Dumb Mistake!

 3/21 - 3/25/2022 Biloxi, MS to Bonifay, FL, 218 miles, Outback Springs RV Park, $47/day

About a week ago, I was taking my walk on a beautiful sunny morning along the Gulf of Mexico in Biloxi. I was about a mile from home, about to turn around, when I saw that the tide was out, exposing sand bars.  I though I’d like to explore for seashells and sand dollars.  The concrete side walk at this point was about 2 feet above the sandy beach, or so I thought judging from my new bifocals. It should be an easy step down, right? Wrong!

I misjudged the step and fell hard just to the left of my tailbone, an area I’d previously injured when I was about 11 or 12 years old.  A kid would have jumped up, brushed off the sand and say, “I’m fine!” And go about her day.  At 56, I was stunned.  I pulled my knees up to my chest, and whispered to myself, “I’m okay, I’m okay”, as I took deep breaths fighting the feeling that my vision was narrowing and I might pass out. No one came running to help, so I don’t think anyone saw.  I would have been mortified.  

I had my phone in my pocket, so could easily have called Bill, but this was such a dumb mistake. There were other places along the sea wall that had steps, or were even with the sand!  I convinced myself I could walk it off, and it would go away. 

I crawled onto the sidewalk, pressed up to my feet, and shuffled to the nearest bench, where I rested until my head was clear.  Sitting was more painful than standing, and the transition between the two was most painful of all, so I got up and gingerly walked from bench to bench, pausing when necessary to catch my breath, smiling and saying, “Good morning” to other walkers I passed.  

It seemed to take FOREVER to get back to the RV park. I pulled myself up the stairs and sat quietly for about an hour in the easy chair. The pain still was not going away. I finally woke up Bill and asked for help, breaking down and sobbing, all of my muscles quivering. He gently scolded me for not calling him sooner, helped me get undressed , shower the sand off, take meds and crawl in bed for the rest of the day.

The week has been a blur of pain meds,massages, Deep Heat, ice packs, hot pads, trying to find a position to sit and sleep in that didn’t hurt.  Every day I’m getting better, but it’s SO SLOW!  I missed everything that I wanted to do in this cool Gulf Coast area. Bay St. Louis is supposed to have a great historic downtown and cool art vibe.  Gulfport has an aquarium. They released turtles into the gulf while we were there!  Jefferson Davis’s home, Beauvoir, “Presidential” library and confederate grave yard was a block away. I had planned to visit the day I injured myself.  I walked like a mummy up to the deck overlooking the beach, and watched a few sunsets, but never got my toes in the water, or searched for seashells. 

Tomorrow is a long travel day.  I’m getting a donut to sit on!  We’ll have to come back another time. There’s so much to explore in this area!  Next time, I won’t leave the RV with my bifocals on. 🤓 

Getting there is half the fun!

 3/6 - 3/10/2022 - Red Bay, AL to Meridian, MS, 164 miles, Benchmark RV Park, 4 nights

3/10 - 3/14/2022 - Meridian, MS to Laurel, MS, 64 miles, Sleepy Hollow RV Park, 4 nights, $40.66/ night

3/14 - 3/22/2022 - Laurel, MS to Gulfport/Biloxi, MS, 8 nights, $420/wk + $71

We finished our RV maintenance a week earlier than anticipated in Red Bay, so we chose our day to leave, according to the weather (Bill hates driving in rain and wind), and went south through Mississippi. We stopped in Meridian to let the storms pass.  I didn’t explore much of downtown, but there was an historic train station and an Arts and Entertainment Museum, called the MAX, that looked worthy of exploring. We stayed closer to home and checked out the various flea markets/antique shops.  But the real star of this leg of the trip was Laurel, MS. 

I am a huge fan of the show, Hometown, on HGTV, and when I saw the opportunity to visit and see the renovated houses, I planned a few day’s stay. The first day we arrived, we went to the Scotsman woodworking shop and Laurel Mercantile, and got a map of things to see and do in town. Thankfully, the kind gentleman told me about the walking tour of the historic part of town that started from the Lauren Rogers Museum.  There is so much more to this town than the show!

The director of the museum was our knowledgeable guide. We strolled up one side of the road and down the other as he told us about the people who built these grand homes. 

Laurel was founded in 1883, when the railroad finally reached Laurel and made it possible to log the pine forests.  It became known as the Yellow Pine Capitol of the World and grew quickly as several sawmills were established by mid-west families. The first family to arrive, the Eastman-Gardiners, set the standards for those who would follow. They paid their employees in cash instead of company tokens so they could spend their money anywhere they chose. They wanted their employees to have high school educations, so they circumvented Mississippi law and created a vocational school for their black employees. 

Lauren Rogers was the only son, and heir-apparent to the business. But he died of complications from an appendectomy at the age of 23.  So the plot of land where he was building a house for his new bride became the library/museum that would never charge admission, so everyone could afford to visit. These families were part of the Guilded Age, so they expected THE BEST materials and craftsmanship on all they built, and it shows in the FLWright-Esque leaded glass, Tiffany lamps, and marble imported from Italy. There was also a large middle class. They were the ones who built the gorgeous cottages with porches that everyone wants today.

Contributing to Laurel’s success was the invention of the Linsey wagon - an eight-wheeled wagon that allowed logs to be hauled out of the forest, and a new invention called Masonite, made from the saw dust and bits and pieces left from the sawmills.  The Masonite company is still operating today, along with Sanderson Farms and Howard Industries that keep the economy going strong. Also, Leontyne Price, a Juliard-trained opera singer, is from Laurel, and Frank Gardiner Wisner, one of the founding directors of the CIA, was born there. 

We finally reached the beach at Gulfport/Biloxi, MS, on Monday.  I’m happily walking the boardwalk every morning and enjoying the beautiful sunsets every evening. 

Back to the Beach!

 3/30/21 - 3/31/21 Bulverde, TX to Kingsville, TX - Stayed at Nature’s Own RV Resort for one night, $40

3/31/21 - 4/30/21 Kingsville, TX to South Padre Island, TX - stayed at South Padre Holiday KOA for one month, $999

Back to the beach

If you’ve read any of my posts, you know that the beach is my happy place. Bill and I have been coming to South Padre Island, TX almost every year since 2002, when we bought our first RV. The thing I love about SPI, besides the fact that it’s the best beach on the Texas gulf coast, is that it’s not too commercial. Maybe it’s just too far south for some people to bother. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some high-rise hotels and lots of kitschy souvenir shops, but there are also some great mom and pop places to discover. 

We spent the month of April 2021, shoulder season, at the KOA Holiday RV Park. It was windier and foggier than other stays, but, except for the holiday and weekends, it wasn’t nearly as crowded.

Every morning I walked 3-4 miles in a circuit beginning at the KOA, through the Isla Blanca County park, stopping at the jetty, along the beach, to the Holiday Inn board walk, and back to KOA.  You don’t have to pay to walk or bike through the County Park.  Just stay on the sidewalk to the left of the guard shack and walk on through. If you follow the loop road to the right around the park, you will find their performing arts/concert hall, a statue of Jesus, and a bait shop before you get to the jetty.  

If you go left, you’ll get to the beach faster. Isla Blanca has built some really nice day-use facilities in the past few years, which you can use for $12.00 a carload. There are two covered pavilions with picnic tables, grills and snack bars that have not been open since COVID began, but I bet they’ll be operating again this summer, and lots of benches from which to enjoy the view along the boardwalk. 

Either way, follow the beach down to the jetty. This was my favorite place to stop and watch wildlife. April is nesting season for Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, and I saw quite a few in the water, as well as pelicans, cranes, and dolphins leaping from the waves. They like to follow the shrimping boats, because the wake disturbs the fish and makes for good eating!  

From the jetty, you can see across the Laguna Madre shipping channel to Boca Chica beach and, if the day is clear, the high bay complex and launch pad for SpaceX. We were in SPI for a month, mind you, and didn’t get to see a launch. We heard two engine burns that sounded like loud roars of thunder, but left four days too early to see SN-15 go up. Ugh!  It is an extra cool thing to do while at the beach. You can also drive to Brownsville and explore the area on you own on the days that the roads are not closed for testing. Check the internet before you go.

Shelling is best near the jetty, after a storm on a low tide morning.  The waves wash up small to medium-sized shells, lots of oyster shells, and some sand dollar fragments.  If you want big, hearty shells, drive to the north end of the island, as far as the road will go before the dunes overtake it.  Park on the side and walk across the dunes to the beach. There are lots of interesting finds along the way. Be sure to wear shoes and sunscreen or a long-sleeve shirt.  The dunes get REALLY hot.  

Besides fishing (get a free pass for the large pier at Pirate’s Landing when you stay at KOA) and building sand castles on the beach, you gotta visit Sea Turtles, Inc. When we first started going, they were housed in a tiny shack and worked on a shoe-string budget with the help of college interns, and volunteers like us. Now, they have a great complex with lots of educational opportunities and turtle patients to see.  Their mission is to rescue, rehab, and release injured turtles and hatch and release as many Kemps Ridley turtles back into the wild as they can. Summertime hatchling releases are thrilling!  Hundreds of babies swim back into the gulf while onlookers wish them luck. You can find out when they’re happening by calling the Sea Turtles, Inc hotline or their website.  Say hi to my favorite, Fred the loggerhead turtle, a permanent guest who’s lost too many flippers to return to the wild.

 Now for the food!  Fresh seafood and lots of it!  We always start at Dirty Al’s for the fried shrimp botanas platter for two enjoyed on the patio overlooking the marina. Watch out for the seagulls who will snatch a bite right off the table.  Pier 19 also has great fried shrimp and the best onion rings, AND Texas cinnamon rolls for breakfast!  Call ahead to make sure they still have some. Ceviche, Ceviche is relatively new.  They have a small storefront on SPI and Port Isabel serving super-fresh, you guessed it, ceviches. I go to Senor Donkey for blackened fish tacos (Mexicana taquitos) at least once during our visit.   We found a new-to-us, hole-in-the-wall, awesome, authentic Mexican food place called Chilito Pikin. They have different lunch specials every day.  Their enchiladas were particularly yummy. And, I love the addition of the food trucks on the island. We tried two of them that were parked at the Green on South Padre Island and boardwalk near Laguna Bobs.  Bill tried the street tacos at Breaking Bread.  I had a burrito and the cup of elote(Mexican corn) with butter, Mayo, chili, garlic and cortina cheese, YUM!  We also enjoyed the sunset, burgers and some adult beverages along the bay side at a tiki bar called Coconut Jacks, then walked over to the Gravity Park, where you can play putt-putt golf, ride go-karts, or try several rides that swing or fling you in the air. It was lots of fun just to watch. 

One thing I’m not thrilled about is the abundance of rentable, street-legal golf carts that can hold up to 10 people. Thankfully the speed limit is only 35 mph on the main strip, but you know how people get on vacation :(. At least they’re not scooters; they don’t work so well in the sand. I do also appreciate that SPI has numerous public access points, many handicap accessible, and free parking near the beach. Many beaches we’ve been to around the country allow large resorts to snap up the beachfront and you have to be a guest or pay to park to get near it. One of the many reasons we love SPI, and we’ll be back, again and again. 

New Venture

3/17/20 - 4/17/20 - still in Gulf Shores, AL

Alabama’s Governor Ivy finally issued the official Stay-at-home order yesterday to begin at 5 pm.  However, it does not apply to some church situations, same as Florida and Georgia - which leaves a very confusing gray area for many. One Mega-church pastor was arrested in Florida for endangerment after thousands worshipped together.

While I believe that God is all-powerful and he WILL protect us, one of the ways he does this is by giving us intelligence and discernment, so as not to put ourselves in unnecessary danger.  Just a few weeks ago, the message I watched on Facebook Live from my home church was about Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness.  When Satan suggested that Jesus throw himself down from a high place (because angels would surely come and save him), Jesus told him we are not to tempt God.  There are many who MUST put their lives at risk to do their work of protecting and healing. Showy acts to prove that God is with us seem to diminish that sacrifice.

So, for now, we are limiting our contact with others. On my solo morning walks I see very few people. I view the beach from a distance and marvel at how nature moves on without us when I see the seagulls and wildflowers. We get take-out food to ease the boredom. AND I’m finally trying my hand at posting drawing videos on YouTube - something I’ve been wanting to do for years and now have all the time I need.  If you’re interested you can find my channel @ Beth Cooper portraits. Subscribe. Grab a paper and pencil. Follow along.  It’ll give you something to do, too.

God bless you.  He will see us through.

Keep Calm and Beach On!

1/17/19 - 3/1719 - 2 months - Gulf Shores, AL, at Luxury RV Park.

We were expecting to leave tomorrow to head toward Washington, DC to meet Brendan by Easter weekend.  But because of the COVID-19 scare and after many emails that tours are cancelled, and museums are closed, we’ve decided to stay put for another month.  We’ve even heard stories of people getting kicked out of parks.  Some states are using them for emergency quarantine areas if necessary.

I’m not too disappointed.  The weather has finally changed.  We sit outside, sunning ourselves like turtles on a rock, soaking in the vitamin D. I’ve taken to putting on sunscreen EVERY morning so I don’t leather like some of the folks here do.

Spring Break is here!  The average age of the crowds has come down significantly.  Although there are many college kids, there seem to be more families, especially now that their holiday has been extended. The traffic to the beach has doubled.  There’s loud music and car horns and sirens well into the night.  Even so, there aren’t as many people on the beach as I had expected.  I still walk down every day, past Wade Ward Nature Park and look for alligators.  And look what we finally saw on Thursday!  Evidently the weather is finally warm enough for them to come out of hibernation, too!

The second gator we heard about at dinner Monday night, and headed right over to Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.  There’s a bayou on the side of the road, halfway to the beach.  A lady with a telephoto lens waved us over, pointed her out and showed us where the year-old babies usually can be found.  We didn’t see the babies, but the beach at the end of the street was nearly deserted.  We stayed and watched a glorious sunset! Amazing shells!

I’ve grown to love every mood of the beach.  The clear, sunny days are beautiful, but so are the storm-cloud, windy and foggy days.  Each one affects the water and sand in its own way, and I can’t take enough photos.  I can only post so many on this blog, but if you follow me on Instagram @toberving, you’ll see many more.  

Also, even though I have plenty of shells, I can’t keep myself from stopping and looking and picking up the very best ones.  I’ve gotten very picky!  Some of the tiniest shells have holes in them so I can string them onto bracelets.  Sadly, I have not found one whole sand dollar the entire time I’ve been here.  The waves must be too rough.  I find huge hunks, that if complete, would make sand dollars at least six inches in diameter.  

So, if we need to quarantine, this is a pretty good place to be. We plan to go out to eat a few more times before they close the restaurants.  As long as I have my beach, I’m happy!

Beautiful Beach, at last!

1/16/2020 - 1/17/2020 - Red Bay, AL to Meridian, AL (162 miles) one night at Benchmark RV Park for $20

1/17/2020 to 3/17/2020 - Meridian, MS to Gulf Shores, AL (193 miles) one month at Luxury RV Resort (four blocks from the beach!) $860

Snowbirds!

As I sit here, writing, I hear the low, long, rolling thunder announcing two days of storms to come.  The weather has been very changeable - even from hour to hour.  I get up early in the morning to walk to the beach.  Most mornings, the sun is out.  By lunchtime, the clouds have blanketed the sky and the breeze kicks up.  Even so, I’ve found my happy place.  The mountains and desert have their own brand of undeniable beauty, and I enjoyed visiting, but the beach feeds my soul, which is good, because we’re here for two months.

We originally thought we’d stay for a month, then head into Florida.  I wanted to go to Universal Studios in Orlando to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but we couldn’t find any places to stay between now and Spring Break, when it gets really crazy.  We’ve become very philosophical about our travels.  If we don’t make it this time, we’ll circle back later.  So we’re staying in Gulf Shores for two months, almost like REAL snowbirds, then go to Savannah, GA, Asheville, NC, through the Shenandoah valley to Washington DC. There are so many amazing places to see, I’m not disappointed.

Luxury RV Park is a great place to stay!  It’s only four blocks from the beach, is infinitely walkable, and there’s a wonderful close-knit, active community amongst the campers.  They plan all the activities, raise money for social events, and welcome newbies like me.  I attend yoga on Tuesday and Thursday, crafts on Tuesday, we go to potluck every other week, AND we’re here for Mardi Gras.  I’ve learned that Mardi Gras originated in Mobile, AL.  Every small town around here has a parade, including Gulf Shores, so I’m going to be in my first parade, walking next to the Luxury RV float!

A place like this has such seasonal income, most businesses around here welcome the “winter visitors” to prop up the economy with lower prices, great discounts, and free parking.  But March is coming. Everything will change with Spring Breakers. Until then, we have the beach.  Here are some picks from my daily walks.