Natchez

I spent two nights at Joe B. Johnson State Park just outside Hattiesburg, MS. I stayed one night here last year and liked it, so thought I’d settle in for two this time. There really is no sight seeing nearby, but I took the opportunity to catch up on laundry and shopping, and I received all the network tv channels, so watched some new fall shows both evenings. The Mississippi state parks are a pretty good deal for seniors, at just $15/night for electric/water sites. The campgrounds are typically well maintained and in nice, safe areas.

On Thursday, I drove on to Natchez State Park, which is located 10 miles north of Natchez, MS and just a mile off the Trace. I paid for three nights in Campground B and found a very nice site (26).  The campground was about 75% full over the weekend, but by Sunday evening, there were just four of us in the ~30 spaces. One evening we walked over two miles up the Campground A and back, and the next evening we walked down to Natchez Lake.

 I revisited some of the sights in Natchez that I had toured last year, including Melrose, William Johnson House, and the Natchez National Historic Park and Visitor Center. On Saturday, I drove north along the Trace, stopping at several of the NTP sites, then visiting Grand Gulf Military Park, Port Gibson, and the Windsor Ruins. I had seen all these spots last year but enjoyed going through them again.

In the Grand Gulf Military Museum

Windsor Ruins

Monday morning I packed up and drove the Parkway north to Jackson, where I set up in LeFleur’s Bluff State Park Campground. I was assigned site 4, but when I got there someone else had overstayed their reservation and was still occupying the site. I called the office and asked if I could back into site 1 (which was actually a bit nicer and facing Mayes Lake) and she said I could. I’ve got my AC going and picked up 35 TV stations, so I’m set for a couple of nights.

Celebration Weekend at Gulf Shores

We arrived at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama on Thursday afternoon. This is a very large state park campground, with nearly 500 sites. The park is immaculately maintained with roomy sites, and plenty of trees, grass and water (a lake as well as the seashore). Hanna and I walked around several of the loops, and settled in for the evening.

The next morning, I met Wendy and Denny for breakfast and catch up chatter. I decided to make a drive out to Fort Morgan that afternoon. Online reviews said the site was dog friendly, including the museum, so Hanna was excited to join me. Situated out on the end of Mobile point peninsula, the wind really howled, but we walked all around the grounds, checking out many batteries and magazine areas, lighthouse ruins, as well as the museum. The fort was active during the early 1800s and under the control of Confederate forces during the Civil War, when it was surrendered back to the US government in August 1864. It was once again an active military fort during WWII, serving as an ordinance depot. In 1947, it was deeded to the state of Alabama, and became a historical park.

I went to Wendy & Denny’s condo for an evening visit. The next morning, I did a few chores, and ran into Target for a couple of items. The anniversary party began at 4:00, and I enjoyed a wonderful celebration with friends and family of the happy couple. I got back to my camp just about bedtime.

The next day, I did preparations for my next leg of my journey: starting the Natchez Trace Parkway. I went back to the condo in the afternoon for leftover party food and the Cardinals’ football game. At 7:00, I said goodbye to my friends and headed back to Hanna and Minnie. I pulled out of the campground the next morning at 10:00, and drove to Paul Johnson State Park near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where I checked into a nice site for two nights.

Outrunning a hurricane

From Ft Stockton, we continued east to Canyon Lake just north of San Antonio, where we tucked into a beautiful Army Corps of Engineering campground. I’ve stayed in a few ACoE campgrounds and really like them. Some of them honor the NPS Senior pass with a 50% discount, but this one did not happen to. However, the week I was there, they were running a special, so I got a $15/night rate.

The next morning, I moved on toward Houston and ended up back in the same RV Park I stayed in last year when I visited Cindy in SugarLand. It rained lightly off and on all afternoon and evening, but there were enough breaks that Hanna and I got our walks in.

I knew I had enough leeway to spend two nights in another camp before my reservation in Gulf State Park, so I decided to drive to Fountainebleau State Park on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain the next day. It was ~350 miles from my SugarLand camp, so I got an early start. It was raining as I pulled out. Throughout the morning, not only did the rain continue, it increased. At some points, I had my wipers on the fastest rate, and traffic was slowed to 35mph on the freeway, where the speed limit was 65-70mph. My Nuvi gps routed me to the San Houston Tollway, but it was too congested and rainy to find my way off and deal with my navigation system, so I just sucked it up and paid the tolls ($15.75). I finally saw an option for getting off the toll road and took a city highway over to I-12.

It was a relief to get out of Houston and Beaumont traffic, but the rain was still pouring down and I soldiered on. About 20 miles west of Baton Rouge, I came to a dead stop. Traffic was backed up for 12 miles due to a semi truck accident blocking the lanes, as well as torrential rain still coming down. By this time, I was also getting into rush hour. As I crawled along at 3-5 mph I called the state park at Lake Pontchartrain to ensure I could get into a space after hours, and was assured there were plenty of sites open and also how to get through the gate if it was closed.

After a two hour delay, I finally got through Baton Rouge, and started coming out of the rain, and I arrived at the campground at about 7:15, just as the last light was fading. Finding a site in the dark and setting up camp is not a lot of fun, but I managed. I sure was glad to know I had a “zero day” ahead of me!

The next day, as I listened to the weather reports, I realized Hurricane Imelda was hitting Houston and that’s what I drove through the previous morning. They got between 2-3 feet of rainfall and devastating floods over the next couple days. I sure am glad I left when I did!

Hanna and I relaxed in the campground, taking walks around the loops and driving down to the lake front.

We packed up Thursday and drove on to Gulf Shores, where we pulled into Gulf State Park. I’ll be here through the weekend, spending time with Wendy & Denny and their friends.

Rockhound and Pancho Villa State Parks

I left home at 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning. I made my way to the campground at Rockhound State Park just south of Deming, NM. My New Mexico State Park pass is still good through next April, so I decided to make good use of it. $4 for electric & water hookups in a beautiful campground is about the best deal you can find. It was in the 90s, so I really needed the electric for AC.

The next morning, I decided to stay an extra day and drive down to Pancho Villa State Park, where Dale had spent some time last summer. He said there is a great Museum / Visitors Center there, so I tossed Hanna in the back seat of the Fit and took off down the road. When we arrived at the park, we drove around the large campground, which is right in the middle of what used to be Camp Furlong in the border town of Columbus, NM. Some of the old buildings still remain, as well as old rusted equipment. I read all the signs and took several photos, then made my way to the museum. Just as I walked up to the door, the ranger docent was putting up the Closed for Lunch sign. I gave him a sad look, and he smiled and took it back down and said “Come on in! I can wait. You’re my first visitor today!”  Since Hanna had to stay in the car, I assured him I would be quick. But in about 12-15 minutes, he had given me a good overview of the museum and the history of the area, especially focusing on the March 9, 1916 raid by Pancho Villa. It was indeed interesting, as Dale had said. I could have spent an hour there if both Hanna and the ranger had not been waiting. (The photos below are not in correct order, but it’s too difficult to move them around from my phone. Note the sign with info re: the touring car. That was particularly interesting.)

We took a quick look around the town and headed back to camp. I intended to drop Hanna off in Minnie, have a quick lunch and drive into the Walmart for a couple items, but a thunderstorm came up and it rained off and on the rest of the evening. It was much more welcome than the few items on my shopping list.

I packed up and pulled out early the next morning, and drove 350 miles east on I-10 to Ft. Stockton. I am in a little run down RV Park a few miles off the freeway, with electric hookups to keep the AC going. It’s only an overnight stop. Hopefully, tomorrow night I can find some place more appealing.