Mystic Springs, FL

We decided to drive to Florida, it was less than 150 miles and the trailer has not been here yet. So we left

Biloxi and ended up here at an Airstream park. Good place to rest up, there is absolutely nothing going on here at Mystic Springs. There are very nice people that seem not to be in much of a hurry, mostly just sitting around talking. It is beautiful here along the Escambia River. Quiet and very peaceful. If we did not have other plans we could spend the rest of the summer here.

Unhitched and ready to rumble

This is how the entrance looks.

The Escambia River. Not much traffic.

Where ever a person goes there is something to do or something to see. We rolled into Pensacola and visited the Navy Museum. Saw a great I-Max movie then toured the museum. It is an all day affair, but we left by three so we could beat some of the traffic.

There were Fokkers to the left of me and Fokkers to the right of me.

Go Navy! This plane flew the Atlantic in 1919.

Don't tread on me.

Remember "Flight of the Intruder?" The little lass does.

Tomorrow? Who knows.

See Ya! Barry and Shirley

Biloxi, MS

We were parkers at Cajun RV Park in Biloxi. The park is right across the street from the gulf and it seems so strange to see sea gulls and all the things I associate with California. Sunny and nice today, even got sunburned.

Glad we were not here last night. The storm we were in at Baton Rouge was violent enough for us. Cloud to ground lightening, thunder and tons of rain. The people here in Biloxi got to spend the evening in a shelter and a tornado hit ground just 6 miles away. Forecast is for fair weather until next Monday.

Shirley and I stayed home this evening, I was very tired. Helping park some of the older folks is hard work.

April 6th, Wednesday, we toured the last home of Jefferson Davis. It is called Beauvoir, beautiful scene. He literally died as a man without a country and I suppose you could feel sorry for him, but he did make the choice. Anyway we heard a lot of sympathy for him, and I'll leave it at that.

Remember Katrina? This is now the visitor center.

This is to replace the visitor center, looks like the one Katrina destroyed.

His view except the beach was not there in Davis' day.

Now you know.

Davis.

Not too bad for a building that was destroyed just 6 years ago.

The child on the right was his child who died during the war. The child on the left was an adopted slave who was being beaten by his owner. Davis said slave owners did not beat their slaves. Go figure. 

This evening we had our banquet and said our goodbyes to everyone. What was best was we will see almost everyone the next two years so goodbye was easier than usual.

Now Shirley and I are on our own. Stay tuned to see what mischief we can get into on our way home.

See Ya! Barry and Shirley

Free day in Baton Rouge

April 3rd was a free day. First thing we did was sleep in. Rolling out at 6 a.m. to go sight seeing is not that easy sometimes. It is warmer now, I'd sure hate to be here in August. If you have been noticing the photos everything is fully leafed out now. Early on the forests looked pretty desolate.

We toured the downtown today including the USS Kidd, a destroyer active in WWII. In 1945 it was hit by a Kamikaze and something like 50 men were killed. After that we watched and listened to a negro gospel choir then came home.

Today, the 4th is our last day in Baton Rouge and I have yet to see the red stick. We did visit some more old houses (plantations). Today it was hot, humid and overcast. By 6 p.m. we had a severe thunder storm and as luck would have it we had our drivers meeting in the ladies restroom for shelter.

Tomorrow we head for our last stop in Biloxi.

Along the waterfront.

USS Kidd.

The big Muddy.

Mmmmm, what's cookin'?

An old salt.

The right age to have fun.

Some of the grounds at Rosedown.

Very beautiful but now owned by the state.

Sorta like driving up to Versailles.

All this is only a small part of how it looked.

Even had a doctor.

Guess who?

This is by far the prettiest plantation we have visited.

Garden out back.

Who dat?

This is the Oakley Plantation. Owned by the state but built around 1840.

After hearing all the stories of these places I understand where Margaret Mitchell got her story. It's all so sad! Seems nobody lived happily ever after.

See Ya! Barry and Shirley

Baton Rouge, LA

We left Vidalia on March 31st. sunny, in fact warm, well call it hot! Easy drive, glad to be on the road seeing new stuff.

Have not kept the Blog up to date due to reading the diary of a great uncle of one of our fellow caravaners. His name was John G. Morrison born around 1840 in England. Lied about his age and joined the British army at age of 13. Deserted in about 1859 and came to the US. Married in England, had one child. Joined the Union army and kept a wonderful diary. Served in the infantry for about 6 months and then volunteered to serve on the Candelet a Union ironclad. The day to day entries give a real feel for the battles. His insight is amazing when he describes the attitudes of people he meets. Great reading!

We are now at LSU, they have a "horse center" where we are entertained in the afternoons by students jumping their horses and just watching the horses. I had forgotten just how soupy the land is here. Lots of standing water. Humid and lots of "no-seeums." They come right through the window screens so the AC is used a lot.

Went to the "Rural Life Museum," at LSU, you would have thought we would get the real scoop there, instead we were called Yankees and told how wonderful slavery was and probably all us poor white trash would have been better off had we become slaves ourselves. Even found a book entitled, "The South Was Right."

Yesterday we visited the site of the battle of Port Hudson. Hard to imagine because the Mississippi is no longer next to the battlefield. It just kept "rollin' along."

Today is a free day and very needed. Shirley has the "caravan cold" for sure. I am at the tail end of it. Everyone coughs and sneezes. Viruses and pollen seem to be par for all of us.

Two tractors blocking our path.

Here we are. Note all the water next to our trailer.

A beautiful Classic Motor Home.

Yep, another slave house.

Ditto

Home sweet home.

Two tired caravaners. John was sick the next day.

Looking through a 12' wheel once used to haul cypress logs.

Musket demo.

Professors house at Centenary College. Was all men, the school kinda died when they all left to join the war.

What's left of the college. Now a state park.

Tonight we have a speaker who rode his horse along most of the battle fields in this area and wrote a book. He's coming to us. Tomorrow thunderstorms are forecast. Today it's humid and overcast.

See Ya! Barry and Shirley