Going To Jackson

We got two sets of keys for Pooh when we bought her  . . .
      two ignition keys and  two door keys, but only two of each.

So, when we pulled into the campsite in Jackson, and one of the door keys broke, we thought it was just a minor crisis.  We'll head on over to Home Depot and get a replacement, plus a couple of spares, and then we'll be set.  Not!

It turns out that those door keys are not ordinary keys, no siree.  They are special RV keys, not available at Home Depot nor Ace Hardware.   But Ace is the place with the Helpful Hardware Man ... and he directed us to A-1 Lock and Key.  The had the correct key blanks, and just to be safe, we had four copies made, and then we were on our way.

On our way where, you ask?  To 624 Rose Street in Jackson.   This is the site where Frank's father was born and raised.  Unfortunately, the house is no longer there  ... it is nothing but an empty lot now.  But, the family still owns the lot, and we maintain it to stay in the good graces of the city fathers.

We have contracted with Calvin Hill to keep the lot mowed and cleaned.  But, we had never met him in person until today.  What a pleasure it was to finally meet face to face.  Great guy!  And he seems to be doing a fine job keeping the lot clean.  Just look at it compared to the neighbors.

Calvin Hill and Frank

Soon it was time to move on.  Our next stop was 100 miles to the north, to the Indianola area, where Frank's mother was born and spent her early years.   We have always wanted to visit the area, and on this trip we made it a priority. 

By 1:00 pm, we were riding in Pooh up US 49, and enjoying the beautiful farmland scenery of central Mississippi.

On to the Deep South

Waiting for the rain to end at Azalea Acres in southern Alabama

We didn't get far the first day, and so we needed to double-down on the driving the next day.  Just 15 miles inside of Alabama there is a nice RV park where we have stayed previously, and so we pointed Pooh west on I-10.  Frank did all the driving, and we finally arrived late in the afternoon.

We had planned to get up early and head on to Mississippi the next day.  We did not plan on being in the middle of another big storm.  But during the night, a big thunderstorm came in from the gulf, and continued on through the morning.  Not wanting to drive through bad weather, we decided to stay a second night in Alabama, and then head to Mississippi on Monday.

These is one of those times we're glad we have the DISH satellite for TV.  (The satellite is that little white thing by the front tire.)  While the wifi at this park is excellent, the TV service is nonexistent.  

After watching church on the internet, Linda did a lot of knitting, and Frank talked to his brothers on the phone. 

It was another good day on the road.

First Day Challenge

The first day of each of our Pooh excursions has always been challenging.
This trip proved to be no different.

Just north of Ocala, there was a bad accident a couple of miles ahead, and we found ourselves sitting in stop-and-go traffic (shades of Southern California).  As we inched along, an alarm on our dashboard sounded, indicating that one or more of the leveling jacks had descended.

We pulled off the road at the next exit, and into a large parking lot.  We checked the jacks, and none of them had descended or was out of position.  So, the problem was probably electrical.  After trying various maneuvers, Frank finally pulled every fuse out of the control panel, and then reinserted them.  Voila!  No more alarm.

At that point, we were tired and frustrated and hot and sweaty, and we decided to look for campground nearby for the night.   There were two choices. 

The first one had a nice name ... Water's Edge RV Park.  We drove there, and discovered while it was at the edge of a lovely lake, it was populated mostly by shirtless, toothless, permanent residents.

The second place was called Grand Lake ... a gorgeous, a snowbird haven.  We pulled in, grabbed a beer, and reminded ourselves that the first day of this trip had not disappointed.   In fact, we had discovered this lovely new park and decided it was a nice destination for a short trip later; it had lots of planned activities, and an 18-hole golf course for Frank.  We would never have heard of it otherwise.

It was a good day.

All Flights Cancelled

Today was the planned departure date for another Pooh adventure . . . genealogy research in Mississippi, visiting daughter in Houston, jazz & beignets in New Orleans.  Then ... Tropical Storm Andrea arrived.

So, here we are ... the equivalent of being stranded in the airport with no scheduled flights anywhere until tomorrow.  Our clothes and most of our other stuff is loaded into Pooh, and we wait.

The worst of the rain has now passed us by, and while the winds are still strong and there is a tornado warning until 6pm tonight, we are confident that the trip can begin in earnest tomorrow.

We are grateful that we don't have to keep to a schedule.

New Orleans, Fini

On our last full day in New Orleans, Linda wanted to go to the famed Commander's Palace for lunch.  The restaurant is just a half-mile from us, and she has always wanted to eat there.  Unfortunately, we could not get a reservation for that day, so we decided to go back to Dooky Chase restaurant where we have been before. 

Unpretentious exterior, elegant interior

Dooky's is a New Orleans institution, and its lunch buffet is legendary . . .red beans and rice, veal stew, andouille sausages, fried chicken (some say the best in Louisiana), greens, sweet potatoes, and salad. 

Lunch date

See . . . not Mexican food

Bread pudding . . . what a Southern dessert should look like

After lunch at Dooky's, Linda had to stop at the yarn shop in the French Quarter (no surprise, there) . . . 

The yarn shop on Chartres Street

Inside . . . half yarn, half needlepoint, all luscious

and get some beignets at Cafe Du Monde to enjoy with coffee in the evening.

Required tourist stop

The aroma of fresh beignets is seductive

The dining area is busy 24 hours a day

As always, we had had a terrific time in New Orleans. 

We drove by the Superdome several times

All kinds of musicians on the streets of New Orleans

There's a parade for something, somewhere, nearly every day

Classic view of a carriage ride in the French Quarter

Contrast of the old vs the new in New Orleans

We would have stayed even a few more days, but alas, Thanksgiving Day was upon us.  Jeff and Derrick were going to go to their mother's house up in Jackson, Mississippi, for the day, and we decided we better started heading for home in earnest.

It was hard to see that this wonderful trip was coming to an end, but we did have to get back.  Duties at home called, and so we pulled out of New Orleans on the day before Thanksgiving. 

New Orleans, Culture

It was time to partake of some local artistic culture (or so we thought).  So, we (along with Jeff and some of his friends) went to an outdoor play that was part of the Fringe Festival going on that week. (Google Fringe Festival.)

The narrator, Turtle, greeted us as we walked to the play site

The play was titled The Vanities of the Poor.  So far as we could tell, there was nothing about "the poor" in it.  We really couldn't tell what it was about at all.  The audience had to stand or sit on the ground and then move around as the scenes moved from place to place in the small city park.

Did the crowd love it? We couldn't tell.

To the cast (and many in the audience) the play was oh-so-very-important.  I guess we're just not sophisticated enough to understand what it was all about. 

The cast and the orchestra

The ending was just weird

Was it worth the $8 ticket price?  Definitely not, we all concurred afterward.  Fortunately, it was not vulgar, simply boring.   

*     *     *     *     *

After the "play" we went to Buffa's to see the latest episode of Treme (an HBO drama about New Orleans) on the big screen, and to hear some live music. 

An enthusiastic crowd at Buffa's

We love the live music in this town . .  most of the musical talent is simply amazing.

Jazz pianist Al "Carnival Time" Johnson was the night's headliner

*     *     *     *     *

The next day there was a free concert at the Joy Theater by Grammy award winning Chucho Valdes.  This was a big event in the city.  Valdes is one of the premier jazz pianists of all time . . . right up there with Oscar Peterson and Chick Corea.  

See his website:  Chucho Valdes Website .

We were near the front of the line

The Valdes Quintet

His playing is simply magical

To round out our Crescent City experience, we wanted to get come Cajun cooking and drive through the Quarter again.

BTW, it's not the French Quarter, doncha know?   Real N'awlins folks just call it The Quarter.) 

Come back and enjoy the rest of New Orleans with us.