Deep in the Heart of Dixie

Deep in the Heart of Dixie…February 10, 2012

Hi Y’all. We arrived a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico in St. Louis Bay, MS early this afternoon, right before the rain started.  Lucky for us we got the RV set up at our site at the Bay Hideaway RV Park & Campground before the downpour started.  We are ready to settle into a spot for a while, so have reserved our site for a week.  Behind our campsite is a wooded area and pond.  I asked, and was told there aren't any alligators in the pond. You know that saying “you should have been here last week”?  Well, after unseasonably warm weather, this weekend a cold front is moving in and there are freeze warnings. The coldest temperatures for the year are expected.  I’m making hot soup for dinner.

Yesterday we left Memphis and started out on the GRR highway 1.  This rural region is the Mississippi River Delta, flatter than a pancake on a hot griddle (some southern lingo for ya); the main crop is cotton.  We never did see the river, but did see miles and miles of levees between highway 1 and the river.  It wasn’t the most scenic drive, but we were entertained along the way by the aerial antics of crop dusting planes. 

After a stop for lunch in Greenville for a crab cake and black eyed peas, we got on highway 61 on our way to Vicksburg, MS.  Highway 61 is known as the Blue Highway because of its history of Blues Music legends that played in little clubs located along the highway.  The scenery along highway 61 was exactly the same as highway 1 – big, flat, cotton fields.  About 10 miles north of Vicksburg it was like someone hit the switch and we were in an area of heavily wooded rolling hills.  We had planned to stay 2 nights and do some sightseeing in Vicksburg, but the campgrounds were full and we could only stay 1 night.  This turned out to be OK with us, since the Magnolia RV Park sites were so close together we were crammed in like 100 sardines in a 2 ounce can.  I also had a weird vibe at this place.  It may have been from the history of horrific violence and suffering from the Civil War battles fought here.

Just to back up a bit; when we arrived in Memphis I was embarrassed by how our home looked; the road dirt the RV had collected along the way was pretty disgusting.  The RV park wouldn’t allow us to wash our vehicles in the park, but they gave us a number to call for a guy to come with his mobile wash truck to clean us up. He spent 2 hours cleaning the outside of the RV, and It looked great when he was finished.

   

Also, in case you’ve been wondering, Jim found a loose wire on the water heater, and after getting it connected we have hot running water.  Yes, I am a bit demanding; not only do I want water running from the faucets, I want it to be hot when I want it hot. 

Tomorrow we plan to do a recon of the area.  We want to locate the beach and are optimistic the weather will warm up so we can use the snorkel gear we brought with us.  We also have hopes of finding a fresh seafood market as I’ve had visions of shrimp cooking on the grill dancing in my head. . 

I also have to say that we really miss our old traveling companions, Contessa and Steve Marine.  It just isn’t the same traveling down the road and not seeing the “Silver Bullet” Airstream in front of us, as well as getting to a campground and not having them with to share, and laugh about, our day's adventures.