Mississippi, Alabama

We were impressed by the plantation-style Rest Areas in Mississippi. This was actually a visitor's center but still very impressive. We stopped to get some info on campgrounds near the beach. The good one, Buccaneer, is still closed from hurricane Katrina damage. The one we found was not on the beach and not too spectacular but it was after dark and we were ready to stop.

We saw lots of cotton fields. Marian took me to a field for some closeup shots. Starting with the left pic: before the pod opens; next: pod is just opening; next: fully opened cotton pod; last: cotton 'modules'. They are not called cotton 'bales' anymore. Modules are larger than the old bales. They spray a defoliant on the plant before the can harvest the cotton. That is so the cotton is not colored green by a live plant; which decreases the value of the cotton. Marian remembers, as a child, having to get into the cotton containers and stomping it down to compact it. These modules are compacted by large equipment similar to the garbage trucks that compact the contents using hydraulics. I just think it is amazing that you can make clothing out of a plant!

This is our friend's, Gil and Marian's, 'nut farm'. We learned all about pecan farming...well, not 'all'. They made it look simple but they have been working at it for years and Gil is a natural when it comes to farming anything. They were very gracious hosts and we loved spending time with them, as usual! Their farm is a beautiful and peaceful place.

They treated us to all the sites in the area too. We saw Pensacola Beach. I guess this water tower is a 'must have' for the spring break picture-taking crowd. They took us to the Pensacola Naval Air Station. The lighthouse was closed but we toured the great museum. Don was interested in how those Navy guys adapt airplanes for use on the water.

They also took us on a boat tour to see dolphins! That was great fun. I couldn't believe how white the sand is on the east side of the Mississippi River! I grew up closer to Galveston and that beach sand is the color of mud (it's down-current of the Mississippi). The beach pic is at Gulf Shores, Alabama.

They fattened me up for days for the next outing; threatened to feed me to the alligators. We went to Alligator Alley. I held a 4-foot gator (after he taped his mouth shut)! One amazing fact we learned is that gators only eat about 10% of their body weight per year! This gator, on the right, is eating a chicken and that's probably the last thing he'll eat this year. How could you grow on that kind of a diet?

Gil and Marian drove us everywhere! But before we headed back west, we noticed our odometer rolled over 100,000 miles on the ole' Dodge.

Chicot State Park, Louisiana

We are making our way from east Texas to the gulf coast of Alabama. We hate to take the interstates the whole way. So we're taking some back roads. That comes with it's hazards though. We were busily looking for where to turn in a small town. We quickly got into the left turn lane and didn't notice we were too close to the intersection....until that big log truck came up to us, nose-to-nose and told us to back up. After we got out of that predicament, the slightly-impatient-sherrif pointed out the white line under our rear tires. :-}

Anyway, we found a nice state park about half way between Alexandria and Lafayette, Louisiana. Some of the sites have wooden decks. I'm thinkin' that's due to high water.
All the sites have electricity and water and are well shaded. We paid $16 for camping and a $3 "transaction" fee. I'm not sure if that's because I used a credit card or just because I paid - hahaha

The south campgrounds have a good wi-fi signal.

There is a pavillion down by the cypress swamp. The water is covered by tiny green plants that make it look like algae covers the surface.

There a rental cabins available, on the lake, for $70 - $90/night. I don't know how many they sleep. They have AC, screened porch, satellite tv, fishing dock, lake front. We saw lots of trailers at the boat ramp so the fishing must be good.

We give Chicot State Park an A+