2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12TH, 2017

Wednesday, April 12th, 2017

Odometer reading is 49223

9.00 a.m. we left our hotel in Meridian, Mississippi.  Gregg has just taken us a ride through downtown.  

We saw two prisoners dressed in prison garb.  The name of their correctional facility was on their shirts - didn't see what it is - and their trousers had wide, light green horizontal stripes.  They were using leaf blowers and cleaning up in front of the courthouse, doing general gardening work.  

We went by an old train station, nothing to do with the top photo but Gregg had read about it and wanted to take a quick look. I don't have any photos.  It had a railway car and a museum.  Gregg read up at the hotel about Meridian, and told me a few things as we drove through the city.  It was very interesting and I told him he would make a great tour guide.

11.20 a.m.  Meridian is behind us and we are on a very LONG road, Route 63.  Hardly any cars, the occasional crossroad but no towns visible.  Very flat country.  

11.24 a.m. we passed two more prisoners on each side of the road - recognized those green striped uniforms from the ones in Meridian.  They were picking up trash. A truck 30 yards away from them piled high with trash in the back.  The roads do look really clean around here.

1.12 p.m. we took a very nice walk along the Bayou Heron Road.  Beautiful trees and very happy butterflies, who didn't quit flapping their wings or settle long enough for a photo, but I got a wildflower.  I have to admit I wasn't getting a lot of success with photos along this trail.

But first we visited the 

Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center

and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  We were  in Mosa Point, Mississippi.  We had read about it.  You can click on the above link for information.  

We followed a couple of horseriders for a while and they moved onto the side so that we could pass.  One of the horses seemed very skittish, even before they knew we were there.  I was a little concerned, but the lady riding him was obviously very skilled as they waved for us to pass them.

The building is quite big.

There was a relatively short trail at the back 

and we did see bright green lizards....

dragonflies.....and the mosquitoes seemed to be getting bigger!

No birds yet.  The gentleman at the visitor center said they were late arriving.  

1.41 p.m. and we are going through Pascagoula, Mississippi.  We are seeing every fast food franchise imaginable, which includes waffle houses.

3.21 p.m. Gregg and I have just finished lunch at a restaurant called Snappers Seafood.  

It is on the Gulf of Mexico in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Gregg had a seafood gumbo which included one of his favorites - okra.....

and I had fish and chips with coleslaw.  

Our meals were very good but we absolutely loved the appetizer, cheese puppies.

 

They are not like a regular hush puppy.  On the outside they look like one but when you take a bite the melted cheese takes you by surprise, and it is delicious.  Added to the mozzarella/cheddar cheese mix, are little bits of Jalapeño. A little heat but not too much.  

I could not bring myself to try the alligator meat.  You can enlarge the menu and the red arrows I have added point to that particular item.  I truly wanted to try it but I am not an adventurous soul.  I would be very interested if anyone out there has and can tell me what it tastes like.  You can enlarge the photo to see other items on the menu.

On a somber note, this area was hit very hard by Hurricane Katrina. We still see signs of the devastation from 10 years ago.  The restaurant we were in was new.  On the wall is a photograph of what the restaurant used to look like, and right next to it is a photo of how it looked after Katrina.  There was nothing there, it was completely blown away, gone!  Inside it also showed a line painted on the wall where the surge of water reached, and we were on the second floor. 

The new place is now built on stilts.  In fact, many of the buildings we passed were built on stilts.  There was also a lot of open ground where buildings once used to be and have not been built on since.  I remember our son coming through Biloxi a year after Katrina and he was greatly shocked and saddened thinking of how awful this hurricane must have been for so many.  I still remember his phone call that night.

We are on our way to Lafayette, Louisiana.

4.40 p.m. We just passed into Louisiana and the mileage is 49473.  We have also just crossed the Pearl River.

5.58 p.m. we passed through Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana.

6.00 p.m. just saw a huge billboard for Angola Prison Rodeo? Click on the red link to learn more.

6.01 p.m. we just crossed the Mississippi River.  Gregg said we did this with my Mom and Dad when our son was 2 years old.  I remember the trip but I don't remember the bridge.  We are now officially in the west.

At 6.11 p.m. we have just driven 1400 miles.

6.23 p.m. a sign says Whiskey Bay 1 mile.

6.25 p.m. now passing over the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel.  (I am going to be looking up and reading about all these places once I get home.)

We have been traveling on a road that is elevated 30 feet above swampy ground.  Not only have we been driving over swamps but have also been crossing rivers for at least 20 plus miles.  

Now we are driving on regular roads next to rice fields.

(I guess I didn't write any more after this.)