louisiana. Our previous journey through the South kept us near the coast. This time we wanted to see something new away from the coast. There is no direct route between the two cities. Our route starts as interstate, transitions to US highway, then the Louisiana highway, then to cowpath it seemed. By far the worst roads were the Louisiana secondary country roads- narrow, rutted little roads.

That said, after miles and miles of narrow, rough roads we hit the straw that broke the camel’s back- so to speak. Transitioning from dry to very wet and rainy weather I see this mud slick ahead that was created by trucks entering the highway from a very soupy dirt road. It looks four inches deep and there’s no way around it. When we pull into Grand Ecore RV Park our white Subaru is caked with reddish mud and the whole bottom half of the motorhome doesn’t look much better. Oh well, they were clean just a few hours ago…………

The scenery also changed as we drove north. The predominant live oak trees became four varieties of pine- loblolly, long and short leaf and slash. The forests were very thick with pines. Every once in a while there would be a break in the trees for a ranch or a harvest of trees- or a bayou.

For sixty miles of miserable road past Leesville we crossed not one notable place of inhabitation until we reach Provencal, a village of just over 700 folks. This place is more affluent with nicely kept homes and ranches. Remarkably the road makes a drastic improvement- no more potholes, with wide shoulders and smooth pavement. These folks must have some pull with the state and county fathers.

Towns we drove through are Vidor (10,000 souls) Deweyville (1000 souls), . Crossing into Louisiana- Dequincy (3000 souls), DeRidder LA has a sizable population of 11,000 souls, then Leesville (6600 souls). Leesville is home to the US Army installation of Fort Polk. The fort’s population often outnumbers the civilian population in Leesville.

Not long after we leave Provencal we hook a right from highway 117 to highway 6 and head into Natchidoches and the Grand Ecore RV Park for four nights.

So here’s the bet. What is the proper pronunciation of Nachitoches? Some say Natch-a-toe-sis, others Nacho-toe-cheez and God knows whatever. If your not from here you’d probably never guess. So here goes according to the locals- the proper pronunciation is- wait for it- Nak-A- Tish! And that’s the truth! Told ‘ya you couldn’t do it!

February 7, 2019

When we traveled to Beaumont (119,000 souls) in 2011 we only stayed the night. We had enough time to go into town and look around. This time we are staying one more day in order to give the city the once over.

As we enter the downtown area we are amazed at how little life there is for a city of this size. Hardly any traffic, and not many people walking on the side walks. There are a lot of cars in the city hall and court house parking lot however.

Our first stop is the Fire Museum of Texas- “The Hottest Spot in Town!” Out front is the largest fire hydrant in the world. It’s really a monument. The museum is housed in an old fire house built in 1927.

The Gamewell System on display predates the telephone. It was the best way to alert the fire department to a possible emergency at the time. The call box was spring wound. It worked like a telegraph. Each box had it’s own code. When the box was activated a bell at the fire station would tap out the code of the box. The ticker tape would punch holes in the paper tape, the number of holes corresponding to the alarm box. A nearby chart was available in order to look up the location of each alarm box.

The idea was whoever pulled the lever in the box would wait until the fire department arrived in order to report an emergency. When I came on the job telephones were prevalent and the call boxes became a nuisance. Some folks, mostly kids, thought it was fun to watch a fire engine respond red lights and siren only to find no one waiting to report an emergency. They were removed in the 1970’s and the false alarm rate dropped drastically.

Fire pumpers and ladder trucks dating back to 1923 are housed at the museum. My dad joined the fire department in 1933 and I in 1969. One of our sons is a fire captain today. Anyhow, quite a few of the artifacts displayed were equipment that I used when I was on the job, including that Gamewell System. Should I also be in a fire museum on display? Possibly!

The Minor Basilica of St. Anthony is a must visit. The church is beautiful! It outshines the neigborhood that surrounds it. After Hurricane Harvey (2017) a lot of neighborhoods are looking a little ragged. There are a many lots that used to have homes on them but are now vacant.

By now you are probably on to us. We are Catholic and we love to visit churches around the country, especially older ones which have some of the most fantastic architecture features of any buildings that we have seen.

It is said that those of the Christian Faith have done more for their fellow man than any other faith through monetary donations, educating children and adults and through the volunteering of their time to help those less fortunate. Organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Habitat For Humanity and so many others have done so much for folks who are starving, or are homeless due to a natural disaster. All because of these two Commandments.

We will be pushing on towards Nachitoches, LA. See you there!

February 5, 2019

It’s been so foggy on the Texas coast it’s really difficult to say how many interesting sights and places we’ve missed on our travels. It has been that way since we left South Padre Island every morning for almost a week. Nonetheless, we forge on.

We left Aransas Pass with the intent of traveling half way to Beaumont, TX. Our destination for today is Brazoria Lakes RV Resort. Tomorrow we’ll move on up to the Beaumont area and spend a couple of nights at the Hidden Lake RV Park. We’ll follow TX35 as far as Alvin, then goes east to Dickenson and on to TX 146. That puts us right back within sight of the Gulf. Eventually we’ll jump onto I-10 and head into the Beaumont area.

Traveling east the first town we come to is Rockport (8700 souls). The town is the seat of Aransas County. It was founded in 1867 by cattle ranchers. Morgan Steamship Line built a wharf in order to transport processed beef. In 1888 the railroad arrived and cattlemen started shipping live cattle by train. The cattle industry declined but tourist industry increased due to railroad. Major industries in and around Rockport are shrimping, fishing and tourism. Hurricane Harvey 2017 created significant damage to this town as well as a bunch of others.

Port Lavaca 12,400 souls seat Calhoun County. An ominous state record of highest wind speed ever recorded in the state was during Hurricane Carla (1961)- 170 mph gusts. Peak storm surge of 2017 Hurricane Harvey was 6′. The city is centrally located between large manufacturing facilities- Alcoa, Formosa Plastics and DuPont. Fishing is also important. This port specializes in shrimp and oysters. A lot of Winter Texans stay in RV parks around here.

We sneak in the back way to Palacios (5100 souls) and down to harbor. Lots of shrimp boats are in the harbor- the industry looks healthy, downtown not so much. Local legend has it that the port was named by shipwrecked Spanish sailors who claimed to see a vision of three palaces on the bay but most likely named after Jose Felix Trespalacios, an early Mexican governor of Texas.

The town center looked deserted with storefronts empty on our first trip through here in 2011………. nothing has changed.

Sometimes we overlook the fact that every one of these coastal towns have been hit hard by hurricanes. Every one that we’ve passed through on this trip had severe damage by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, for example. To my knowledge not one of them made the national news except Houston.

Texas Highway 35 takes us due north away from the coast. We skirt Blessing and continue on. Blessing Texas (861 souls) had its start when the railroad finally was extended to that point, and first settlers accepted the name “Blessing” after their first choice of “Thank God” was deemed unsuitable by postal officials. What a great name for a town!

Bay City is a sizable town at over 18,000 folks. It’s home to the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center along the Colorado River of Texas. This place appears to be very popular with the Winter Texans as there are a lot of RV Parks here. Kayaking, fishing and bird watching are popular activities.

Brazoria (3100 souls) was founded by Steven Austin in 1828 and subsequently deeded to John Austin and John Austin laid out the town. Town’s name was selected by John “for the single reason that I know of none like it in the world”. The town was nearly deserted between 1836 and 1837 during the Runaway Scrape when the evacuations by Texas residents fled the Mexican Army of Operations during the Texas Revolution. Most everyone has heard of the Battle of the Alamo, however the decisive Battle of San Jacinto ended the war and Texas became and independent nation. 

Like many towns it had its decline when the railroad favored Angleton in 1897 but the discovery of oil and sulfur in 1939 in conjunction with the construction of a bridge over the Brazos River helped restore the town’s fortunes. We stayed overnight at the very nice and popular Brazoria Lakes RV Resort.

Tuesday morning we are greeted with more fog. Geez! We took a different route back to TX35. Angleton (18,800 souls) is the seat of Barozoria County which was assumed from the town of Brazoria in 1896 when it declined.

We turn east in Alvin (24,200 souls). Alvin’s claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan was raised and lived there until he moved to Round Rock in 2003. Another notable is home town boy Gene Kranz, former NASA director during the Gemini and Apollo programs A historic weather event took place here in 1979 when Tropical Storm Claudette stalled over the region and dumped 43 inches of rain in 24 hours, the max 24 hour rainfall in American history.

FM 517 will take us to TX146 and north where we parallel the western shore of Trinity Bay. We pass through towns with names of Bacliff, Kemah, Seabrook and Baytown, finally reaching Interstate 10 where it feels like we are being attacked by hordes of big rigs! Honestly, we probably travel 10 mph slower than the truckers so they all pass us. Whoosh, Whoosh as the go by.

About 40 miles west of Beaumont we pull into one of the most unique rest areas in memory. The core buildings are hovering over a wetland, built on pilings, parking is on either side of them. They are all connected with walks, also raised above the wetland. Signs describe the flora and fauna that inhabit this area. It’s rather beautiful and definitely unique.

About 8 miles short of Beaumont (119,000 souls) we pull into Hidden Lakes RV Park. The management here is still recovering from Harvey but they’ve done a pretty good job of cleaning the joint up!

More on Beaumont next time.

Sunday, February 3, 2019

If you are wondering as I did what the heck a pass is here on the coast, it’s a small natural usually navigable of body water that connects two large bodies of water. It’s generally between two land masses. An inlet is technically a pass. The term inlet is used on the Pacif and Atlantic Ocean while the term pass is used in the Gulf of Mexico. So there!

A little history lesson is in order (excerpt from Wikipedia: The Karnakawa Indians were living a nomadic existence when Spaniards, led by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, probed the coast in 1519. Governor Francisco de Garay of Jamaica had commissioned him to explore the Gulf Coast from Floridato Vera Cruz. In the summer of 1519, Piñeda, took a fleet of four ships east to west around the Gulf Coast exploring and mapping five passes along the Texas Coast line, including what is known today as Aransas Pass.

In 1720 the French explorer Pierre-Jean de Béranger was commissioned to explore St. Bernard Bay ‘Matagorda Bay’ to establish a colony for France along its shores. Jean took an old Spanish ship that had been captured in Florida during the war with Spain, christened it St. Joseph, and his travels resulted in the rediscovery of the Aransas Pass.

In 1739, Governor Prudencio de Orobio y Basterra named the pass Aránzazu Pass on his map of 1739, because it served the Aránzazu fort. The name was altered to Aransas on the map of a Captain Monroe of the ship Amos Wright in 1833.

More Water than Land

The City of Aransas Pass (9500 souls) comprises a total area of 51.8 square miles. The total area of Aransas Pass is 20.71% land and 79.29% water, or 10.7 square miles of land and 41.1 square miles of water. With so much water, how could you not have a great time!

Aransas Pass lies on Redfish Bay. Redfish are a plentiful variety of fish as well as black drum, flounder and sheepshead that also ply the bay making this place a fisherman’s delight. The main industries here a shrimping and tourism along with farming, as well as oil and gas interests. The shrimp boat fleet sails from Conn Brown Harbor, a large, protected harbor chiefly dedicated to the shrimping industry. The area is popular for saltwater sports fishing and beach-going. The locals enjoy a nice aquatic park as well as a spacious park that has a big playground and a couple of baseball fields.

Aransas Pass has plentiful Live Oak trees. They don’t grow very large here, maybe 25′ but are a welcome site compared to some of the desert flora that we’ve been through. Many of them grow right here at Aransas Oaks RV Park. One can understand how hurricane tidal surges can effect large areas in this part of the country as there is not even a ripple on this flat land.

Across Redfish Bay on Mustang Island is Port Aransas (3400 souls). It’s the only established town here on one of the longest the barrier islands along the Texas coast. The island can be accessed by road from Corpus Christi or by the free Texas Transportation ferry from Aransas Pass. In the 19th century the port was frequented by pirates. Jean Lafitte was one of them.

The 1916 Texas Hurricane destroyed Port Aransas except for a few buildings. The docks, wharf and warehouses were now on the mainland, and the island was flooded and infested with rattlesnakes. The destruction of the 1916 Texas Hurricane did not discourage the people of Port Aransas for very long. After the city was rebuilt, it became a destination for anglers, tourists, surfers, and vacationers.

I think the Texas Hurricane explains to me why Aransas Pass is now the primary fishing port. The hurricane may explain the small oak trees? I think it would be easier to remember their names if Aransas Pass were the name of Port Aransas as it lies right on the pass and Aransas Pass now is home the primary port. So what do you think, shall we switch their names?

Yesterday we did a little snooping in Corpus Christi, the intent was to take the walking tour of Heritage Park.

It’s a collection of 12 historic homes that have been moved into a park like setting. All was well until we stepped out of the car- and the heavens opened up drenching us. The rain subsided a bit then again came down in buckets. We were soaked to the bone so decided to give up on that venture.

Next on the list was Corpus Christi Cathedral. “Little miss smarty Pants” wanted us to jump back on the freeway to travel a distance of one mile. Ain’t gonna do that so we drove through a portion of the delightful looking downtown. The church was closed as expected. We got our photo and a good look of downtown as the Cathedral sits on a hill.

We then drove back over the bridge to the aircraft carrier Lexington to get a few photos.

This is the ship that was commissioned in 1942 replacing the Lexington that was severely damaged then scuttled during the war.

She had the longest active service life of any other Essex class ship. The WWII ship is now a museum.

One can board ship and see what the old gal is all about. Boy, that ship is LARGE and easy to see from a distance. But there’s lots of road construction between it and us making navigating toward it difficult.

The weather didn’t improve much yesterday. This morning the fog was so thick that visibility of 100 yards would be a stretch.

We went to church in Aransas Pass, then found the county park and ran the dogs as not a soul was there.

We came home, cleaned up the RV and are making ready to travel tomorrow. Oh, and yes, we will be watching the Super Bowl game! As a matter of fact lots of folks in the park are having a tailgate party of sorts- BBQ, bon fire, all watching the game via a rig’s out door TV.

February

Our neighbor at the KOA just happened to be a retired Orange County CA firefighter. We hit it off like we were old friends as firefighters do. Firefighters enjoy a close brotherhood and it doesn’t matter where one served. He said that he and his better half moved from SoCal to Bella Vista, Arkansas a few years ago and don’t miss the rat race at all.

We like to switch up our routes when possible but that is not to be. The best route to Aransas Pass is the one in which we came. It really didn’t matter as the fog was hanging pretty low and got progressively worse. By the time we left the causeway and bridge had disappeared and so had the mainland. I don’t think there are any interesting

landmarks that the fog would hide anyway.

I think we broke a record. As we get older we like to stop more frequently than when in our youth. Normally we’d stop at least twice on a trip this long. The lack of places to pull off of the road dictated one stop at the most tight rest area we’ve encountered.

A twelve foot travel lane split parallel car parking on it’s left while trucks parked parallel to the travel lane on the right. Trees over hang the trucking lane so we had to watch out that we didn’t smack one of them. The place was full of vehicles making maneuvering a little tedious.

Oh, I lied. We did stop one other time- for the Customs and Border Patrol inspection station.

Darned near ran over a K9 or so it seemed. The dog’s handler was distracted just as we came up the their location and the dog walked out into the traffic lane. It disappeared from sight so I stopped. The handler realized that the dog was not in a good place and retrieved it. Jil and I thought out loud that that’s all we would need is to run over that dog and have some ‘splain’in to do to some pissed off customs agents.

The fog lifted and wind was light so we had clear sailing until we got into the outskirts of Corpus Christi. The highway interchanges became very confusing. At one point Jil’s “smarty pants” phone told us to take the I-37 ramp north. But I want to go south! I was not positive that the phone was wrong this time and grudgingly followed directions. And “little miss smarty pants” turned out to be right- this time! As it turns out I confused myself into thinking we had already reached I-37 but still had a couple of miles to go. Hat’s off to “miss smarty pants” this time.

I-37 is pretty torn up in Corpus Christi. Lots of roadwork, lane shifts, big barriers that appear to be in the path of travel just add more confusion to this driver. At the last second “miss smarty pants” tells us to take the next off ramp towards Portland- Texas- no, not Oregon nor Maine. Ok I can relax now.

I know I can’t get lost on the Nueces Bay Causeway. Looking down one sees the WWII vintage aircraft carrier USS Lexington as well as some hotels and “fun and sun” establishments.

On the other side of Nueces Bay we travel a few miles on Highway 35 then exit towards Ingleside and our destination, Aransas Oaks RV Resort. The park is pretty new. All interior roads and site pads are concrete, and grass grow between them. Oak trees compliment the ponds. Nice eye candy!

OK, I know you’ve been waiting for this. What is the difference between Port Aransas and Aransas Pass. So look it up lazy bones! Just kidding. More on Port Aransas and Aransas Pass in the next episode……..