Davis Bayou Gulf Islands Seashore

Thursday, June 14th we left the campground and drove back into Lafayette to get pictures of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist - impressive architecture - very beautiful.

We headed to Mississippi on I-10.  In the past, I-10 in Louisiana has not been the smoothest of roads,  but we found it much improved.  Just before Baton Rouge, I noticed the GPS showed the elevation to be -45 feet below sea level.  Made me want to get to higher ground.

When I was plotting our course for this trip, I made it a point to go to The Shed in Ocean Springs, MS.  Friends had taken us there before and I was looking forward to eating there again.  Delicious brisket satisfied my craving.

We drove a few miles to the National Park campground and settled in for three days to regroup and rest up.  Our camp host, Kevin White, came by to invite us to a barbeque he was providing for the campers on Saturday.  At 3:00 we gathered at Jim & Nancy's campsite.  He has a huge smoker/grill fueled by wood and had been cooking ribs since that morning.  He cooks them Kansas City style - no sauce, just a rub.  Each of us had brought a side dish and we enjoyed a feast.

So, we're all sitting around digesting and talking and Kevin comes over to the table.  During the conversation I asked, "Are you related to the White's that came over on the Mayflower?"  "Yes", he said, "I'm descended from Peregrine White who was born in the Massachusetts harbor November 1620."    Now sometimes, my emotions get a little out of hand (Don't anyone out there laugh!)
I was beating on the table and shouting "Me too!  Me too!"  He was as flabbergasted as I was.  What are the chances of ending up in the same campground in Mississippi as a "relative"?   We went back to his RV and he made copies of the genealogy papers for the first few generations of White's.  Wow, so amazing!  It really is a small world.

Now in my plans, I thought we'd take a few days to get home.  We left Sunday morning and drove  to Daphne, AL to attend church at Church of His Presence pastored by John Kilpatrick (He pastored the Pensacola Revival at Brownsville Assembly of God that began Father's Day 1995 and lasted several years).  You truly sense God's Presence during the worship and message.  I'm so thankful we could be there for the service.

Gene set the GPS for "home" and I knew I might as well settle in for the long trip home.  We left at 12:30 CST and with a couple stops for gas and eats, we arrived home 9:30 DEST.  Gene did all the driving, but we were both exhausted.   Perhaps a good thing because our daughter, Jennifer, had remodeled our bathroom - new tile shower,  floor tiles, vanity, mirror, lights (and armoire on the way) and we were not to open the bathroom door until she could be here and see the expression on our faces.  She stopped by the next day and we were overwhelmed at the transformation.  It's absolutely gorgeous!

So, we're home, mostly unpacked and getting back into our routine.  I've enjoyed sharing our adventures with you.  Until our next trip, safe travels and God's blessings to all our family and friends.

Acadian Cultural Center

This was the last on my list of places to see.  It's part of the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve and is located in Lafayette, LA.  We drove to what we thought was the Center, but it was actually Vermilionville, a heritage and folklife park.  Gene asked for directions from a lady in the parking lot.  Robin was most helpful.  She even got in her car and lead us to the proper place.  Now that's friendly, local hospitality.

We watched the film, "The Cajun Way: Echoes of Acadia", which told the history of the French who had settled in Nova Scotia  and then were expelled in the 1700's, when they would not swear allegiance to the British crown when England went to war with France.  They went through terrible hardships having to leave homes, possessions and even being separated from family.  Hence the poem, "Evangeline".  The ships left some in New England, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana.  The Spanish in Louisiana were the only ones who welcomed them, gave them land and supplies.
The name Acadians was shortened to Cajun.  Creole means "born in the country" - two separate groups.  We viewed the many exhibits showing the history timeline and life from 1700's to current times.  it was most enlightening.

Now that we had been steeped in Acadia culture, it was time to eat some local cuisine.   Robin had recommended Johnson's for boudin (boo-deen),  a rice and meat combination in a sausage casing, and cracklin's.   We drove over there, but it was closed.  A couple fellows recommended Don's Seafood Downtown so we went there.  I felt adventurous and ordered crawfish etouffee (seared over high heat and then steamed) over rice and fried crawfish.  I was not disappointed - it was delicious, not too spicy, with the flavors blended for a wonderful treat to the palate.  Gene ordered shrimp and catfish and was equally pleased. 

We headed back to Maxie's Campground in Broussard, LA to get ready for the next leg of our journey. 

Chickasaw Cultural Center

Four days and four museums.  I'm really going to have to plan this better next time.  I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of them, but I'm thinking a day of rest in between might have been wiser.

The Cultural Center was only 10 minutes from The Point, so Saturday morning we drove over.  They open at 10:00 every day except Sunday (12:00) and we didn't want to rush our visit.

We started our tour at the Traditional Village area where we could explore the Council House, Winter House, demonstrations of jewelry making and explanation of tanning hides and a Stomp Dance.  The Chickasaw Nation is considered part of the Southeastern group along with Seminoles.  They did not come out on the Trail of Tears, but came later when they could be better prepared.  The songs and dances are similar in the Southeastern group, but each Nation has their own individual style.  When the Four Corners Dance was introduced, they asked for volunteers to join them.  Gene was one of several who did so.

We ate lunch at the Cultural Cafe, then toured the Exhibit Center.  There was a beautiful pottery display and we had a delightful conversation with the docent, Marcia, who is Chickasaw.  We explored the Removal Corridor, The Stomp Dance Gallery, and many displays of the culture.
After a tour of the Art Gallery, we visited the Gift Shop for some souvenirs and then back to the campground. 

Sunday we drove to Gordonville, TX to the Thousand Trails Lake Texoma.  This was where we had joined Thousand Trails in 2007 when we started traveling.  It is in good shape (unlike some of the other campgrounds in the system) and we enjoyed our brief stay.

This morning Gene wanted an early start, so we left at 7:30 while somewhat cooler.  We are now  settled in North Point RV Park in Longview, TX.  It has excellent wifi and I've been able to catch up on my emails and blog.  Tomorrow we head into Louisiana and our last week on the road.

Until my next post, Safe Travels and God'a blessings to all our family and friends.

Chisolm Trail Heritage Center

Friday we headed to Duncan, OK to the Chisolm Trail Heritage Center.  Before we left Ocala, Gene went to the AAA office for a tour book and I meticulously picked out places I thought we'd enjoy.  So far Gene has enjoyed them all, so I'm batting 1000. 

As their brochure states, this is not your "Average Rusty, Dusty Museum.  They have an interactive 4-D theater, The Trail Experience, that depicts a cattle drive to Abilene.  The wind blows,  the floor and seats shake when they have a stampede and you feel the rain during the storm.  The cowboys that undertook this endeavor earned $100 for 100 days on the trail.  The Trail Boss was in charge and second in command was the cook.  The fare was usually bacon, beans, biscuits and strong coffee. The other theater had an animatronic Jesse Chisolm who explained he never drove cattle on the Trail.  He was transporting trade goods from Texas to Council Grove, KS and later trail bosses just followed his wagon wheel tracks. 

Gene tried his hand at roping a steer (stationary).  He looked quite the part with his black hat.  Again I enjoyed the paintings and sculptures in the Garis Gallery of the American West.  It was another delightful look into the history of the West. 

We then traveled to Sulphur, OK to the Corps of Engineer campground, The Point at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.  This was another secluded area with lots of woods surrounding the site.  There were a lot of tent campers and I was most appreciative of my RV and air conditioning.

Pictures of Chisholm Trail and then on to my last post for this part of the trip.

Oklahoma Rt 66 Museum

More travel back in time, but not quite as far back.  We left Guthrie in a wind and rain storm, but it soon cleared up and we traveled safely to Clinton, OK to the Route 66 Museum.  It covered from the time Route 66 was established, the Dust Bowl and migration to California, gas stations, World War 2 and my favorite - the diner.  When we finished our tour and bought our bumper stickers, we went to Taco Bell to try a Mexican pizza.  I had bought several books by Christian comedian author Janetta
Fudge-Messmer at the Escapade and Gene has been reading them.  She mentioned Mexican pizza and Gene wanted to try one.  It's really tasty.  There's a taco layered with hamburger and refried beans, then another taco with pizza sauce, cheese and chopped tomatoes on top. 

The wind was really strong in Clinton.  It was a task to stay upright between the RV and entrance to both the museum and Taco Bell.  After a few miles on I-40 E, Gene was tired of fighting the steering wheel to stay in his lane. I got out the trusty map and found the next exit that took us through small towns to our destination of Chickasha, OK - Time Out RV Park.  We have a 25th edition of the Passport America book which listed the GPS coordinates erroneously for the Park.  After a couple phone calls and turning around more than once, we arrived at the Park.  Stacy was kind enough to give us the most recent 27th edition.  This should make life easier.  I asked if it was always this windy.  her reply was if there was no wind , it was 110.  Yep, wind would be preferable.  We settled in for the night to be rested for the next leg of the journey.  That's in my next post.

Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve

Wednesday, June 6th we left Riverside RV Park in Bartlesville and traveled about 12 miles south to Woolaroc.  Frank Phillips (Phillips 66) established this in 1925 as a haven from the hustle and bustle of New York City, where he was building his business.  He brought in bison, elk, deer, longhorn cattle and ostrich for the preserve.  He established a museum to showcase Western art and artifacts; Native American pottery, baskets and cultural art;  historical displays depicting the settling of the West and an extensive Colt firearms collection.  Our first stop was at the Mountain Man Camp where re-enactors Wes and daughter, Ember,  shared about the life of a trapper/trader.  Wes loaded a musket for Gene and he took a shot at the target.  Then he showed him how to throw a tomahawk and he sunk it into the log like a pro.  Wes regaled us with stories of elk hunting, coyote trapping, tanning hides, and Mountain Man rendezvous that are held mainly in the West.  .  They had rescued a newborn fawn a couple of days before and it liked our fingers (for the salt I imagine). 

We ventured on toward the museum and stopped along the way for Gene to take pictures of longhorn cattle, water buffalo and ostrich.  A beautiful black and white ostrich came to the fence, sat on his haunches, spread his wings and swung his head from side to side in a beautiful "dance".  Most impressive!

The museum offered room after room of displays.  It would have taken the rest of the day for me to see everything., so I limited myself to the Native American and pioneer display rooms and art gallery.

On our way to the next campground, we passed through Barnsdale, OK - the home of Anita Bryant and Clark Gable.   Just some of the interesting things you learn on the back roads.  We passed through Ponca City where they have a huge Phillips 66 refinery, and we've seen pump jacks (we call them "praying mantis") and the large three bladed windmills.  Now those are things you don't see in Florida.

We spent the night in Guthrie, OK at Cedar Valley RV Park.  Guthrie was the first capitol of OK.  This will continue in my next blog.

 

We've Been Busy!

We left Cherokee Landing in TN on Friday the 25th.  Even though Gene said he had slept well, he was still tired and asked me to drive.  I took over east of Colliersville, TN, drove through Memphis, over the Mississippi River and into AR - about an hour and a half.  Thanks to the GPS (which was working fine), I made all the proper turns into the proper lanes.  I was really proud of myself!

Gene took over driving again and we went to West Plains, MO to meet with a dear friend, Rose, her daughter Maggie and her husband Austin.  Their baby is due in July.  Doesn't she look adorable?  We had a wonderful, though way too brief visit, and we were on our way again.                                          We drove to Mansfield, MO and stayed at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Campground,right across from Laura and Almanzo's home.  Gene walked over to take pictures, while I relaxed.

Saturday morning we were up early

to start the last leg of our journey to Sedalia, MO Fairgrounds for the Escapade.  Gene set up our 

table for our chapter on the Row while I registered.  Our friends Marty & Peggy were at registration

and we soon saw other members of our chapter.  Opening ceremony was followed by Row Rep dinner.and then back to the RV.  There were transportation golf carts and a special one designated for Handicap.  Ruth gave me her

 cell phone number and I could text her whenever I needed a ride.  What a blessing!  Sunday through Wednesday Gene & I manned the table, answering questions, giving information and signing up people who wanted to join our chapter.  I really enjoyed getting to meet all the people.  Sunday night Bil Lepp, Storyteller had us in stitches.  It was a knee slapping experience, only I was slapping Gene's knee and not mine while tears ran down my face.  I'm surprised he didn't have black and blue marks!  If you ever have the chance to see him, don't miss it.

Thursday Lynn & Becky asked us to join them for a jaunt to Steak & Shake and then to listen to Ragtime piano players on the square as part of the Scott Joplin Jazz Festival.  Closing ceremony was at 3:00 and then I was ready for a long nap.  Gene attended the Street Party and fireworks.  I looked at the beautiful pictures he took and that was good enough for me.                                                     

Friday we left Sedalia and drove to Council Grove, KS to another beautiful COE.  The sites were concrete with a shelter over the picnic table. a grill and fire pit.  Our site was on an estuary with a family of geese in residence.  We met our neighbors Lee & Pat and played Skip Bo and Fast Track.

Sunday we drove down to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and took the bus tour.  Evidently the grass doesn't get really tall until the fall, but we saw flowers, multiple varieties of grass and bison. We ate at the Hays House in Council Grove, started by Daniel Boone's great grandson, Seth Hays, then toured some of the sites.  It was a wonderful day.                                                                               

Monday we were on the move again to Bartlesville, OK to a nice Passport America campground, Riverside RV Resort.  I've been able to catch up on my emails and do a couple weeks worth of laundry. They have very clean laundry room and showers.  Tomorrow we head out again.  So until my next post (depending on wifi),  Safe travels and God's blessings to all our friends and family.

We're Scratching Our "Hitch Itch"

We are on the way to Sedalia, MO to the Escapees 58th Escapade, also the 40th anniversary of the Escapees RV Club.  Gene volunteered us to be Row Reps, which means we'll be at a table with
brochures and handouts representing our state of Florida and our Escapees Chapter 57.  We're
excited about meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones.

For those who may not be acquainted with the term "hitch-itch",  it's an uncontrollable urge to pack up the RV and hit the road.  Fortunately, ours coincided with the rally.

We left home on May 18th, and met up with my sister, Faith and her husband, Len at Hopkins Eatery in Tallahassee.  I had been in contact with Florida State Parks Department about procuring brochures listing all the state parks.  We love the seclusion and natural surroundings of state parks and thought others might like to know where they're located.  Len was kind enough to go by the department and pick up a case for us. 

After a delicious lunch and catching up on news, we headed down the road to Quincey, FL to the Beaver Lake Campground.  It's not fancy, but we only needed a place to hook up to electric and water.  Since replacing our RV refrigerator with an electric only, we must have a hook up to keep everything cold.  So far it's holding the temperature very well as we travel during the day.

Saturday morning we left for Gunter Hill, a Corps of Engineer campground near Montgomery, AL.
I had made a reservation and picked a site on their site map that seemed to be overlooking the water.  It was a very nice site, but there were trees and bushes between me and the water.  The next day we took a walk around the loop and I got my "water fix".   The site that was closest to the view of the water was also far from the bathhouse, so I made the right choice after all.

We spent Saturday and Sunday there, then left on Monday to travel to Blue Bluff COE campground in Aberdeen, MS.  We have found that a day of rest after driving a day keeps us from wearing ourselves out.  My choice of a site at Blue Bluff was perfect - right on the water.  This was my view
from my chair. Onone of his walks, Gene met Mike. from MA who is starting out on traveling in his Scamp tow trailer.  We spent the afternoon sharing about places we've been and rode with him to Penny Lane Java in Aberdeen for lunch/dessert.
It's a delightful little place with good food and reasonable prices.  The proprietor, Nicole, has been the owner for 10 years and is a lifetime resident of Aberdeen.  Back to the campground and we stopped at Mike's site so I could see inside his Scamp.  I'm so jealous!  He has a shower!  and not one that you have to pull the curtain out into the aisle.  The Scamp had a lot more room than I had imagined, but since it's a tow along and we have no truck, I'd best stick with what we have.

Wednesday morning we were on the move again.  This time to Cherokee Landing near Middleton, TN.  When we found ourselves on narrow roads, we realized the GPS coordinates in the RPI book were incorrect.  Gene reprogrammed the GPS with the street address and we finally arrived.  A two hour trip turned into three.  Such are the joys of RV'ing.

Tomorrow we'll head out again for West Plains, then Mansfield, MO. 

I really am delighted to be on the road again in spite of GPS glitches.  Don't our smiling faces show it? 

So, until my next post, safe travels and God's blessings to all our friends and family.