Toomsuba, MS

The five hour, 231 mile journey was uneventful with I-59 being a straight run to the horizon again and again through vast scenic stretches of pine/oak forests. The scenery included an occasional exit with nothing but a sign indicating the town's existence. Other than that, woodland all around. This became worrisome as my fuel gauge approached the nightmare of "E." It was about 75 miles into Mississippi that I came upon Poplarville and was able to fill up both stomach and fuel tank with diesel at $3.849. Let me rephrase that. Food went into stomach, diesel went into fuel tank. Thanks for catching that.

Most of my time driving was spent thinking about "Toomsuba," just 8 miles west of the Alabama state border.  With the 2020 census showing a population of 778, what could this KOA campground provide as local attractions? In addition, with the change in my itinerary omitting a visit to Texas, how was I to fill my time with a seven day stay here? My research shows that Toomsuba is the name of a creek derived from the Choctaw language meaning "blue pigeon hawk" or "fish hawk."

Off I-59, the campground set in about two miles, the familiar yellow KOA welcomed. Immediately, I could tell this campground was well run and maintained...they usually are. It's a rare occasion that I'm disappointed with a KOA campground.

My back-in site #39 was close to the office/store/showers/laundry and...

...in my section, not populated at all. Spacious sites with, thankfully, old, tall pines left to provide a shady canopy. No, George would not like it.

So, visiting neighbors was not going to be an option.

Ever vigilant with a terrific RADAR APP, I'm constantly checking weather conditions. So anticipating the upcoming storm, I kept awning and chairs in.

This view at 8:45 p.m. the night of my arrival, produced not a drop. The rain, heavy at times with a thunderclap or two only started at 7 am the next day and lasted only three hours.

My rainy day activity was spent researching and remotely learning about the local attractions suggested by the campground's brochure. For those who plan to include Toomsuba/Meridian in their itinerary of bucket list locations, I've provided short videos in addition to websites of what to expect with each description. I hope you find it helpful.

The Simmons-Wright Company Store. 

Get a tour HERE.

The Dentzel Carousel Company established in 1887.

See it in action HERE

The Jimmie Rodgers Museum

Guitar lover? Take the tour HERE

And listen to the "Singing Brakeman" or the "Blue Yodeler" perform his classic song HERE

Dunn's Fall Grist Mill and Waterpark

Take a 6 minute tour HERE

My second night was pretty much a repeat. And a repeat it was. Radar was scary enough for anyone to go into "Better safe than sorry" mode, so in came the awning, hatches were battened down and...not a drop all night. Distant thunder indicated folks north of me were getting slammed. Winnie was spared.

This place is so quiet and peaceful; a wonderful opportunity to take advantage and just relax. With a load of laundry, a hot shower and some baking completed, the sunny skies, temps in the mid 70's allowed me to successfully push the reality of returning home out of my mind for awhile.

Experimented with Jiffy's Corn Muffin Mix. To the contents of the box I added the required 1/4 cup of milk and one egg (I used equivalent 1/3 cup Egg Beaters; works just as well). To this I added a splash of vanilla, cinnamon and knowing friend Ray wasn't going to get any, a 1/2 cup of raisins). Baked for 30 minutes at 400º.

It came out perfect! A warm slice or two with a smear of butter and a cup of coffee was a delicious, mid afternoon delight.

Other than spending time watching radar in the evenings, the days have been absolutely perfect. Defining "perfect" is challenging when you are pushed for details. What constitutes a "perfect day" for you? Let me know in the comments below. On Sunday, I gave that some thought and reflected (which is always nice to do on a Sunday):

• There's nothing on your "to-do" list. All chores and responsibilities are taken care of. No place to be and no time set for you to be there.
• The day's weather gift consists of the sun shining, the temperature at 72°, no clouds in the sky; there's a slight breeze and you can smell the fresh air when inhaling.
• You're sitting beneath tall shady pines and birds are singing; there's even an occasional croak from a nearby bullfrog. There is no road/traffic noise. It's just plain ol' quiet. The occasional train whistle is distant enough for me to wander and return to my childhood growing up in Peekskill. To me, it's soothing.
• You're not hungry or thirsty; there's no dining out and your drinks are all to your liking, be they wine, gin & tonics or Malibu rum cocktails.
• Your mind is enjoying the peaceful serenity of a quiet environment with very few motorhomes in sight, the owners of which you've yet to see or hear; your mind is kept active as you go through your daily mental rituals of working on puzzles like Wordle, Crosswords, Words With Friends, Cryptograms and 2248 (an iPhone app).
• You are at ease and smile with pride each time you give thought, thanks and praise for your family; for your son, daughter, their spouses and their children, my grandchildren.

Total relaxation such as this is difficult to come by; so much so, that when you experience it, you are in awe, give thanks of appreciation and wish all could experience it in their own way. And yes. This is what you do when "you have too much time on your hands." Thank you, I'll take it any day.

However, there is a reality that bursts these little bubbles in my happy place. Ahead of me are Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and, at last home, New York. 1,100 miles with five more campgrounds to experience and one cavern to explore. I will combine most of them into one blog post with sections for each to highlight the experience. The drive? I'm looking forward to it...that's the journey.

I am uplifted and excited knowing that the end of my 2023 Winter Adventure will be followed almost immediately with my 2023 Summer Adventure. Campgrounds and trips are already booked and paid for right up to October, 2023. These include Croton Point Park, of course,  Harpursville, NY, Thousand Islands at Alexandria Bay, NY, Searsport, ME and Narragansett, RI with room for more.

Thanks for joining my on this last leg of my journey. Hope you enjoyed the trip. Next blog coming in May. Meanwhile enjoy the trips and memories of friend, Vicki, as she records her adventures. Her blog can be found HERE. Till next time, stay safe and be happy.

 

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ― Gustave Flaubert

New Orleans, LA

With the nasty and sometimes tragic weather news associated with the Gulf states recently, I made it a point to keep my eye to the sky and watch radar very closely when I left Marianna, Florida and headed for "The Big Easy". Actually, the mid-section of the country was hit hardest.

This is what I saw when starting out from Marianna at 9:45 am. With a stop for lunch and fuel, I arrived at the campground at 3:45pm, 351 miles later to sunshine and temps in the low 80's. Some through-the-windshield photos of what I saw on the way.

Drove through...

...three states...

...in one afternoon 

...and saw a familiar sight along the way.

Entering the George Wallace tunnel in Mobile, Alabama. 3,000 feet long, the tunnel's depth is 40' to allow ship traffic above on the Mobile River.

With New Orleans in the distance, the low lying clouds were the worst of the weather encountered.

An above the ground cemetery along I-10, typical in flood prone Louisiana

Have to find out what causes these equally spaced, parallel strips of agitated foamed water between causeways. If you know, feel free to mention it in the comments.

One of the many bayous here in the Gulf states. Learned the difference between bayous and swamps. A bayou is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area, and can either be an extremely slow-moving stream or river, or a marshy lake, or wetland. Bayous are most commonly found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States, in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

A swamp, on the other hand, is an area of land saturated with water at all times. The word marsh is often used for the swamp. These areas are covered in cypress swamp trees and hardwood swamp trees, which grow in the water. These places cannot be called land or water altogether, and the wildlife in them can adapt to both conditions.

However, the swamps created by the Mississippi River Delta are disappearing at an alarming rate. Due to both natural and human-made forces, Louisiana loses swampland by one football field per hour.

The KOA Campground is west of the city of New Orleans (NO). For my fellow RVers who may plan to visit, there are others probably closer and more expensive for sure, but if you are a KOA member, it'll be $42.86/night. For a $15.00 round trip ticket, there are 4 times in the day a shuttle will take you the 12½ miles, 45 minute ride with a narrated guide every mile of the way. Driving your own vehicle into the city will be a nightmare and public parking is  $9.00/hour.

Sites are spacious concrete pads with lots of 'breathing room' on either side. If you're here, you'll want to spend most of your days touring the city.

Clean, well kept, manicured with friendly staff you can tell there's effort to making your stay most pleasant. Met three left-handers so far and that should tell the tale,

Across the road from the campground is a levee. The Mississippi River is right there.

Imagine a cargo ship heading for the Gulf sailing by. On the road, you'd have to look up to see it.

I learned that it was 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina was gone that the real devastating damage to New Orleans took place. It was not the hurricane but a breeched levee that resulted in 80% of New Orleans being underwater; in some parts ankle deep, others, waist deep. They had to pump the water into Lake Pontchartrain. Being the city is below sea level, where was the flood waters to go?

A warning to my readers of little patience, those with no time to read or because you have a life, I packed a lot into my week's stay and learned a lot. So, this is gonna be a long one. The research is for my future when looking back on it all. Take it in pieces, I guess. If you make it through, let me know and thanks in advance for hangin' in.

If you'll be a future visitor, I would recommend you do your homework before you venture into the city. I went on line and purchased a two-day ticket on a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour at https://www.citysightseeingneworleans.com/ On my first day here, I took the shuttle in and took the 90 minute, 19 stop tour to see what was available. 

Greg from the KOA campground was the shuttle driver. I cannot begin to explain what that 45-minute ride into the city was like. I've never experienced anything like it. For the E-N-T-I-R-E trip to and from, he gave a detailed account of every section, its historical background for almost every building on every block we traveled on our 12 mile journey...with non-stop dialogue. Dates, history and trivia including names/dates, or movies he's seen that were shot locally; or books that he's read that were based on a location somewhere here in NO. Anything that took place here and there; He's traveled Europe and compared some neighborhoods we passed to those in European countries based on their architecture. "When I first came here, there was a...." was a recurring, reminiscent piece of history for him. As mentioned, it was a jaw-dropping experience.

Sitting in the upper deck in the sun gave me great view and a healthy dose of vitamin D.

By doing this you'll soon see why driving into the city is not recommended. A few photos captured. I've provided links where possible should you be interested in more detail that I cannot provide.

Louis Armstrong Park

100 Toulouse Street parking lot where the shuttle delivers KOA folks. Across the way is Gumbo Ya-Ya where I had lunch after the tour.

Had to catch this sight. It was a quick shot and I'm disappointed that I didn't get the whole visual. The mismatched multicolored tights and colorful shoes were quite a sight.

The tour took us down the main streets where the Mardi Gras parade begin and travel. All along the route trees, fences and wires are strewn with hundreds of tree beads thrown during the parade. City officials decided to leave them be rather than spend the money to remove them each year.

 

Image from the Internet

The National World War II Museum 
The top-rated attraction in New Orleans and 2nd in the nation

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Caesars Superdome formerly the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the only still viable domed stadiums that began in the '70's and home to the New Orleans Saints. When Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people sought protection inside the Superdome. The stadium served as refuge of last resort for those who had no means of leaving during a mandatory evacuation of the city. If not for the Superdome many of them might have perished in the frightening conditions outside. The wind ripped open holes in the Superdome's roof, and water poured inside, causing massive damage. In July of 2020 the name changed to Caesars Superdome. Costing over $300 million to repair, you can read the amazing  "comeback" story HERE.

New Orleans' newest addition, Harrah's

St. Louis Cemetery in the French Quarter of NO is one of my booked tours. There are three by that name but No. 1 is regarded as the more "famous" one.

Unlike most other New Orleans cemeteries, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is accessible only via the Official, guided, licensed tour. That’s because the cemetery has been subject to much vandalism over the years. Tickets are only $25 for adults and $18 for children online or at Basin St. Station. This photo is from my vantage point on the tour bus.

A better view from the Internet. Also available is a Ghost Tour

Cafe Du Monde is one of those places where lines go around the block,

St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter. Fascinating facts are found HERE

All forms of transportation for getting around this tightly packed, crowded, historic city are available including: trollies, horse drawn carriages, tour buses and bicycle "rickshaws" that can accommodate two people.

After the 90-minute tour, parched and hungry, I visited Gumbo Ya-Ya for lunch and afterwards went next door to Café Beignet and purchased the classic taste treat of New Orleans.

The Hurricane quenched my thirst:
Bacardi Spiced, Light Rum, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Grenadine

Crawfish and Gulf Shrimp Pasta satisfied my hunger.
Creole Crawfish Cream Sauce topped with Crispy Fried Shrimp over Penne Pasta

Next door, I purchased and brought home some beignets (three to an order). Beignets were brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three. I had to remove the completely covered powdered sugar to view them properly.

As served, warm and covered.

Sunday's early trip into NO enabled me to catch the 11:00 am boarding of the City of New Orleans paddle wheel for a 2-hour cruise down the Mississippi and to enjoy brunch and some jazz music provided by three musicians on the third deck. I arrived early and decided to sit and wait it in the shade...

...rather than stand and crawl to the boarding ramp. That line and the time to board prompted me to ask the captain about its capacity. The boat holds 1,100 including crew. 

The City of New Orleans is a 189-foot, diesel-electric motor paddle-wheeler.

Completely renovated from damages from hurricane Katrina, the stern wheeler was set to sail in 2020.

A very efficient procedure for dining. Upon boarding, I was given a paper that indicated the deck and the time scheduled for my buffet. For me, Deck 1 at noon. The dining area was spacious with plenty of room between tables, linen tablecloths and napkins, silverware and an ample number of wait staff as well as friendly servers at the buffet table. I found the food to be delicious.

My table for one was waiting for me with..

The Natchez Tossed Salad: Mixed greens, tomato, cucumbers, red onions and croutons with a sugar cane vinaigrette and served family style.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo: ​Made with a traditional Louisiana roux and served with rice.

Crescent City Eggs: ​Baked egg casserole consisting of spinach, red onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, andouille sausage, green onions, and cheese;

Pain Perdu: Thick cut bread, soaked in sweet custard mix, cinnamon swirl, and whipped cream topping - the French cousin of America's "French Toast" (not quite);

O' Brien Potatoes ​with peppers and onions;

Creole Creamed Spinach: ​Spinach with mozzarella, parmesan, and cream cheese

For dessert, White Chocolate Bread Pudding: A soufflé of local Leidenheimer French bread in rich custard with a decadent white chocolate sauce.

Fruit Salad: Chopped and mixed fresh seasonal fruit.

Bananas Foster: A New Orleans original! Freshly sliced bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and rum. Served warm atop vanilla ice cream.

I opted for the NATCHEZ Jazz Punch: Their signature drink featuring Bacardi Oakheart spiced rum, Castillo Gold rum, tropical fruit juices.

So many folks have said, "I've got to go see New Orleans." Those who have, echo it's a must for your bucket list. Some photos taken while on deck to show some of the sights:

The Huey Long Bridge connecting the east and west banks of the Mississippi is one of America’s highest and longest steel bridges. It supports six lanes of vehicular traffic and two tracks of rail traffic. 

The New Orleans skyline from the river.

The 212' Cape Kennedy was built in 1979 is part of the Ready Reserve Force. Ready Reserve Force ships are kept in a high state of readiness, enabling them to be activated in 4, 5, 10 or 20 days to meet surge military sealift requirements in the event of war.

Stern and side ramps characterize the Cape Kennedy as roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) vessels, enabling wheeled cargoes to be driven on and off for loading and discharge much faster than conventional ships and ten times faster than those used in World War II. This exceptional flexibility eases the rapid handling of trailers, rolling stock, containers, and extra heavy lift cargoes required in military contingencies.

In the succeeding days and weeks after hurricane Katrina, when much of the city remained without power and fresh water, Cape Kennedy and the Cape Knox both ships provided shelter and offered berthing, meals and showers for emergency response personnel. Cape Kennedy operated as the command post for the Port of New Orleans.  Both ships provided fuel, water, and air to Naval Support Activity New Orleans, and crews cleared debris from the Poland Street Wharf to make landing space for helicopters, critical for a city that was largely inaccessible by vehicle. Source

The Carnival Glory was in town

The Creole Queen leaving for its afternoon cruise down river.

The Outlet Collection at the Riverwalk has 71 stores; check out the listing with the link.

Disembarking the City of New Orleans after the two hour cruise. While waiting for my shuttle to return me back to the campground, I took a seat on the riverwalk and observed. Those photo are at the end of this blog.

What should be a blog unto itself, my tour of the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was loaded with history and opportunities for photos. There are three St. Louis Cemeteries in New Orleans, each numbered accordingly, but this one is the most famous because of the folks who lie within. Established in 1789, it's the oldest in New Orleans. In 1803, it was mandated that the deceased should be buried above ground due to the marshy, swampy high water table just two feet beneath our feet. The history of New Orleans including two massive fires, yellow fever, dysentery, cholera and typhoid due to its poor sanitary conditions had it labeled the "most plagued city in America" and "The City of Epidemics" which fortunately came to an end in the early 1900's.

Purchased on-line, vouchers are turned in for a ticket and the tour in the Basin Street visitor center. Due to vandalism, desecration and graffiti, entry by tours only was established by decree of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in March, 2015.   

Once again, I found our tour guide, Mary, to be an amazing and articulate story teller as she took us through the maze of tombs. 

She described the different types of tombs. Some are shaped and referred to as "oven tombs" and their role in many cases was just that. The heat and humidity of New Orleans is such that the cardinal rule of a "year and a day" be given to allow the body to decompose is such a fashion that the remains are pushed back into a pit at the back of the tomb allowing room for next body. Only one family member can be interred in the tomb during that span of time. If multiple people of the same family pass away within that ruling, the second family member will then be placed in a separate temporary tomb. Many tombs hold generations of family members in what are called Wall Vaults or Family Vaults.

The families that did not want their deceased below ground would opt for the more recent "Coping Graves." Copings are called such because they have retaining walls made of marble or granite into which they pack soil.

Those who could not afford granite or marble used brick. Unfortunately, local brick made from the silt of the Mississippi was of poor quality and don't stand the test of time very well.

Nicholas Cage spent many years in New Orleans and went through great lengths to first determine who owned an abandoned plot. Through the records kept by the archdiocese it was decided when no one was found that he could own it and had this nine foot tall pyramid erected for his future demise. Mary paid him great respect when he had the remains of those already interred there put to one portion of the tomb out of respect. "OMBIA AB UNO" translates from the Latin to "All from one" or "Everything from One."

Then there are the Society Vaults such as this of the Italian Society. Imported marble from Italy was used to construct this tomb. With over 200 within, it is no longer used as the Society no longer exists.

The results of vandalism is seen everywhere. Metal plaques, decorative sculpted ornaments even statues have been vandalized.

Where statues cannot be removed and carried away, heads only are taken. These stolen artifacts then find their way to antique dealers or pawn shops.

The Musician's Tomb donated by the Barbaran Family. Along with Isadore Barbarin are laid to rest musicians outside of the Barbaran family tree. Since 2004, the Barbarin family tomb has interred culture bearers in six of the 18 reusable vaults.

Paul Morphy was the first great American chess player and considered by many to be an unofficial world champion. He was born in 1837, stopped playing serious chess by 1860, and died in 1884.

I've taken the following from the Internet although Mary gave a similar renditition. Fascinating story especially after walking the streets and feeling the vibe of New Orleans. It's difficult to see but scratched into many of the tombs are "XXX" denoting a follower of the cult who has visited. As viewed on this tomb.

"Of all the people interred within St. Louis Cemetery #1, the tomb of Marie Laveau is probably the most highly anticipated as well as the most visited. Born in 1801, Marie Laveau was a free woman of color in New Orleans. She would officially marry only once, though Marie would later enter into a common-law marriage with the white Creole, Christophe-Dominick Duminy de Glapion, with whom she would have a reported fifteen children.

Legend and rumors have surrounded Marie Laveau for centuries. Referred to as the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau practiced the occult and fortune telling; she was also a philanthropist as she often attended to the poor and needy with various herbal medicines. During the nineteenth century, her prowess with the otherworldly were both feared and revered by all walks of society. By the time of her death and interment in 1881, the citizens of New Orleans were convinced of her immortality after they spotted her the very next day walking the streets of the French Quarter appearing younger and with much more youthful vigor. (In truth, her daughter Marie II pretended to be her mother for most of her life).

Mystery has shrouded Marie Laveau since almost the moment of her birth. Was she actually a hairdresser, as some sources suggest? Did she instead act as a liquor importer on Dauphine Street, as one newspaper account claims? We may never have the chance to unravel all of the Voodoo Queen's secrets, but visiting her tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #1 offers the chance for us mere mortals to stand near New Orleans' most well-known historical figure."

Tomb of Homer Plessy. The detail with which she described his life and the effect of the Supreme Court decision on events of today was thought provoking and amazing. To save time and space, the link will describe what I cannot add here.

Masons would score the newly cemented fronts so that adding bodies or removing future plaques would be easier.

Out of nowhere, Ms. Feral Tuxedo jumped up on one of the tombs and took an instant liking to anyone who would give the attention and a scratch under it's chin.

This gal wanted to take her home when she laid down at her feet and rolled over on her back. Super friendly (and well taken care of, thank you Mary)

After my 90-minute tour, the timing was right for a six-block walk to Oceana Grill at the corner of Bourbon and Conti Streets. It's rated as one of the best in the French Quarter.

On my way, I saw...

As I passed the Irish Cultural Museum, I peeked down the alleyway...

...and almost took a detour to Ireland and entered the courtyard to relax, have a pint and a bite to eat. Alas, having had no breakfast, I opted for 

Bahama Mama: Don Q coconut rum, bols crème de banana and tropical juices.

Maw Maw's Cajun Breakfast: Bits (did they mean strips?) of bacon & shrimp scrambled with eggs & jambalaya rice. Served with a biscuit.

They too had an outdoor courtyard in the rear but not as inviting as in the Irish courtyard.

So, that concludes my tours of New Orleans. What remains to be shared are photos I took while sitting on the Riverwalk.  Sitting and watching people pass...what an experience: all shapes, sizes, nationalities, languages and relationships; the extent and quantity of tattoos on young and old, just fascinating.  These too are worthy of another blog but preparing a blog is an all day affair for me. I prefer to work at it all at once. Music, wine and words. I love it!

Love Locks of New Orleans. Here's a VIDEO as one visitor saw it two years ago.

Captured three fly-overs from the nearby Naval Air Station.

Also captured a walk-by with Mr. & Mrs. Mallard

A beautiful profile.

The river traffic fascinated and intrigued me. The Gulf is about 100 miles to the south of New Orleans. The ship's size, their slow speed up and down the river caused me to wonder; what cargo was in their holds; where did they come from and where are they going? A close up shows expansive areas to house the crew...how many? What must it be like to "live" on board? If they were going upstream you heard their engines working against the current. If sailing south, they were most likely silently coasting and going with the current. If you're interested in some of the answers for the ships that follow, you can check the website: https://www.vesselfinder.com/. This screenshot may pique your interest. Each dot represents a ship or a boat and their location real-time. Enter the name of the ship or boat and details will follow. Fascinating.

I've saved the best for last...the reason to visit New Orleans. On my walk back from lunch at Oceana Grill to Toulouse Street on the Riverwalk, I encountered two groups playing on street corners and stood catty-corner to film. Enjoy and excuse the distractions.

Congratulations. You made it. Of course, I'll never know but I do hope you've enjoyed the trip. With a bit of sadness, leaving tomorrow for Toomsuba, Mississippi, begins my northeasterly trip back to New York. Toomsuba should be exciting with a population of 778. See you there; stay happy, healthy and safe.

Life is what we make it, always was, always will be. ~~Grandma Moses