4/19/16 Mississippi and Alabama

Love driving on I-10 which is flat and pretty scenic once you get out of West Texas.   A morning drive into Mississippi to Davis Bayou Campground in Gulf Islands National Seashore Park and another state sticker gets added to our RV travel map. What a find this small campground nestled among dense forest beside the bayou.  We watched osprey catch and eat their dinners while kayaking among the swallows and jumping mullet.  

Gulf State Park Shore

Big winds expected later today so we depart early for the short drive to Alabama's Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. Long late afternoon walks on the beach remind us of what we will be doing once settled into our new condo overlooking Misquamicut Beach. Of course Deb picks up pretty shells while John finds chunks of dried oil and shells coated in black.  It has been 6 years to the day since the horrific BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the flora and fauna in this part of the Gulf and the economy of nearby communities.  Oil flowed for 87 days spilling an estimated 5 million barrels. Although it looks beautiful now, oil contaminated 1,300 miles of shore line from Texas to Florida, where they continue to find significantly high levels of birth defects and low reproductive rates among fish and wildlife.

John, Linda and Steve

We visit old friends Steve and Linda I., spending the night at their lovely home in Fairhope, Alabama.  John and Steve served together on the USS Guitarro in the early 70's and we hung out with them when they moved to Connecticut in the late 70's.  We had 30 years of catching up to do and realized, crap, we are getting old!   Note the beautiful grey hair on these lovely ladies. Deb let hers grow out over the past year, deciding to get through this ugly stage while on the road and away from friends and family.  She had to cheat a little and have the front "salt" streaked with "pepper" to match the back.  


While driving near Mobile, John notes that his Great Great Grandfather (another John H.) fought in the Civil War at the Battle of Mobile Bay as part of the Minnesota 7th Infantry Regiment.  His mother gave him a 2 volume book published in 1888, "History of Minnesota Regiments in the Civil and Indian Wars", which was signed by this Grandfather.  How cool is that!

Debra's RV Workstation

It's somewhat melancholy as we add Alabama, the last state sticker to our map while on this Freedom Folly.   After this point, we will not be camping in any states we have not already visited. That leaves only Utah, Tennessee, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alaska to explore on future folly's.  Oh yes, and Hawaii for which we will have to buy RV pontoons. 
  
Progress on the condo seems to be speeding up.  At this rate can't believe it will really take till February to finish up.  

Windows In and Deck Almost Done