Day 44 – 6 a.m., still dark out, 66 degrees & humid. We’re up early in order to leave as early as possible. After getting the chores done and dumping we departed a little before 8:30, partly cloudy & 69 degrees. Leaving Georgia, going West thru part of the panhandle of Florida, and thru the lower part of Alabama to near Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is just a two-night stopover on our way to longer stays in Louisiana.
The terrain changed from long, flat, and very straight roads to more windy roads and some minorly hilly areas. Left a lot of the farmlands behind and saw more swampy areas as we neared the Gulf of Mexico. Less pines and more hardwoods. Encountered a huge traffic jam on I-10 and later a bunch of roadwork. The trip took us 6 hours including the traffic problems, lunch and gas stops. (Our Subway sandwiches were good, by the way, much better than the local Subway in New Paltz, NY.) And also we went from Eastern Standard Time to the Central Standard Time Zone. That was kinda nice as it gave us an extra hour which helped to make up for the long time spent on the road. This did not make a difference to the cats, though; they were not pleased with the trip!
Arrived at Camp Journey’s End at 2:30 p.m. (1:30 CST), partly cloudy and 79 degrees, breezy. This is a private campground rather than a State Park; we picked it due to its proximity to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, because they offered a Passport America discount, and it was in a good location to get us back on the Interstate headed towards our Louisiana destinations. Also, it was not a swank Gulf resort like many of the places we researched; most of them were quite expensive and potentially booked. When we made our reservation, we were told that the “famous” Bar-B-Que joint, The Shed, which was featured on “Best Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”, was right next door. Not a TV show we ever watched but it was interesting nonetheless. When we checked in, we found out they no longer gave the Passport America discount (due to, he said, imminent domain – the widening of Route 57 was causing them to lose ½ of the campground and they can no longer give a discount). The place was fairly run down with lots of permanent residents and stored vehicles here, so after being spoiled by these lovely State Parks which are much less expensive, we were given a site wedged between two trailers owned by smokers – so much for opening windows and getting fresh air. Although our windows were closed, there was lots of traffic noise from Route 57 which ran right by the campground. We’d looked forward to going out to eat at the infamous Shed – some real Mississippi BBQ – we hadn’t gone out to eat hardly at all since leaving home (saving money for New Orleans). Skipping ahead here, but after driving around doing the stuff described below, we went to The Shed for our long-awaited meal. Alas, they had only meat, meat, & more meat – no fish, no bar-b-que’d shrimp – just beef, pork, & chicken. So this place is a bit of a disappointment, but then again we know that these things will happen from time to time, and we’ve been awfully lucky so far!
Anyway, it’s supposed to be rainy tomorrow with thunderstorms and we wanted to see the area, particularly the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge which is very close to the campground. After unpacking and setting up, we headed back out. The Wildlife Refuge is one of the last remaining sanctuaries for the endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane. Just 20 years ago, there were only 30 breeding cranes left; now there’s around 100. They are large birds, full grown they are 4 feet tall with a 7 foot wingspan. They’re known for their courtship displays and the way they dance around each other at that time. We arrived at the Visitor Center at 2:50, just 10 minutes before they were going to close. But the wonderful woman volunteer spent some time with us drawing on a map where we might be able to find some of these birds. Although most of them have left for the season, she said if we went to the places on the map early in the morning, we may have some luck. We plan on going back out tomorrow morning, rain or shine, since we may not have the chance to see these birds again. So we’d get the lay of the land, we followed her map and checked out the area in preparation for tomorrow.
Horse and Cattle Egrets, Ocean Springs, MS
I had spoken with a woman when we checked in at the campground who told me that here along the Gulf, they were extremely effected by Hurricane Katrina and that Louisiana got all the publicity but Katrina wiped out their communities also. She’d asked where we were headed (southerners are extremely friendly and talkative), and I’d mentioned we were going to New Orleans and also wanted to see the areas that’d been hit by Katrina. She said to just go down to the Gulf here in MS and you could still see the damage, 12 years later. She also said that things have changed in New Orleans since the Hurricane and that it’s very dangerous now. Gangs walk the streets, don’t carry a wallet or a visible purse or you’ll be ripped off, don’t go anywhere off the main streets, don’t go out after dark, and the kayaks and bicycles we were carrying on our car were just advertisements waiting to be stolen. She said she knew someone who just went inside a cafe to get coffee and when they came out, their Sea-Doo’s were gone. She meant no harm, but now it has me wondering about going to New Orleans.
In case we don’t go to Ward Nine, etc., below New Orleans, we decided to go down to the Gulf here. The lady was right; although some homes have been rebuilt on very tall stilts overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, plenty of remnants of previous homes remain. It is very sad. It’s a lovely area with the Gulf on one side and the marshlands on the other, but the damage is still visible and signs on the streets say “Warning – This Area Can Flood in High Tide”. It was Rob’s first time seeing this body of water; I saw it as a child. We took a few pictures of birds, the scenic area, and the homes/devastation.
Gulf of Mexico from Ocean Springs, MS
Came back hungry by this time and found out The Shed wasn’t going to work out. Tried the Mexican Restaurant nearby. It was fine – not The Armadillo or Santa Fe (particularly Margarita-wise) but good enough for those who are too tired of never going out to be picky, LOL. Tomorrow is another day…….