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Garbage Bandit, Brett Favre and Café du Monde


November 1-30, 2017 — After a busy travel month in October we were ready for a break and downtime in November. We stayed on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi for the first two weeks of the month then slowly traveled west ending in Winnie, Texas. We had never been in this area of the US before so took many trips in the Kia Soul exploring and learning about life on the coast. Sixteen nights were spent at a National Seashore park and four at a Louisiana State Park. It was our first time ever staying at a state park and chose that location as it was close to New Orleans. The remaining ten nights were free stays at Walmart, two casinos and a county park. It was a humbling month as we were exposed to hurricane damage all along the coast. Some of the damage was from 2017 but much of it was resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As we move west through Texas we will see more devastating damage from Hurricane Harvey.

USS Alabama Battleship aka the “Lucky A” at the Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. The guns on the ship are HUGE!! Touring the ship in person makes one appreciate the sacrifices our veterans made even more than any picture or video can. The USS Drum submarine is also open to tour at the park. Put this on your must-see list when in the area!

Great art festival in Ocean Springs, MS!

Bamahenge near Elberta, AL. It’s a replica of the famous prehistoric Stonehenge in England.

T Rex and his friends hanging out near Elberta, AL by Bamahenge. Not exactly what you would expect to see at the edge of the woods when driving in Alabama. 

An oil platform near Fort Morgan, AL.

Kiln, MS. Home of the Gunslinger and fellow Cheesehead Brett Favre. Go Pack Go!

Touchdown Wisconsin Badgers!!

Added a cell booster to the Vegas. Sometimes you just need more power!

Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours in Moss Point, MS. Very interesting and informative tour. Several of the alligators even smiled for the camera.

We took an airboat ride while at the Gator Ranch in Moss Point, MS. Loved it! We only saw one alligator in the swamps as it was a chilly day. 

Beautiful day for a walk in the sand near Biloxi, MS.

Hello Mr. Raccoon. This clever fellow was clever enough to get into a supposed ‘animal proof” dumpster. Sure he appreciated the bag of vegetable and fruit trimmings we deposited. 

Relaxing beach day near Pass Christian, MS.

Giant safety pin sculpture at the City Park Sculpture Garden in New Orleans, LA.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in New Orleans, LA. 24 miles of driving over the water on a bridge supported by 9500 concrete pilings. Sure glad they held up otherwise we would have been in for a long swim. 

State Park located on the north end of Lake Pontchartrain. Our first time ever staying in a state park. It was a good location to call home while touring New Orleans. 

Our campsite at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville, LA. Great place to catch up on laundry as the washing machines were free and dryers were $1 a load. Such a deal!

Café du Monde in New Orleans, LA where we had our first taste of beignets. Mmmm! Get there early to beat the crowds and be sure to walk to the back of the building to watch the assembly line making the pastries. It’s amazing!

Bourbon Street in New Orleans, LA. Pretty tame and family friendly during the day but no guarantees of the atmosphere in the evenings. 

Louisiana State Capitol building in Baton Rouge, LA. It is the tallest capitol in the United States at 450 feet and 34 stories. There is an observation deck on the 27th floor that offers views of Baton Rouge and the Mississippi River. 

Nothing like watching live horse racing 50 feet from your RV. So close you could feel the rumble as the horses flew by and, occasionally, get a good whiff of what they left behind. 

Thanks Texas for the big welcome!

The Rainbow Bridge in Port Arthur, TX. Deemed by some as the “scariest” bridge in Texas as it’s both the tallest and steepest in the state. 

Winnie Stowell Park in Winnie, TX. The park offers three free days of camping with a permit. Thanks Winnie, TX!