RV Travel in North America: 2018 April Gulf Coast, St Francisville, LA

Gulf Shores, AL to Natchez, MS April 2018

After a great week at the Rialta Rally in Gulf Shores, AL it's time to move on toward the Natchez Trace Parkway. This leg is to enjoy the route getting there.

Rachel and I are going the same route, so we select a destination to meet at the end of day and often stop at the same places.

I stopped first in Mobile, AL to tour the USS Alabama, a retired USN Battleship. I liked the tour and got into the engine room (I was an engineer in the Navy) also there was an airplane museum, US submarine to tour. Walking the ship and I understand that not much has changed in the many years the US Navy has built ships. Of course, most of the ships I was on were WW2 era ships.

Engine room, I recognized all of the equipment here.

Rachel and I meet in Biloxi, MS boondocking by the Golden Nugget Casino. I had a great omelet in the casino next morning.

The sunset was good, the purple on the building is from lights they shine on it, made a different combination sunset.

After breakfast in the casino, we tour Biloxi, found a French restaurant that served better prices at lunchtime, cool meal. Driving along the shore with pristine white sandy beaches on one side and antebellum homes on the other side I could not help but to drive slowly and enjoy the view. We passed the Navy Retirement home, and I could see both the old building and the new buildings. Hmmm is there where I will end up someday? I love the view here, just might do it.

Mansfield, LA is a north shore community of Lake Pontechrain. We found this cool place at the marina.

Staying overnight to go tour the Wooden Boat Museum, we met the museum volunteers the next morning and they were so friendly and chatted with us quite a bit before the museum opened. What is really unique here is the workshop to build your own wooden boat, some 20 boats were under construction at the same time. I know if I lived here, I would be building a boat.

Heading north toward Natchez the next stop is Baton Rouge

Capital of Luisiana, this is the former Capital Building. Built like a castle it served many years as the Capital Building. Displays inside spoke of the many different governors in Luisiana, Huey Long of course took grand stage, there was allot of differing opinions of the impeachment process for him.

I liked the flags at the base of the spiral staircase.

Traveling north alongside the Mississippi River is St Fancisville, LA, several plantation homes are open for tours, this one James Audubon worked for a time as a tutor for the rich plantation owner and he drew 23 pictures of birds here.