We are making our way west by way of the south.
Bruce did tour the National Infantry Museum, in Columbia GA, with some deeply moving moments. He ventured into the Viet Nam section. This was the war he would have served in, if the draft hadn’t been canceled, just before his number could be called. He even saw a picture of his dad, while serving in Georgia during the Korean War. He came home silent and distracted. It was a lot to process.
Our next stop was Coden Alabama, also known as Le Batre Bayou. We looked at the Gulf of Mexico every day.
We stayed for 5 days, 2 which poured rain. I gotta say, rain and RV’s do not mix well. The noise! Bruce says it sounds like BB’s, all I know is that it’s loud. The park was small, quiet, out of the way and close enough to Biloxi MS and Mobile AL for a fabric run. Dauphin Island is just a bridge away, and the beaches were amazing. Not warm enough to swim, but lovely to see.
The area is a working fishing town. Specifically, oysters, shrimp and crawfish. There was a gentleman who came to the park with fresh catches daily, selling to anyone. He spoke in a thick Bayou accent, (I wished for subtitles). I think I understood every 5th word. He was proud of his family’s 134 year history, of fishing on the Gulf Coast.
Coden, like all Gulf areas, is hurricane country. As we chatted with the manager of the park, she told us that during Katrina the water reached 15ft high. They no sooner recovered from Katrina when hurricane Sally hit and left them rebuilding again. These posts were installed for people to climb to in case they hadn’t evacuated in time.
On Saturday we left for Laurel Mississippi. HGTV has made this town famous with the show, Hometown. The Napiers have been rehabbing homes here for 10+ yrs hoping to draw people to the area and see it come alive again. It was once a thriving timber town. Yellow pine trees abundantly cover the landscape.
I’ve watched Hometown, almost from the beginning, and dang if they aren’t the cutest couple! But like all HGTV rehab couples, they’ve become an industry of their own. Laurel is small enough that you can actually spend a little time appreciating all they’ve accomplished in these years.
We saw Ben’s workshop from the store adjacent to it
And we drove up and down a few of the streets where they’ve rehabbed homes. We’d point to ones we thought we saw in the show trying to remember which families they were for.
I shopped in all three of their stores,
And I walked the streets of downtown checking out the various new shops, that have opened since this small town revival began.
Laurel has some really fun murals
We bumped into a couple from Michigan, who were making their way to Houston, to attend a college game. We saw them in a couple of places and finally had a chat, in the tea and coffee shop. Nice to catch up with some fellow Midwest folks, and in Mississippi of all places.
It struck me though, how much work is still needed to make Laurel a vibrant, thriving community. Some of these beautifully restored homes, sit not more than 2 or 3 houses, away from ones that look like they may need condemning. And while there are lovely streets, there are more that are in great need of help. Jones county history, is fraught was some post war racial upheaval. Not sure how that plays out today, but it’s definitely a town in need of some TLC.
As I chatted with one of the sales people, I asked if it was always so quiet and empty. She said that unless there was some kind of event going on, the town sleeps. People browse, but not a lot happens without a major draw. I kept wondering how the shop owners could afford their rent? Whatever the case, I did my part to contribute to the Laurel economy, and was happy to do so!
Our next stop is New Orleans Louisiana. We have friends from the Chicago area, flying in to meet up with us, and spend the weekend sampling the restaurants. I hear the list is long, and I won’t have to cook-yay me! We’ll be there a couple of days ahead, hoping to get a peek so we’ll be ready to explore when they arrive.
And I’m praying for the rain to quit until we can leave. Once we’re on our way to AZ I won’t care anymore, the desert is dry and warm…
I’m ready for it!
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