Cajun Country

Both Janice and I were suffering from colds while in Bay St. Louis.  We managed to take a drive along the coast, visiting Gulfport and Biloxi.  No stories; no pics.  Just a lot of sneezing and coughing.

By the time we reached Lafayette, LA, we were on the road to recovery.  We drove around Lafayette, my hometown for about four years while I was flying offshore oil support for Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., a/k/a PHI.  Even visited PHI's new digs - a beautiful new facility built in 2011.  I wandered inside and, on my telling the receptionists that I flew for the company 40 years ago, I was given a very nice guided tour of the facility.  Also drove by the old homestead.  One of the little trees I planted is now huge... hard to believe that much time has passed!  We also found a GREAT cajun restaurant in Henderson, about 9 miles east of Lafayette.  The name of the place is Pat's and if you are ever in the area, jump off I-10 and grab some etouffee.  You won't be disappointed!!

Well, we pulled up stakes at Pensacola / Milton today and heaed to the Hollywood Casino RV Park in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.  The park is nice... and almost deserted.  We kinda hated to leave the park in Milton, where we had this view out the windshield of the motorhome.

 

Taken through our windshield at Avalon Landing RV Park in Milton, Florida

We'll be in Bay Saint Louis until Thursday, when we head to my old stomping grounds of Lafayette, Louisiana.  See ya'll later!

After touring the Naval Museum and climbing the lighthouse, we decided to try out McGuire's Irish Pub in Pensacola.  McGuire's more than lived up to the high recommendations we had gotten from the RV park personnel.  Expecting a "comfort food" pub, we were surprised to discover that the restaurant has been featured several times on The Food Channel and has won numerous rewards, including the best steak in Florida.  Janice and I both had the filet, which was absolutely incredible!  As if the food wasn't enough, the ambiance is super cool!  The restaurant was started by William and Molly McGuire in 1977.  Molly wrote her name on the first dollar the restaurant made and stapled it to the wall.  Since then, it has become a tradition for customers to follow suit.  Take a look at the dollar bills in these pics:

Note all the dollar bills on the walls... and ceiling!

You have to remember that the restaurant covers a full square block!  There are now officially in excess of $1 MILLION in dollar bills stapled to McGuire's walls and ceilings!!  Do people try to lift a few every now and then?   Yep.  And there are several newspaper articles posted throughout the restaurant reporting the criminal prosecution of those individuals.  McGuire's takes the tradition (and the one million dollars the tradition has generated) very seriously!  Bottom line:  If in Pensacola, you HAVE to dine at McGuire's!

We visted the lighthouse located on NAS Pensacola.  Pensacola is the oldest European settlement in mainland America (1559), its location has caused great turmoil, with many buildings destroyed by wars, and by numerous major hurricanes. The location, south of the original British colonies, and as the dividing line between French Louisiana and Spanish Florida, along the Perdido River, has caused Pensacola to change ownership several times. Pensacola was Spanish, then French, then Spanish, then British, then Spanish again, before becoming American, then Confederate, and then the current U.S. city.

Congress authorized construction of the lighthouse in 1823 at a cost of $6,000.  The light was first illuminated a year later.  When Florida seceded from the Union in 1961, the Confederates dismantled the lens and extinguished the light to prevent the navigational aid helping the Union ships.  The Union regained the lighthouse the following year and the lens was reinstalled and the light turned back on.

Janice and I climbed the 177 steps to the top and were rewarded by this view

What astounded me was the size of the 1,000 candlepower bulb that, when transmitted through the French-made lens, can be seen 27 miles from the lighthouse.

The primary bulb, seen just to the left of the "P" in Primary, above, is the only bulb that illuminates.  The bulb looks like it belongs in an oversized flashlight... not a lighthouse!  If the bulb burns out, the block holding the two bulbs rotates and the Secondary bulb takes over.  The bulbs last 2 to 3 years and cost about $1,000 each.

We're presently in Pensacola, FL.  Yesterday we visited the Naval Aviation Museum, located on NAS Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels.

Jets hanging in the museum's Blue Angel Atrium.  New aviators had received their wings in the Atrium the day before.

Some of the interesting aircraft on display include the famous Sopwith Camel, seen here with one of its more famous pilots in the cockpit.

The museum houses NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic.

The NC (Navy / Curtis) aircraft was designed during WWI as antisubmarine aircraft, but were not produced before the end of the war.  It was, however, destined to play a major role in Navy aviation.  In May 1919, the navy launched NC-4 and two sister ships in an attempt to make the first air crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.  NC-4 successfully made the 3,000 mile journey.  The other two NC's failed enroute.

Moving into the more modern era, aircraft included one of the actual Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers that took part in the Battle of Midway in June 1942.  The SBD's were the only aircraft type in that battle that delivered hits on the four enemy aircraft carriers, sinking three of them.

Lastly, we have the famous Sikorsky helicopter that President Nixon boarded at the White House after resigning the Presidency.  You may recall this famous photo of "Tricky Dick Rick."

On January 13 we headed back south about half way to Tampa.  We stayed in Brooksville, FL and, on the 15th, we traveled to Palm Harbor to visit Rick & Pam Cox.  Needless to say, it was a great time!  On the 15th, we went to downtown Dunedin to attend the regular weekend bazaar.  I found some great salsa!  Of course, walking through a bazaar can really build up a thirst!  Luckily, Rick knew the location on a bar where we sat outside and enjoyed a few libations.

After a few brewski's, we walked down to the pier to see the wide variety of boats... shrimpers, scallop fishing boats, and the sponge boats.  The sponge boats go out for about three weeks at a time and the divers work all day cutting sponges from the ocean floor, usually working in depths of about thirty feet.  I'm thinking that's a career I haven't tried....

We closed the day by taking a dolphin-beach cruise.  The boat took us to a small, deserted island where Janice and Pam searched for seashells.  The two Rick's made sure the boat's supply of Corona was staying cold.

Poor Pam... from this one day to the frozen tundra the next!!

We arrived at Williston Crossings RV Resort on Jan. 6.  It's a beautiful, bucolic 500+ site resort just outside Williston, FL, population 2,768.  Beautiful park with paved roads, concrete sites, tons of mature trees, etc.  While passing the time today, I decided to install the really nice bicycle mirrors Ryan gave to Janice and me for Christmas.  I had completed the install on my bike and was readying Janices bike, which entailed cutting off the end of the left handlebar grip to allow insertion of the mirror mount into the handlebar.  Unfortunately, a fellow camper stopped by to comment on our coach.  An attorney should NEVER attempt to simultaneously carry on a conversation and use an Exacto knife!!

Yep... attempting both will result in a trip to the local ER for a couple of stitches.  Our first "hiccup," but if that's the worse that happens during our ventures, we're golden!

We leave Willston on the 13th and heading back south to Brooksville, FL.  On the 14th, we're driving the toad down to Tampa to spend a day with Rick & Pam Cox.  Really looking forward to it!  I'll post anything interesting in the interim, but I plan to stay away from sharp objects!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  Our plan was a belated Christmas with the kids in Sarasota.  Thomas, Jess and Michael's flight arrived on time on 12/26.. Ryan and Janelle were not so lucky.  After being delayed out of STL for six hours, Frontier cancelled the flight with no plans for another flight or re-booking.  Turns out frontier doesn't contract with any other airlines to assist stranded passengers.  My recommendation:  don't fly Frontier!  Ryan and Janelle were able to get on a Delta flight the next day ( for about 3x the original cost) and arrived in Sarasota on the 27th. We had a GREAT time with the kids and Dale, Janice's dad.  We spent the 28th on the beach at Siesta Key.

Rick and Ryan at Siesta Key

Michael enjoys his first trip to the beach with mom, Jess, and dad, Thomas

Continuing with the kids visit to Sarasota, after a day at the beach, the gang decided to stay poolside on the 28th.

Michael's first time in a pool!

Janelle enjoys the 85 degree weather

Grandma and Michael chill in the shade

Michael and Great-Grandpa Dale discuss who has the better looking hat

The kids were all safely back home for New Year's Eve.  Janice and I already miss them!  We pulled up stakes on the 31st and traveled a whole hour to Ft. Myers.  Janice has a good friend who lives in Ft. Myers, and (if the weather cooperates) we plan to take a day trip by boat to Key West.

Janice and I hope 2016 is safe and prosperous to you all!  God bless us.