Texas and the 3 days to cross it !

The big state of Texas. I now know why it’s called that, it took 3 days to drive across it. It doesn’t seem to matter what route you take either. It’s just big! Everyday the terrain changed. The eastern side is green with trees and grass. The crops are being planted in fields the size of Rhode Island. ( it looks that way, anyway) The ranches with cattle, Longhorn or not, are immense! As far as the eye can see( that’s saying a lot it’s flat) fields with cattle roaming around. Sometimes there’s a house in the distance, sometimes not. The sheer vastness has this New England girls mind totally blown away.

  Big, big sky. When the sun sets, darkness is coming fast. That big sky is great for stargazing. The center of the state has gotten sandy and the evidence of drought has become a reality. The spring won’t be bringing life back to a lot of the trees. The grass looks more gray than winter brown. The landscape ravaged by the intense heat and lack of water. The dust that is kicked up on unpaved roads can be seen for miles and sticks to everything, weary travelers are no exception.

The center of the state is marked with oil derricks and surprisingly wind turbines. Miles and miles of both. Was glad to see them spinning around on those open plains. Who would have thought, Texas does not live by oil alone. Gotta roll with the flow. That oil won’t last forever and it’s changing our planet. The removal of all the oil has changed the foundation we walk on, in more ways than one. These great chasms are moving and shifting after they’ve been emptied of oil and gas. There are consequences for everything we do. Globally and every day life. Think before you act.

The western side of Texas is desert. Reminds me of the western movies. Riding out on your horse, out here it’s probably the best way to travel through the terrain. So vast….. in needs to be seen with your own eyes to really comprehend it. I couldn’t imagine coming through here on a horse or a wagon train. There are miles and miles of scrub brush, cactus and sand. I have a new respect for those that traveled through here to start a new life. It’s more than my New England mind can even wrap around. VAST…….

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Natchez our crossing point

  We crossed the Mississippi River at Natchez. For us a momentous occasion, we’ve made it to the West ! An old Southern Town on the banks of the River. The former social mecca of the old plantation owners. Their huge houses are still here, mostly museums now that can be toured. The town was built on a grid, as we’ve found most southern towns,so it’s easy to get around. In New England, where we’re from, the cow paths were just paved over. There’s no rhyme nor reason to them. Here with the grid system it’s a welcome pleasure for visitors who don’t know their way around.

We spent the afternoon walking around the old section of town and enjoying the park on the bank of the

Crossing the Mississippi River

Impressions of Biloxi, Mississippi

 In my last blog I wrote of Jefferson Davis, these are photos of his house, after the war, in Biloxi. We wanted to visit this house as a continuation of what we had learned of Jefferson Davis in Ft. Monroe, VA., following his footsteps. What we experienced here was not just following those footsteps, it became much deeper than that. We were told that he had a route on the grounds that was the exact amount of steps as at Ft. Monroe. Those years of imprisonment followed him to this house and stuck with him for the rest of his days.

The house, Beauvoir, was torn up by Hurricane Katrina. The house was still standing and major reconstruction has been done and still continues. The impact of that hurricane is still evident everywhere. The front steps of houses and driveways that lead to nothing. Empty lots, torn trees. The devastation 6 years later is still very much evident. Not just the landscape, but the people we encountered. The underlying pain is still there.There are smiles on their faces for what has been rebuilt, but their eyes tell a different story. Of devastation. It’s more than just buildings. I couldn’t bring myself to take a picture of the steps that lead to nowhere. It has taken me quite some time to compose this piece. The pain of it is still too raw and hangs in the air. It can be sensed on the breeze from the Gulf.

For those that decided to stay and rebuild I pray that they can let go of that pain and start a new life. To learn from the loss and use that wisdom to start something new without the pain of  the past. Their second blow, The oil spill in the Gulf. The beach was beautiful and looks like all new sand. Miles of it, replaced after the oil spill. Didn’t see any globes of oil anywhere. Thank God !  All these disasters. Is the Divine trying to say something? What message is being conveyed here?? Pray on it.

The Alabama Experience

Stayed in Mobile, AL. The true home of Mardi Gras. Yea, it didn’t originate in New Orleans as most of us think. It started with a man who wanted to party hearty the three days before Lent so he invited a few friends and it definitely caught on. Talk about a snowball effect! There  was a huge party going on in Mobile. From what I was told ” In Mobile we like to have fun, not party like they do in New Orleans. ” Any flashing of the Hooters will end in a jail cell, not with a lot of flashy beads !! So, if you’re looking for Mardi Gras without all the craziness, Mobile is your place.

We headed out of Mobile, traffic was crazy, and headed South to Bellingrath Gardens. I love flowers and to see flowers in February is a real treat. The Bellingrath house and gardens are set o a huge park like estate near Mobile Bay. Looked lovely from the parking lot. That’s as far as we went. The price tag to walk in the garden ( does not include a tour of the house) is $12.00 each. Ouch, how many flowers are in bloom in February to command such a price? So here are a few pictures of the flowers that were free to look at in the parking area.What gets me is the write-up on the place states the original owners were philanthropists, hope the present owners are as well considering what  they charge for a garden walk. Hate to think that the original owners way of life has been altered. What a shame !

We were so close to the Gulf of Mexico and didn’t want to lose the chance to see it so we headed out to Biloxi, Mississippi. There is a house that Jefferson Davis, the confederate president, lived after the Civil War in Biloxi and it happens to be across the street from the Gulf. So of we go. A little background here. Jefferson Davis was imprisoned during the war at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The only fort I know of that has a moat. Yes, a moat. Built on the Chesapeake Bay the water flows in and out of the moat with the tide. On top of the walls of the fort  is a walkway that Jefferson Davis was allowed to walk on everyday for his exercise. To this day it’s still a military base but, on the grounds surrounding the moat. The inside of the moat is mostly a museum now. Those that guard it tell of seeing Jefferson Davis’s ghost still walking around the top of the walls.

My husband and I lived there for 2 years and experienced some of the ghostly happenings personally. The chance to visit Beauvoir, the house Jefferson lived in after the war was a given. So off we go .

Next blog, Biloxi, MS

Here’s Savannah, Ga

Over the bridge into Savannah. We went on a trolley tour. It seemed the best way to get the jist of the town in only an afternoon. Definitely not enough time to get to know such a beautiful city. All the squares in the center of each neighborhood with their ancient trees hanging with spanish moss towering over monuments and fountains.The squares were originally set up as places of protection for the residents living around them in case of invasion. but are now places of peacefulness in the middle of a bustling city. Could have spent much more time investigating those squares. Met a gentleman who made a rose out of palm frond, and sang us a song as he did it, near the fountain. Some kind of Wonderful!!

The people were wonderful and epitomized southern hospitality. The food was terrific!!! And for those foodies out there, we did not eat at Paula Deane’s, Lady and Sons. We did go by there and looked at the Southern Fried Chicken and it did look good. But, we knew it would be a final chance before heading west to eat seafood. We wound up a few streets over eating She-crab soup and the best crab cakes I’ve ever eaten at Belford’s. Yum, Yum . We’re far enough South now ( out of the freeze zone) so we’re heading west on Route 84 through Georgia. Bye Savannah !

Where have I been????

Well it’s been quite a journey. Some 4,327 miles of it. Exhaustion, a sore butt from being in the car day after day. Motels with no or slow internet. A cabin in the woods for a week to sleep and straighten out my back. Now  I’ll be back in business for  awhile anyway. We’re in Flagstaff, Arizona ! I’ve been writing as we went, when I wasn’t to tired to see. Just wanted to let everyone know we’re OK. Will have a blog for you all in the morning.