Chasing the Sun Along the Gulf Coast

While nor’easters pounded New England and blizzard conditions paralyzed much of the upper Midwest, we spent February in central Florida, enjoying some balmy 80 degree days.  Then, on the first day of March, we headed west to continue our adventures along the Gulf Coasts of the Florida panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi.  Weather there, we knew, would be a little more seasonal, with warm days but cool nights.  We planned to spend a week in each of four parks along the Gulf, and then start home at the beginning of April.

Spectacular sunset taken along one of the boardwalks at Gulf State Park, Orange Beach, AL

Our first stop was to be a one-nighter at Suwannee River State Park, near Tallahassee.  We were told we would have a pull-through site, and we did.  The only problem was that it was circular, with a large tree in the center of the circle, and since our trailer, itself, doesn’t bend in the middle, there was no way to get around the tree without taking out the right side of the trailer.  And as much as we would have enjoyed the area, with its remnants of steamboats that once plied the river and its Confederate defensive positions, designed to keep Federal gunboats from reaching the state capital, we moved on, putting Suwannee River State Park behind us.  Sadly, it was not going to be home for these old folks.  (Yep, you’re humming “way down upon the Suwannee River…” right now, aren’t you?)

The Suwannee River was made famous by 19th century
composer Stephen Foster, who misspelled it Swannee in
his song.  Ironically, Foster never laid eyes on the river.

The Suwannee was once a busy steamboat route from the Gulf of
Mexico. Now only the ghosts of the crews and these old iron pieces -
a paddle wheel and the driveshaft from a side-wheeler - remain

Topsail Hill State Preserve near Destin was our next destination.  We’ve stayed there in the past, and it is one of our favorite parks and campgrounds in Florida.  We had a spacious site among towering pine trees, close to the walking and biking paths that lead to white sugar sand beaches.  The park boasts 3.2 miles of Gulf of Mexico beach frontage.  If you don’t care to walk or ride your bike on the almost-one-mile trek from the campground to the beach, the park provides a free tram that runs every hour (more frequently in the summer) on a paved road that is closed to all motorized vehicles except the tram and park maintenance trucks.

The flags flying at Topsail beach indicate "moderate hazard" (yellow
flag) and "dangerous marine life" (blue flag).  This day, the
"dangerous marine life" was jellyfish all over the beach

It is illegal to walk on the dunes, so a quarter-mile boardwalk crosses from a
parking lot full of bicycles to the beach.  We did observe a deer walking and
grazing on the little bit of scrub brush on the dunes.

Topsail beach on a very windy day. On this day, the
red warning flag was flying, indicating "high hazard".

Our campsite at Topsail, a fantastic full-hook-up campground.
The campground was originally privately owned, but the State
of Florida bought it in order to expand Topsail Hill State Preserve.

Seaside, Florida, a cute little town near Topsail Hill State
Preserve, has a row of about 10 Airstream travel trailers along
the street, which have been converted to stationary food trucks

Extensive boardwalks allow access to the beach while keeping the impact on the sand dunes to a minimum.  There are ten miles of hiking and biking trails in the park, one of which leads to Campbell Lake, a “coastal dune lake.”  These rare geological features are found in dunes ecological systems in only a few places in the world.  Southern Walton County has fifteen of them; two are located within the boundaries of Topsail Hill State Preserve.

Campbell Lake.  These rare fresh water lakes that sometimes "blow out"
(breach) and drain into salt water seas can only be found in Madagascar,
Australia and New Zealand, the Oregon coast, and Walton County, Florida 

Big Lagoon State Park, our next destination, is only about two hours west of Topsail, but it offers a completely different approach to “natural” Florida.  Comprised of 705 acres along the intercoastal waterway, the park is surrounded on three sides by water, swamps and salt marshes.  All of the Florida State Parks have signs warning of alligators; in this park you really feel like the signs are true.  Snakes, too, frequent the swampy ground in the center of the park.  Adding to the “close to nature” feel of Big Lagoon, amenities like paved sites – sites are mostly sand – and sewer hook-ups are absent.  Boardwalks arch over the marshland in the park.  One leads to an observation tower at East Bay.  The four-story observation tower offers panoramic views of the intercoastal waterway, Perdido Key and the towering bridge leading to it, and a portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Four-story observation tower at Big Lagoon State Park. The long, low strip
of land on the other side of the ICW is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore

Part of the lagoon for which Big Lagoon State Park is named.
Big Lagoon State Park was established in 1977

And they aren't kidding.  Just below the sign you can
see some of the wire fencing that keeps the alligators
off of the boardwalk

The Water Moccasin (a.k.a. Cottonmouth) is a venomous snake, a species
of pit viper, found primarily (but not always) in the Southeastern U.S.

We saw eagles and osprey all along the Gulf Coast, but this park seemed to
have an over-abundance of them, perhaps because of its undeveloped nature

An osprey sits on a branch, overlooking the lagoon.

Nests are made of sticks and lined with softer material such
as grass or sod. The male collects most of the material, while
while the female arranges it and actually builds the nest.

High in a tree, this osprey clutches, rips apart and eats a rather
large fish that the bird picked up out of the water of the ICW

We saw this original, un-restored 1962 Shasta in Big Lagoon State Park.  The
couple who own it are from Wisconsin.  It was the wife's parents' trailer, and was
handed down to the present owners. It is a bumper-pull travel trailer, but has a
front overhang, giving it the appearance of a fifth-wheel trailer 

Big Lagoon State Park is located ten miles from downtown Pensacola, and only about two miles from the west gate of Naval Air Station, Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels, and site of the National Naval Air Museum, and the Pensacola Light.  The precision fliers were still in California while we were there, so we didn’t get to see them.  We made a return visit to the Naval Air Museum, which we had previously written about

http://ramblings-and-rumblings.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-forgotten-coast.html

but we also wanted to see the Pensacola Light, which we hadn’t seen before.  The conical-shaped black-and-white tower, built in 1859, is the third iteration of what originally started out as a light ship, the Aurora Borealis, stationed at the mouth of Pensacola harbor.  The present day lighthouse still serves as a navigational aid to vessels entering the harbor.

The Pensacola "Light"' (Lighthouse). Every lighthouse
is painted in different colors and patterns, making each
one distinguishable in the daytime from far out at sea

Gulf Islands National Seashore stretches 160 miles along three coastal states, and encompasses parts of the coastal mainland as well as seven barrier islands off of Florida and Mississippi (none of the islands off the coast of Alabama are included).  Individual access points along the seashore are known as “units.”  Perdido Key is one such “unit.”  It is a barrier island that is composed of white, fine quartz sand and provides a habitat for nesting sea turtles.

A short drive across Perdido Key takes you into Alabama and the cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.  Located in Orange Beach, Gulf State Park boasts a large 496-site full-hook-up campground, access to beautiful beaches, and over twenty-six miles of hiking and bike trails.   We took an introductory kayaking class on the park’s Shelby Lake and thoroughly enjoyed it…we may have found our new hobby!

Our site in Gulf State Park. Though the campground has almost 500 sites, they
are very spacious and you don't feel like you are jammed in right on top of your
neighbor.  We've stayed here a number of times and really like this park..

Gulf State Park has over 25 miles of paved
biking and hiking paths and trails

The Nature Center includes a living museum of plants that are
native to the Gulf Coast, like these water lilies.

Boardwalks cross park lakes and marshy land, and extend
across the highway to the pristine white sand beaches of the Gulf

We took an "Introduction to Kayaking" class on the park's Lake Shelby, and
thoroughly enjoyed it...so much so that we now own our own kayaks.

Gulf Shores is a popular spring break destination and summer vacation spot.  In addition to lots of “tourist” activities – amusement parks, t-shirt and beach-wear shops, and a huge outlet mall – the area has an abundance of restaurants.  One of our favorites is DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen for fresh fish at reasonable prices.  For “local” flavor and great home-style cooking, we tried – and liked – Roadkill Café in nearby Elberta, AL, where the owner periodically announces in a loud voice “If you are through eating and just sitting there flapping your gums, get up and move.  I've got people waiting for that table.”

The RoadKill Cafe.  Always a buffet, and you
might find yourself eating at a long table
with complete strangers - but, it's fun!

It is almost an hour’s drive from Orange Beach, around the north end of Mobile Bay, to several of the area’s most well-known attractions.  Battleship Memorial Park is where you will find the USS Alabama.  This WWII behemoth served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during the war, earning nine Battle Stars for meritorious achievement, and culminating with the “Lucky A” leading the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945.  Battleship Memorial Park also houses a collection of historic aircraft and the WWII submarine USS Drum.  Self-guided tours of the ship, the aircraft hanger, and the submarine are offered daily.

Standing on the bow, looking astern on the USS Alabama (BB-60), a South Dakota-class
battleship.  She is the sixth U.S. Navy ship to be named after the state of Alabama. The
hanger to the right, with the American flag, houses a display of vintage aircraft.

Looking forward from amidships.  The USS Alabama was nicknamed the "Lucky A"
because during WWII, no American lives were lost aboard her due to enemy fire.

Mike and Yvonne on the bow of the "Lucky A."  The ship is 704 feet in length
at the waterline, with a 108 foot beam. She carried a crew of 1,793 men. 
She was commissioned February 16, 1942 and decommissioned January 9, 1947.

Further south and west, Bellingrath Gardens and Home showcases lovely seasonal gardens.  The fifteen-room mansion, built in 1935, is furnished with some original, but all period-correct, furniture; nearly twenty complete sets of china; and hundreds of pieces of fine Boehm porcelain figurines which Mrs. Bellingrath collected.

Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore, Alabama, near Mobile

Covering 65 acres, Bellingrath Gardens is a public garden
and the historic home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath

Mrs. Bellingrath began developing the gardens in 1927 with the help of landscape
architect George Bigelow Rogers. The gardens opened to the public in 1932

The property encompasses some 900 acres in total, along the Fowl River.
It was purchased by Walter Bellingrath in 1917 as a fishing camp

The 10,500 square foot home was completed in 1935 and features brick and
ironwork salvaged from the demolished circa 1832 Southern Hotel, in Mobile 

Mrs. Bellingrath's bedroom.  Mr. Bellingrath was one of the first
Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast, and they were very wealthy

A few of Mrs. Bellingrath's Boehm porcelain figurines. There are literally
hundreds of pieces, many in display cases in an upstairs hallway, but
much of the collection is displayed in a separate building on the grounds.

The kitchen.  Mr. and Mrs. Bellingrath had no children, but they entertained
extensively. Note that the kitchen has two stoves, one gas and the other electric.

The home boasts more than 20 complete sets of china, for every occasion
and for every season and holiday. A separate pantry housed an equally large
crystal collection and a flatware chest holding more than 300 pieces of silverware.

The living room.  Most of the furniture in the home is original. 
The house was opened to the public in 1956, following Mr. Bellingrath's
death in 1955, twelve years after his wife had died

Our friends Adrienne and Ralph had driven over from their campground
in Pensacola to spend the day touring with us 

USA Today included Bellingrath Gardens' Magic Christmas in Lights on its 2014 list
of the "10 Best Public Light Displays in America."  But spring is no slouch, either!

Leaving the gardens, we drove south, crossed the causeway to Dauphin Island, and took the ferry across the mouth of Mobile Bay, back to Gulf Shores and our camp site in Gulf State Park.

Next stop:  Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, Mississippi.  This park was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.  It took just over ten years to rebuild it, and the park re-opened about three years ago, with everything new:  pool, restrooms and showers, laundry, camp store, and all new full-hook-up sites.  We actually stayed here before, within a month of its re-opening.  On that visit, the pool had not yet been completed.  The park is very busy on weekends.  Within a half-hour drive of Biloxi and Gulfport, and just a bit further to New Orleans, it is a favorite of locals, especially families with younger children.  The beach, nearby casinos and several family-friendly restaurants in and around Bay St. Louis also attract visitors to the park.

Our site at Buccaneer State Park. The campground and the water park
adjacent to it were both totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

The beaches near Buccaneer State Park are nice,
but do not have the pristine white sand that is found
further east, toward Biloxi and Gulfport 

Bay St. Louis has some good restaurants, including several that overlook
the City Marina.  The bridge on the left side of the picture crosses Bay St. Louis
and continues east along the Gulf to Gulfport and Biloxi.

Moonset.  The second full moon of the month of March,
known as a "blue moon" was just setting over the park's
swimming pool about 6:00 am when this picture was taken

Historic “Beauvoir” in nearby Biloxi was the post-war home of Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederate States of America.  Davis lived in the home from 1876 until his passing in 1889.  Situated on fifty-one acres, the plantation was named for the spectacular view it afforded of the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico – “Beauvoir” literally translates as “beautiful view”.  Although it suffered substantial damage during Katrina, with water standing eight feet deep on the first floor, windows blown out, and the front porch ripped off, the basic structure of the house survived.  It has since been beautifully restored.  The home, the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library, and a very interesting museum now occupy the property.

In 1875, Sarah Dorsey, who owned the estate, invited Jefferson Davis and his family
to live in a cottage on the property while he wrote his memoirs.  Dying of cancer
in 1878, Mrs. Dorsey re-wrote her will, bequeathing the estate to Jefferson Davis.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina severely damaged, but did not
demolish Beauvoir.  Restoration began in 2006 and the building was
restored to look like it did when President Davis lived there.  It
was re-opened to the public on June 3, 2008, Davis' 200th birthday.

In 1902, the property was sold to the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization,
with the stipulation that it be used as a Confederate state veterans' home.  When the
last veteran living there passed away in 1953, the home was turned into a museum  

On December 6, 1889, former Confederate President and former United
States Senator from Mississippi, Jefferson Davis, died in New Orleans
of acute bronchitis. His funeral was one of the largest ever in the South,
while the Federal Government "officially" ignored his passing.

NASA – the name invokes images of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, or the Lyndon Johnson Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, but NASA has an important presence located right off of I-10 in western Mississippi.  The John C. Stennis Space Center is named for the seven-term U.S. Senator from Mississippi, an early supporter of President Kennedy’s commitment to put a man on the moon within a decade.  The facility’s large steel-and-concrete test platforms were initially used to test-fire the first and second stages of the Saturn V rockets, the vehicles used to launch the Apollo missions.   Starting in 1971, all Space Shuttle main engines were test-fired at the facility.  After testing, rocket engines were loaded on barges and transported to the Florida “Space Coast” for launch.  Today, over 30 local, state, national, international, private, and public companies and agencies are using SSC as their rocket testing facilities.

The Apollo lunar program was cancelled following the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.
The five engines of this Saturn V rocket had already been tested at SSC and would
have been used for the next Apollo launch, had the program continued.  For a perspective
of how big the rocket is, that is Mike in the orange shirt, standing at the rear of the trailer.
When fully assembled and ready to launch, the rocket would have been 363 feet tall.

On the morning of April 23, 1966, five J-2 engines, the second stage of the
Saturn V rocket, were static tested on the A 2 Test Stand, pictured here. 
This marked the start of the Apollo Lunar Program  

Apollo 4 Command Module was launched November 9, 1967.  It was unmanned and
was primarily used to test the thermal protection on re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.
Its launch marked the first time that the Saturn V rocket was used in the Apollo program.

Co-existing with the high tech nature of the SSC, the visitor's center
features a number of flower and butterfly gardens

The Stennis Space Center is easily accessed by taking Exit 2 off of I-10, near the Mississippi/Louisiana state line.  At the same exit is a Mississippi Welcome Center, and mounted on a concrete pedestal at the edge of the parking lot is a 30-foot tall mock-up of a Luner Lander…the actual piece of equipment used as a training module by the crew of Apollo 13.  Apollo 13 was scheduled to be the third mission to actually land on the surface of the moon.  As we all know, an explosion in an on-board oxygen tank two days into the mission caused the lunar landing to be scrubbed and the mission aborted.  It was nothing short of a miracle that the crew made it safely back to earth.

Paraphrased incorrectly in the movie, Astronaut Jack Swigert really said "Okay, Houston
we've had a problem here."  When asked to repeat the transmission, Swigert responded
"Uh, Houston, we had a problem."  With those words, Apollo 13's mission was aborted, and the
astronauts never got to make the moon landing they had practiced in this training mock-up.

So, now it is April.  Easter has come early, and spring can’t be far behind.  We head for home.  As we motor north on I-55, the outside temperature display on our dash keeps dropping.  On our final night out, we stop at a campground in Sikeston, Missouri, with plans for dinner at Lambert’s Café, the original “home of throwed rolls.”  With torrential rains and a forecast for freezing temperatures in the St. Louis area for the next several days, we purchase three gallons of RV anti-freeze from the campground store and re-winterize our trailer before we make the final 175-mile run home.  We were fortunate to have spent "the winter that just wouldn’t end” in the warmth, chasing the sun along the gulf coast, collecting more incredible memories and amazing Road Stories.

Buzz Lightyear's famous catchphrase is memorialized as you
leave the Visitor's Center of the John C. Stennis Space Center