Best Value Inn-Gulfport

... another LaQuinta in Biloxi. I have been very impressed with the updates and cleanliess of the locations we have stayed.

Alex continues to enjoy hotel life. The world is his playground...or his resting place. The girls steal the show everywhere we go. I trimmed their faces before leaving Brownsville to keep them neat and pretty. Poodles must always look their best.

... fills and flushes. The pleasant smell has him running for cover at various times. Mid procedure, I depart for lunch with Red given Ted has no interest in Red's fine dining. Would have been funny to see Ted and Red go at it. I think Ted takes him - he's working out and probably has sewage anger. Unless of course Red (Verne) drops him with an apron swat to the throat and rapidly applies a cane-legged figure four. Ted drives us ...

... Lloyd and Steph are friends of ours from Chicago where Dan and Lloyd worked together at PSINet and Lloyd was in our wedding. They have two beautiful little girls - Marissa (4, almost 5 going on 30) and Nicelle (1 and 1/2). Lloyd is the BEST cook and did not disappoint on this trip. We have a long standing disagreement on which seafood cooking method is better - Lloyd prefers the "boil" while I swear by steaming. But I gotta tell you - I was ...

A nice and early departure from Mississippi, heading towards the wide open spaces of Texas. passed the "Cross" along the way- what a sight. Tonight's stay in a small town just outside of Dallas. Long day, lot's of traffic towards the end. and 10 hours of travelling.

Today we left Gulfport, Florida for Las Vegas, and made the conscious decision to spend the first night in Gulfport, Mississippi, how apropos. Jose Luis is doing 100% of the driving, he is a master at commanding the U-haul. Tango and Cassis are taking up the majority of the front seat, stretched out and slumbering soundly with every bump of the truck's tires ...

... surely someone must of understood that name is not good for a bakery!) Anyway, we made it to New Orleans where we just wanted to say "been there, done that" and move towards Mississippi on the same day...and so we did (in less time than expected). We started with a bit of a local lunch consisting of "alligator" and "sea food" at Johnny's Po ' Boy place (poor boys are meaty sandwiches locally) and then had a long walk ...

... YouTube it. Very interesting!

We arrived at our camp site on the outskirts of Gautier around 6.30pm. It's such a contrast to where we were last night. There are cigarette buts littering the pitches and the grounds aren't as well kept as at St Bernard. The toilet/shower blocks aren't brilliant either but then again we have had worse.

Miles travelled: 120

Total miles travelled: 9051

Days on road: 75

States visited: 16

National Parks visited: 11

... that's depressing, this whole town has this defeated, despondent, "stick-a-fork-in-me, I'm-done" feel to it - so completely unlike New Orleans. As bad as NOLA is, there is a palpable energy there, no doubt about it... Why am I a bad daughter? Cuz I'm down here relieved that Ernesto turned his nose up at us and didn't call my mother to see how she was faring as Ernesto blew right through the Shenandoah Valley and her farm in Madison, VA. Oooops!!!! One should never have to ride out a ...

... hanging around next door - it was unclear whether anyone was home or if the light in the window was on a timer to thwart looters. After an hour or so, Chris and I had fed about a thousand mosquitoes, so we decided to hook up Bokeh and get inside. Just then, Jason came home. So we did the meet and greet, and Chris joined him in the house just as my sister Karin called. Karin and I chatted for a bit (btw, Karin donated to our trip via this travel blog! LOL Thank you ...

... back in the southern States for business and went to see our old house, which was completely flattened by huricaine Katrina. All that was left, they said, was the cement slab foundation with a depression where the bathtub once was, and a pool filled with sludge and debris.