TRAVELING ON TO FLORIDA
Yesterday was our last day at Davis Bayou Campground in Ocean Springs, MS.  We so enjoyed our time there, taking nature walks (we walked 35 miles last week!!!), and chatting with our camping neighbors.  Brian and Susan camped next to us; they have been full-time RVing for a few years and they willingly shared helpful hints about the lifestyle.  They were also avid bicyclists, and Brian showed George their foldable bikes that folded so compactly that they fit easily into the storage area of an RV.  Well, you know how George likes his toys, so we looked for a local bike shop.  Wouldn't you know it, as soon as we walked in the door, there was a used foldable bike just like Brian's!  It was in excellent condition and a really good price, so we bought it.

George demonstrating his new foldable bike

I'm not much of a biker, so I'm not sure I'll test this one out.  I may look for a foldable 3-wheeler.  We'll see.

This morning we left for Fort Pickens Campground, near Pensacola, FL.  We traveled through Alabama, and arrived safely in Florida about 2 PM.  It was a pleasant and brief (2 1/2 hours) ride.

The campground is actually located on a barrier island in between Pensacola and the Gulf of Mexico.  Our site was super easy to back in to (easy for me to say, as I just tell George when to stop backing up and he does all the maneuvering); it was a straight shot back from the main road for our loop.  We are surrounded by interestingly-shaped shade trees, and our "back yard" is a walking trail that leads to the actual fort of Fort Pickens.  We have a good size area in the back for Licorice and Taffy.  

Here's our site, A029. 

After setting up, George put my hammock together and I relaxed for awhile, watching the clouds float by above the shade trees.

I actually could hear the waves hitting the beach from this vantage point.  Ahhhh!  

With the waves calling us, we just had to take a walk on the beach.  It's a clean, undeveloped beach with soft white sand.  We saw an armadillo (I never saw a live armadillo before in its natural surroundings) and some cute sandpipers scurrying around.

Living the dream!  

PEACEFUL DAYS
We're finding our rhythm adjusting to this new lifestyle.  The last two days we spent mostly at the campground, taking long walks (we walked 6 miles yesterday and almost 5 miles today) and enjoying the landscape of southern Mississippi.  As the hours of daylight lengthen, we are seeing more budding of the trees.  Saw the alligator again today, but in a little different position. 

This was the first time I ever saw an alligator resting on turtles.  If I were one of those turtles, I think I would be a little anxious! 

George made fried chicken tonight over the campfire.  It was really tasty.

After dinner, the aroma from the outdoor cooking attracted some hungry critters.

This little raccoon was not timid at all.  Walked right through our campsite as we sat by the campfire.  There were actually two of them, but I could only get a picture of this one. 

BILOXI
Yesterday we took a drive to Biloxi, MS, where my father used to meet his friends for their annual golf outing.  I wonder which of the many golf courses he used to frequent.  It was a lovely drive along the soft sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.  We toured the home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States.

This is a portrait of Jefferson Davis

The home's name is "Beauvoir" which means "Beautiful View", which it has.  It is right on the Gulf of Mexico

Here we are sitting on the front porch of this historic home, enjoying the view ourselves

After the Civil War, Jefferson Davis was convicted of treason, lost his citizenship, and was sent to prison for 2 years.  Jimmy Carter re-instated Davis' citizenship during the time of his presidency.  

NEW ORLEANS

Today we took a ride to New Orleans, Louisiana, just to experience this quirky place.  Plus I wanted to add another state to our travel map.

We stopped for lunch; had a cup of gumbo and a po boy shrimp sandwich.  Afterwards we visited the Cafe du Monde and had one of their famous beignets.  Delicious!  I'm sure I exceeded my weight watchers' points for today.

Here's some other historical sights of the city:

Jackson Square

The Cathedral

The Riverwalk

DAVIS BAYOU CAMPGROUND, OCEAN SPRINGS, MS
We moved from Whitten Park Campground, Fulton, MS, to Davis Bayou Campground, Ocean Springs, MS on Saturday, February 29.  The sun was shining brightly all the way and the temperature reached a welcomed 72 degrees.  Ahhhh.  Nothing like the warmth of sunshine!  Here is our campsite:

Once George was able to maneuver into this spot, it was nice.  We did meet some challenges when we arrived at the campground.  First, our CoPilot GPS app took us to a gate for the park that was closed, and George had to back the camper up down a residential street and then make a 3 point turn to get to the correct entrance.  Our backup camera definitely came in handy in that situation.  Once we got into the campground, our site was at a 90 degree angle to the road, with low-hanging trees above, and a post directly across from the site entry.  It took a few attempts to back the rig into the site, and a little help from another camper.  Mike from Iowa kept additional eyes on the obstacles around us so we wouldn't hit any of them!  Thank goodness for friendly campers! 

Yesterday was spent grocery shopping and relaxing.  Note in the picture above that George set up the hammock for me.  It's in a perfect shady place. I can lie there and watch the clouds float by or watch the birds with binoculars. 

Today we took the dogs for a 3+ mile hike, under the canopy of mature trees.  So peaceful!

We even saw a few gators along the bayou.  Can you spot them?

We made sure Licorice and Taffy did not get too close to the water.  The gators were about 3 feet in length.  They were not too active.  They seemed to be enjoying the sunshine, too.

We also drove over to Ocean Springs Beach on the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon.  It's about 4 miles from our campground. The water was cold, so no one was swimming.  The bridge behind me leads to Biloxi, MS. 

This evening, George made fried chicken on a cast iron skillet over a campfire.  Topped it off with diced potatoes that we cooked in tin foil over the fire, and a salad.  Delicious.  All in all, a great day!  We are feeling so blessed!

The sun came out today, so we were doing the happy dance. 

TRIP TO TUPELO
Spent most of the day in Tupelo, Mississippi today.  They have an impressive Viet Nam Veteran Memorial Park.

Tupelo is also the proud birthplace of Elvis Presley. He was born in a two-room house that his father built for $180.  I also learned that Elvis was a twin, but his brother died at birth.  Elvis lived in this simple home with his parents until he was 13 years old.  At that time, his parents and he relocated to Memphis Tennessee.  

George shook the hand of the young 13 year old Elvis

I was jamming with the Rock Star!

TRAVELING SOUTH
We left Shawnee National Forest Tuesday morning and made our way to Whitten Park Campground in Fulton, Mississippi. These are the states we drove through:

Ok, I missed the “Welcome to Tennessee” road sign, so this is the best I could do. 

Whitten Park is a beautiful Corp of Engineer wooded campground overlooking the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Sites are level and paved, with 50 amp service and water spigots at each site. They even have laundry facilities so I was able to do a few loads this morning. So convenient!  This is our site:

With our senior pass, the fee is only $11/nite. Quite the deal!  We had sunshine and 60 degrees yesterday. Trees are starting to blossom out.  Eager for Springtime. 

Today the clouds and cooler weather returned. We visited the Corp of Engineer’s Historical  Center which is on the grounds of the campground:

Watch out for those snakes!