The Journey.

DAY #21

Today I headed out and crossed the bridge to check out Biloxi and the Gulf Coast as far as Gulfport.  First thing you notice is the bridge, it’s a simple yet still impressive bridge that was built after Katrina.  You can walk across the bridge, it’s about a mile.  Needless to say, I didn’t walk it.

From the Ocean Springs side looking toward Biloxi.From the Biloxi side looking toward Ocean Springs.

As soon as you cross the bridge the road curves to the right and boom…the Golden Nugget and Harrah’s casino appear.  There’s a couple other casinos in the area a bit further down most notably, the Hard Rock. You’ll also see the Palace Casino, and there’s a couple more in the “Back Bay” area of Biloxi.  They’re big and glitzy and impressive looking, but make no mistake, it ain’t Vegas.  I can see though what might draw someone here.  You’ve got some big league casinos in a really interesting area.  There’s still a flavor of the culture down here along with the opportunity to go out on the gulf if you’re into fishing, etc. 

Wandered around town and overall, I was a little disappointed with Biloxi. Whereas Ocean Springs felt vibrant and prosperous, Biloxi felt somewhat the opposite (outside of the casinos).  I really like the name (always have).  To me it conjures up a an area rich in culture and stories and that’s what I hoped I’d see.  Sadly, in real life it’s just another town and not that interesting one at that (just my opinion). There wasn’t much of a downtown that I could see and therefore, not much of a footprint from the past left.  The neighborhoods while still having the distinct architecture of the area, did so with a less upscale feel than Ocean Springs.

While expressing my disappointment, I certainly don’t dislike Biloxi, just thought some of the other areas around offered more to see and maybe I expected too much. 

Biloxi suffered a lot of damage from Hurricane Katrina and the scars remain today, evidenced by empty lot after empty lot throughout the city, and especially along U.S. 90, which is the main road that runs along the gulf.  It looks like a lot of homes and buildings were destroyed by Katrina on that stretch and the losses were significant to the history of the area, something I guess I should to take into account.

Not all is doom and gloom, there has been rebuilding, and looking like it’s staying true to tradition.

I did really like the beaches. The sand is the color you expect to see and makes it feel subtropical (e.g. warm), and with winter coming on, I need that.

Just think how inviting this beach would be if there was some sun.

Let’s add a little sun.

The day was done for my time in Biloxi and like I said, even though it wasn’t what I thought, It was still worth checking out.  I like the beaches and the style of the houses and just being able to poke around. I don’t really like the creeping development that (in rebuilding from Katrina) is slowly (but persistently) bringing a new culture to the area, a corporate culture creating its version of what they think we want . (Oh man, not that again, give us a break).

Before crossing the bridge and heading back to the campground, I was able to drive out on a fishing pier near the Palace Casino and took some photos.  It sucks no sun, the color on the photos really gets washed out.

You can see the moisture in the air.

I guess I really like boats.

I’ll end with these photos. I saw this and thought…how cool.

Loading up on carbs for the trip to Mexico.

DAY #20

First full day on the ‘Gulf Coast’ and decided to do a bit of meandering around Ocean Springs.  Nothing serious, just thought I’d get the “lay of the land”, so to speak.  Davis Bayou campground is located within the Gulf Islands National Seashore which itself is tucked into a corner of Ocean Springs. The city is located on the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay.

I dressed light since the weather continued to be warm (upper 70s) and humid, and rain was still in the forecast. The humidity has been one of the biggest changes for me.  It’s been 70 degree dew points and man oh man, that can really make a warm day hot.  Last night I had to put the A/C on in the trailer because the humidity was so high.

In perusing around this little city, I found it to be a charming area with a very upscale and laid back feel to it.  Lots of small, independently & locally owned shops set up along narrow, tree-lined streets.  Man, some of the streets were so narrow that two cars passing each other had to be done ever so cautiously.

The architecture of the houses are so different from what I’m familiar with up north (uff da), and I do find them charming and very livable.

No, it’s not the house that’s slanted, It’s the photographer who’s tilting a bit to the left.

Getting away from the city center and towards the bay saw the size and stature of the home increase.

Hurricane Katrina hit this area in 2005 and Ocean Springs wasn’t spared.  A lot of “high end” homes near the bay suffered heavy damage and destruction along with the yacht club and fishing/walking piers on the beach.  You can still see remnants of Katrina by the empty lots that dot the bay area. the level of devastation in other areas of the city isn’t as apparent, it looks to have healed quite well.

Another good day in the life…

DAY #19

DID YOU VOTE?  

If you didn’t bother to get involved regarding affairs that directly affect your life (like, oh I don’t know, maybe VOTING), then I can only say, you don’t have a voice, you choose not to have one.

Today didn’t start out with the typical blue sky’s and warm temperatures I’ve been enjoying so often.  Woke up at 7:00 a.m. with the plan of getting the site broke down and trailer hooked up and heading out, then stopping at a plantation west of New Orleans (didn’t take me much off route) on the way to the next stop in Ocean Springs, MS. I knew it was supposed to be a rainy day but I thought maybe I’d be lucky.  Well, It didn’t work out that way, it was pouring out and it just kept pouring out,  no way was I going to go out in that pouring rain to hook up the trailer, put the stabilizers up, and get everything ready to leave.  So I resigned myself and dozed back off for a couple of hours before getting up and getting the trailer hooked up and ready to roll, doing it between rounds of rain.

I Left Grand Isle (in the rain)  at 9:30 a.m.  and I left disappointed,  I wanted to see the Louisiana plantation (sugar) even though there was a 60% chance of rain, and much of the tour would be outdoors. Here was my opportunity, and what did I do?  I just  accepted the ‘sounds like a good excuse to me’ it would have rained anyway song and dance and so I didn’t go.  I wondered to myself as I was driving away from Grand Isle.  what’s this trip about if it’s not going to include stuff like that?  I don’t want this journey to just be an extension of the sedentary,  do nothing lifestyle I’ve slumped into for the last couple years. I want it to be about seeing and doing things, not just racking up mileage.  Note to self: GET IT TOGETHER!!!

It was another day of an interstate and side roads mixture.  Side roads north from Grand Isle for an hour and half and then freeway (I-10) through New Orleans and into Ocean Springs, MS.  Going through New Orleans was interesting.  I went over the Hale Boggs bridge and it was impressive, both the bridge itself (in its height and girth), and the view of the Mississippi river and the area as a whole as you go across.  At the top of the bridge you can see the ocean vessels coming up the river and look out for miles across the flat , tree filled land to the north of the city, and it’s just provided such a panoramic view.  It was another example of the best places to get photos is when you’re driving down the road and can’t stop or stop in time.  I was able to get a glimpse of Downtown New Orleans through the clouds and humidity (dew point in the 70s and temperature in the low 80s).  New Orleans is a big city with a big city feel (translation; a slowly eroding identity, which result in all cities to start to look and feel the same).  Another point to lament (at least for me) is seeing these big city’s just continue to grow and grow, slowing absorbing small towns in their path, and dissolving their identity as well in the process.  I-10 goes across Lake Pontchartrain and wow, it’s a big body of water.  There wasn’t a lot of wind so the surface of the lake was smooth and seemed to go on forever.  Took awhile to get out of urban New Orleans (big and busy freeways) and back into rural gulf coast (I really prefer the rural). Once out of the city, the interstate was nice (if busy), tree lined on both sides and didn’t feel cold and lifeless (just the opposite).

 Lots of semi’s on the road and man, I find them more often than not ‘pains in the ass’.  They’re heavy and create dips in the roadway that causes the truck to undulate down the road.  I hate it especially with the trailer, it feels like the trailers going to come loose from the hitch.  Another thing is invariably, when I get behind a slow truck (with the cruise control on) and try to go around without having to brake and shut the control down, there’s always a damn truck in the passing lane so I have to wait for them to go around me.  On this stretch of road from New Orleans to Ocean Springs (approx. 60 miles) they were on the road thick and as pesty as ever.

Let’s see if I understand myself, I’m on a trip with a really easy schedule, comfortable budget, driving a nice vehicle and staying in a homey little trailer and I’m bitching away about this and that (today it’s trucks).  Too often I get lost in this mind set that is so focused on getting to the next point in life (regardless what that is), that I forget to take the time to slow down(maybe even stop for awhile) and enjoy the trip along the way.  Add to that an attitude of if things don’t go exactly as I want, then life sucks.  It adds up to one “messed up little dude”.  Part of this journey for me is to face these shortcomings in my life and try to find the path away from them.  I’m finding it’s easier to figure out what’s wrong than it is to fix it.

Made it to Ocean Springs (Davis Bayou Campground) around 1:30 p.m. which made the drive around four hours.  I’m finding that four hours is a good time frame per day, going beyond that can start to be a drag.

The first thing I noticed after getting off the interstate was how busy it was, there were lots and lots of cars everywhere.  The final leg to the park went through an area that was suburban in look and feel, right up until I turned off the road.POW…. instant out in the sticks, I had made it to the park.   the campsite was another two miles down a narrow, winding tree lined road (seems like I’ve been down this road before).  Got there, checked in and parked the trailer in the designated site.  I had made it to Mississippi.

Followed the road and it took me right to the campsite (OK, I had to make one turn).

The view from the rear trailer window.

A lot more campers at this site than the others .  It’s a small campground (total size) but doesn’t feel cramped, it feels cozy.  Interesting mix of campers.  it runs the gamut from Class A RV’s to tents, with everything in between.This is home for the next twelve days.

 

DAY #18

Spent the last day on Grand Isle, LA just driving around and taking a last look.  One really cool thing that did see today were two dolphins swimming in the salt marsh.  I tried to get a photo but had the wrong lens and by the time I changed, poof, they were gone.  This guy was there and can vouch for me seeing the dolphins,

Another cool siting were the pink flamingos.  Picture quality is poor but if you look hard, you can see a tinge of pink on these guys.A couple of the residents that call the area home.

Some more fishing boats.  While in decline, they still symbolize the area and it’s culture.

Another feature that has come to symbolize the area are the oil platforms.

One last photo on the island.

The time spent on Grand Isle was an enjoyable one.  The weather, which was warm (mid to upper 70s) and very humid (at least there was a breeze) didn’t really play a factor, even the storm that we had occurred at night.  I was able to get out and about and explore the island and areas around.  Would I come back here again?  Yes I’d come back.

Now it’s time to get ready for the next destination, lets go!Oops, forgot the trailer.

DAY #17

Photos of the gulf viewed from the park.

 

DAY #16

Decided to go back across the bridge and meander around the area to the west and north of Grand Isle.  It was another nice day (love these nice days), so I set up my route on google and away I went.  There aren’t many roads in the area, I think it’s  easier to get around by boat than car.  All together though, I must have put 150 miles on the truck driving around.

Driving north you get away from the salt marsh and into an area of trees and fields (mainly sugar cane), although the water is never far away.  The land remains flat and you also see a small amount of cattle being raised in the area.  There are waterways throughout the area that connect the area with the gulf.  There where shrimp boats are tied up along the canal in front of the owners homes.

I also noticed places selling fresh shrimp and crab.  It’s also in this area that I saw a lot of buildings that looked to be wholesale business’s for seafood that were no longer in business and looking pretty decrepit.  It’s sad to see this decline because it mirrors the decline in the distinct culture of the area.  This is bayou country and it’s slowly being homogenized like the rest of our different cultures that made up America.  Another example of all of us being marched to living the same, talking the same, having the same culture, etc.  boring, boring, boring.

Spent a full day on the road and gosh darn it, I didn’t take any photos (why no photos?).  Sometimes you see great shots but by the time you can stop, and get out, the moments gone.  Or you see a cool shot and can’t stop because you’re driving down the road with cars behind you.  I did get a glimpse of life in the bayou, I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job showing it to you.

I did take a photo of a draw bridge that you see along the main canal in the area.

 

DAY #15

New day on the island and it started out well, the sky’s had cleared and while still humid, the temperature had dropped into the mid 60s, much more comfortable.  Life on the island had gotten back to normal after the storm.  This is the bridge you go across to get from the mainland to Grand Isle.  I’m not sure what they did before this bridge went up.

Grand Isle from the mainland side.

While the oil industry has taken over as the biggest economic driver in the area. Fishing and shrimping, for more than a century, the areas major source of income, still is a very  important part of the economy.

Port Fourchon where the oil industry is based in the area.

Fishing boats off Grand Isle.

Typical of what the area looks like going to (and coming from) Grand Isle from the mainland.

The bridge in this photo is the toll bridge that you have to take to get to Port Fourchon and Grand Isle.  If you’re going by vehicle, this is the one and only route you can take.

Didn’t wander to far from base today, but did get to see more of the area, and I liked what I saw.

 

DAY #14

Luck with the weather ran out around 2:00 in the morning.  I had fallen asleep with the A/C on because it was still hot in the trailer and the temperature was only supposed to drop to the low 70s plus it was really humid out.  I woke up and realized the A/C had stopped working, My first thought was something blew out in the A/C, freaking junk, yada, yada, yada. (always look for the worst first…argh!)  Then I realized the clock on the microwave was off and something clicked in my head that said, the powers off (oh yea, sharp as a tack).  I opened the trailer door and looked at the power boxes along the other sites. One thing I had noticed was at night there is a light on the box that would come on, none of the lights were on so the power outage was not me, but the park.  OK I thought, I’m sure they’ll get to it and I can wait it out.  The batteries were charged and I still had propane so the fridge could keep running.

I laid back down and soon thereafter the wind began howling and the rain came down in a drenching downpour.   And the rocking, let me tell you, the trailer, she was a rocking.   I’m laying there with these alternating nightmare scenarios of water leaking into the trailer from the rain, and/or the trailer being blown down the road. and not having a very happy experience.  I got back up and went online (yea, it still was working) and checked what was going on weather wise.  Saw that the worst of it had gone through and just rain and wind for the next six hours, man I was relieved.  I laid back down again and thought about the situation.  I thought about the worst that could have happened (I didn’t count injury, not sure why not) and realized that no matter what I would survive and get through it and I felt OK.  Now lets see if I’ve learned anything from this like I hope I have.  I’m sure God will test me soon.

I finally dozed off around 9:00 in the morning.  Woke up around 1:00 in the afternoon and went outside to take care of business and check out the damage.

I talked with a guy who works at the park and he told me that five inches of rain had fallen and there was 50+ mph winds in the area.  The news reported that a little farther away from the park there was an old warehouse that collapsed and a travel trailer (unoccupied) overturned by the storm.  Counting my blessings, I thought it best to stay put and let things on the island get back to normal before venturing out again.

DAY #13

First full day on the island and what a gorgeous day it was.  The weather was blue sky’s, upper 70s, and breezy.  Decided to check out the island and see what it was all about.  Getting around the island is easy; stay on the one main road.  It’s the one (and only) that will take you on and off the island, as well as getting around once there.  As you go you’ll find no stop lights or signs.  The speed limit is 45 mph except for a short stretch were it goes down to 25 mph and there’s two cops, one on each side of the limit who seem to make sure it’s adhered to.  Translation-tickets, lots of tickets. 

There’s not a lot of retail other than a couple of grocery stores/hardware and two places to get gas, all local owned.  For entertainment, there’s a couple of laid back bars and that’s it.  Development has so far stayed off the island and it really gives it a nice vibe, just the kind I was looking for.  

Pretty quiet on the main road through town (LA 1) and this was on a Sunday around 4:00 in the afternoon.  Maybe everyone was home watching the Saints game.  The island is about seven miles long and less than a miles wide (and that’s being generous) and if you take the road (LA 1) out of town, the next stop is the Gulf of Mexico.This is the actual end of LA 1, the first photo is where the road ends in Port Fourchon which is just west of Grand Isle.  I used it for effect purposes (busted).

The one common denominator you’ll see on the island is pillars.  Every house is built on pillars along with hurricane shutters, all of them about ten feet off the ground.

After giving the town the once over, I stopped at the local gas station (Jo Bobs), bought a sausage and two biscuits for dinner, and headed back to the trailer, calling it a day.  damn, that sausage was good (and healthy too I’ll bet).

 

DAY #12

The day started out nice and uneventful, just the way I like it, and off I went, on to the next leg in the journey.  Again, I took a mixture of interstate and state roads and again, it worked out well.  The land slowly changed from one of deep forests to flatter lands with less and less trees and more and more, water.  One thing that I noticed along the drive and especially on the back roads, was the amount of trash along the side of the road.  Sadly, it reminded me of some third world country’s I’ve visited and it made me sad to see.  For Christ sake, how hard is it to keep the trash in the car until you can properly throw it away.

Around Morgan City, LA, I began to see fields upon fields of sugarcane, I knew I had made it to the deep south, kind of cool to see something other than corn or soybeans.  The final section of the days drive was on Louisiana 1 and it was slow going, it seems it was sugarcane harvest and the roads were heavy with trucks filled with cane.

The weather had been great at the last site and it continued on down here.  The temp got into the upper 70s and it was warm, humid, and breezy.  Google gave solid instructions (today) and by early afternoon had reached the next destination.  Now to set up and hang out for the next eight (6 full) days at Grand Isle State Park, LA.

The place is a nice and quiet campground.  The park is 140 acres in size with bathrooms at each end of the campsite.  It’s a bit of a walk to the bathroom or shower but hey, it’s not like I don’t need the exercise.  I am really liking the fact that all the sites I’ve camped at so far have been quiet and with some minor exceptions, pretty much to myself.