2. EXPLORING THE GULF COAST

Day 5: Thursday, March 15

Stayed up late last night - in part because I had excellent TV reception and could watch favorite shows - Ed, West Wing, Law & Order, but also because there were severe weather warnings. Sure enough, strong winds that shook the Westy and very heavy rains. Tornado warnings. Fixed a dinner of snacks and went to sleep by midnight. Woke up a few times because of the shaking and thunder, but all in all slept quite well until about 6:30 AM.

The temperature dropped into the high fifties, but was 65F by the time I crawled out of the sleeping bag. The morning shower in the clean bathhouse was OK - spotless shower stall, but a weak water flow. I wonder how much it would add to operating costs, if the State of Florida would provide a rich stream of water.

Headed west on SR 297 and crossed over to Perdido Key - which is being built up but still has some lovely beaches. SR 292, SR 182, SR 135 and SR 180 (all with scenic sections) brought me to Fort Morgan and the ferry ($12.50) to Dauphin Island/Fort Gaines. A very pretty area, especially with the sun shining. Then on to Mobile and a visit of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

The tour of the battleship is quite interesting, but not as illuminating as the battleship North Carolina anchored at Wilmington, NC. I was more impressed with the tour of the submarine USS Drum - it is just unbelievable that 72 officers and enlisted men fit into this 312' long vessel which earned 12 battle stars during WWII.

Went west on US 90 to Pascagoula, Gautier, Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian, and Waveland. Had traveled part of this road during my 1999-1 trip and didn't particularly like it. It had been raining then, and I thought that I might like it better in sunshine. NO. Unless you are into casinos, tacky motels, and heavy travel - avoid the area. Stay on I-10 and take backroads to Pass Christian.

Pass Christian used to be a playground for wealthy plantation owners and the aristocracy of New Orleans, and beautiful homes (well-maintained to this day and not converted into bed-and-breakfasts or funeral parlors) reflect it. Traffic is heavy and aggressive.

Beyond Pass Christian is the Bay St. Louis, the town of Waveland and the Buccaneer State Park - a good stop for the night. The pull-through sites are like a parking lot, but the back-in sites in the west loops are quite nice and offer a bit of privacy. The "primitive" area in the back is especially nice - the sites also have water and electricity, but tend to be flooded after a major rain. The park also has an abundance of mosquitos - I don't think I'll grill tonight. Cost for my site - water only - is $8.00. They are modem-friendly, a change from two years ago. Went to bed at 10 PM and slept well.

Drove 245 miles today, was en route for 8 1/2 hours - including 2 hours for visiting the ships. Watched the odometer of the van turn over and register 100,000 miles. Bought gas in Alabama for $1.419/gal (it's cheaper in Mississippi) and averaged 18.5 mpg for the last tank.

Day 6: Friday, March 16

Slept until 6:30 AM and awoke to an outside temperature of 60F - up from the night's low of 55F. Enjoyed a lengthy shower in the good bathhouse, had breakfast in the van (the mosquitos were also out and looking for breakfast) and then availed myself of the campground's modem phone line to receive e-mail and to upload.

Was on the road by 9:15 AM, headed west on US 90, I-10. and I-12 to Baton Rouge. Jumped off I-12 because of construction work and took US 192 instead. Cruised around the capitol area for a while - the azaleas were in full bloom and absolutely beautiful.

Continued on I-10 to Breaux Bridge and took SR 31 to St. Martinville. Visited the very interesting Longfellow-Evangeline State Commemorative Area, including the 1815 DuClozel plantation house.

18 miles southeast of St. Martinville was my destination for the day, the Lake Fausse Point State Park. Got the last remaining site and paid $6.00 (after Golden Access 50% discount) for it. Water and electricity included, also an abundance of mosquitos. Bathhouse looks well maintained and clean.

Spent the early evening working on the van - new windshield wipers, cleaning, some rewiring behind the dashboard, and then fled indoors because of the skeeters. Used the microwave to fix a dinner of hot dogs, ate some fruit, worked on the journal, and then watched TV.

Drove 205 miles today and was en route for 6 1/2 hours. The sun was out most of the time, and the temperature climbed into the mid-seventies.

Day 7: Saturday, March 17

Woke up at 6:15 AM to cloudy skies and a temperature of 55F - the night's low. Enjoyed a good shower - plenty of hot water, clean bathhouse, and the stalls were equipped with soap dishes.

Was on the road by 8:15 AM and spent the next few hours getting lost. In some way the parish road signs, DeLorme's directions, the state map, the compass in the van, and my sense of direction just never managed to agree. Visited New Iberia twice, although I hadn't planned to go there at all. Finally gave up and just followed the compass - south and west were acceptable choices, all other signs were ignored. Ultimately ended up on SR 82, a rather attractive little road that is the southernmost paved road along the Gulf in Louisiana. It took me through the Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge to Cameron, where I had to wait for a ferry to take me across. To my great surprise - out here in the middle of nowhere, my Sprint PCS phone received a clear signal. Was able to call home and let Antje know my whereabouts.

SR 82 then goes past Holly Beach - a good vista - and on to Port Arthur, TX, where it becomes SR 87 and SR 73. Used SR 124 to go to High Island, Gilchrist and the ferry to Galveston. The road has some scenic parts.

The ferry across Galveston Bay is great - well organized to move a large number of vehicles in a minimum of time, and it's free. Enjoyed a quick drive through Galveston and found my way to the Galveston Island State Park, where $15 got me a water & electric site with a picnic shelter and fire ring/grille. Unfortunately, it was too windy and too cold (58F) to enjoy the outdoors. The beach is right by the campground.

Drove 395 miles today instead of the 300 miles that Map 'n Go had calculated. Was on the road for 9 3/4 hours instead of the 8 hours in my travel plan. Oh well, the price we pay for not asking for directions . . . Bought gasoline in Louisiana for $1.329/gal and averaged 17.3 mpg on the last tank.

Day 8: Sunday, March 18

Well, I started my trip - In Search of Warmth and Sunshine III - a week ago, and must admit to failure. No full day of sunshine so far, and the thermometer has climbed into the seventies only a few times. Today was no exception --- a cold night (45F), a little bit of sunshine midday, cold and cloudy the rest of the time.

Slept late this morning, took a quick shower in the unattractive bathhouse, scrambled a couple of eggs for breakfast, and was on the road by 10:00 AM. Drove around the historic section of Galveston for a while -a quite attractive business district and several residential sections with Victorian houses that have been beautifully restored. Then hit the local Wal-Mart Supercenter to restock the pantry and buy stuff for the van, then headed west on FM 3005 for the drive to Freeport. A good road to take, little traffic, an enjoyable absence of the tacky motels and beachfront shops so prevalent in Florida.

Took backroads to find my way to Palacios, then SR 35 to Port Lavaca, Tivoli, and the Goose Island State Park (east of Rockport.) Two years ago I tried to get into the park, but there weren't any sites available. This time around there is no warm sunshine, but there were plenty of available sites. $15, including water, electric. fire ring, picnic table.

The sites are very private --- set back from the road and surrounded by small trees, shrubs, and bushes.

Made camp at 3:45 PM - was on the road for all of 5 3/4 hours (220 miles). Temperature of 63F, which dropped into the low fifties after sundown. The day's high was all of 65F! Bought gasoline in Port Lavaca at $1.299/gal and averaged 18.3 mpg on the last tank.

It's cold and drizzly outside, so I'll heat up some soup tonight and go to bed early. TV reception is poor.

Day 9: Monday, March 19

Woke up at 6:00 AM to a cloudy sky and an outside temperature of 48F. Turned up the thermostat and crawled back into my sleeping bag for another hour of sleep. Was on the road by 8:15 AM and drove across Copano Bay - quite scenic. Stopped in Rockport for an oil change and to have the van washed. Then on to Corpus Christie and a tour of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. I was quite touching to follow a family where the grandfather explained to the little ones that he had served on this ship in the fifties - and have him point out the berth he slept in.

Corpus Christie doesn't have much of a "downtown" -- but the drive along the seawall is worthwhile. Drove along the bay all the way out to the Naval Air Station, well worth having to backtrack back into the city to connect with US 77 and the long drive to Harlington and the turnoff to Port Isabel and Padre Island.

Drove around Padre Island -- the Texas version of Miami Beach -- and headed back to Port Isabel and the Port Isabel Park Center. An OK campground -- mostly open sites without much privacy, but a clean bathhouse, modem friendly, and the very reasonable rate of $11 for water, electricity, sewer, and cable TV. Definitely the best place to stay in this area without having to pay resort prices.

Spent two hours working on the van -- retaping the heat ducts and trying to remove road tar/oil. Then enjoyed an evening of cable TV before going to bed at 10 PM.

Drove 250 miles today, was en route for 7 1/2 hours. The sun came out around noon and the temperature climbed into the mid-seventies. The weather forecast indicates more sun and warm temps for the next few days - Spring is springing and -- just maybe -- the search for warmth and sunshine is coming to an end.

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