Buccaneer State Park Waveland MS

 Buccaneer State Park Waveland, MS

We returned to this park, which we had visited in Feb 2020. In 2020, Lisa had just had another major abdominal surgery to "reroute her plumbing". We went there so she could rest and recover post op.  She spent our 2020 visit on the couch and it was frigid and snowing. Thankfully, we had much better weather and we were able to explore the area this visit. It was a nice start to our spring adventure of 2023.  We spent a little over a week here touring the area and walking on the mostly deserted beach.

We discovered this in Gulfport, MS as we were walking to lunch at a beach front restaurant.  The tree carving was very unique and well done. 

Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher plants are formed by specialized leaves. The plants attract and drown their prey with nectar.

Lisa getting ready to start space travel.

The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), constructed in 1961, is a NASA rocket testing facility in Hancock County, Mississippi on the banks of the Pearl River at the Mississippi–Louisiana border. As of 2012, it is NASA's largest rocket engine test facility. There are over 50 local, state, national, international, private, and public companies and agencies using SSC for their rocket testing facilities. . Ironically, it was so over engineered when built, that it is currently being used for the engines for the Artemis series of rockets that will return us to the Moon. 

The Apollo 4 Space Capsule, an unmanned rocket, was launched into space in 1967.

Apollo 19 1st stage rocket for the Saturn series of rockets.  Apollo 18 and 19 are the only first stage rockets that can be viewed in person.  After Launch of the Saturn V rockets, these sections fell into the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the Lunar Landing Module test module.  It was used for the Astronauts to practice entering and Exiting the Lunar Module.

Beauvoir

Beauvoir was built from 1848-1852 by James Brown, a planter and entrepreneur. In 1873, the property was sold to Frank Johnston and soon thereafter to Samuel and Sarah Anne Ellis Dorsey. They operated the plantation to cultivate cotton. After her husband, who was older, died in 1875, the widow Dorsey lived in the main house with her half-brother Mortimer Dahlgren.

In 1876, having heard of Jefferson Davis' financial and personal difficulties, Dorsey invited the former president to stay at Beauvoir. She made a cottage available to him and assisted him in writing his memoir, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (1881) by organizing, taking dictation and encouraging him.

Davis accepted Dorsey's invitation and moved into the cottage now known as the Library Pavilion on the plantation grounds in 1877. Later, his wife Varina joined him.

Davis arranged to purchase the property in 1879 for $5500 to be paid in three installments. In 1878, Dorsey had rewritten her will, as she knew she was dying; she bequeathed the plantation to Davis and his daughter. Dorsey died in 1879.

Davis and Varina moved into the main house along with their youngest daughter, Winnie.  Davis lived in the home until his death in December 1889. Varina Davis remained on the property for a time while she wrote her book Jefferson Davis: A Memoir (1890). She and her daughter Winnie moved to New York City in 1891.

Dorsey had provided that, after Davis' death, Beauvoir would go to his daughter. At her death in 1898, the property was inherited by Varina Howell Davis. In 1902, she sold much of the property to the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), to be used as home for Confederate veterans and widows, and later as a memorial to her husband. The SCV built a dozen barracks buildings, a hospital, and a chapel behind the main house. From 1903 to 1957, approximately 2,500 veterans and their families lived at the home. Many veterans were buried in a cemetery on the property.

An artists rendition of Beauvoir as seen from the Gulf.  Biloxi beach was man made on the gulf side at a length of 13 miles.  It was built in 1952.

Hand painted ceiling in the entry foyer of Beauvoir.  Neptune closest to the beach is the child Neptune.  The Neptune at the rear of the Foyer is the Mature Neptune.  You can see this when looking at the body structures of Neptune.

The Golden Harp at Beauvoir.  It is one of 3 Golden Harps that were manufactured and the only one that is on Public Display.  It is covered with 24 Karat Gold.

Lisa admiring a Statue of Jefferson Davis.

The hearse that was used to carry Jefferson Davis to his original Grave site in Metarie, Louisiana.

The Above Stars and Bars Flag was discovered on E-bay in 2007. From the writing on the flag it was determined that the Flag was the one that was displayed at Beauvoir in 1908 at the opening of the Confederate Soldiers Hospital.

 Cemetery for Confederate Soldiers and their spouses who passed while living at Beauvoir when it was used as a home for Veterans and their spouses.  

Lisa spending the kids' inheritance!!!!!!!

The sunset at Waveland, Mississippi was a beautiful display of the Lord's handiwork.

2023 Start of our Second year of traveling

 2023 Start of Our Second Year Traveling

We spent the end of 2022 visiting our children and obviously the world's most perfect grandchild.  We were able to spend precious and priceless time with all of them.  Our children shared their time with us when they could. Obviously, they still have to work and have homes and families to manage. We were very fortunate that Megan was able to take a full week off to spend with us. We are still adjusting to our newly retired life and the new dynamics it creates. We beg for a to do list so we can attempt to do something useful. Missing the kids and being so far away from them is definitely the worst part of this nomadic, travelling lifestyle. It makes each visit seeing the family even more priceless. As expected, Lisa struggles with this the most. Thank goodness for FaceTime, texts and even social media. Mark has strong opposition to all forms of social media, but it has allowed us to keep up with family and friends. Our cell phones feel like a lifeline to the ones we love and miss the most. 

 Lolli (Lisa) is totally smitten with her precious Ellis. She was on cloud 9 the entire visit. 

Lisa got a little bit excited. She got a bullseye on her very first throw ever.  We were out celebrating Adrian's birthday, but it appears we neglected to get pictures of the birthday boy. We also were able to spend some quality time with Sid for his birthday. And... it appears we did not get any pictures of either birthday boy.

We started out 2023 with our annual trip to Red Bay to have Ethel's (RV) mechanical items serviced, a few repairs and new tires. While the coach was at Bay Diesel, we ventured out in the area.  We set our sights on Tishimingo State Park to do some hiking.

Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Tishomingo State Park is steeped in history and scenic beauty. Archaeological excavations confirm the presence of Paleo Indians in the area now encompassed by the park as early as 7000 B.C.! The park takes its name from the leader of the Chickasaw nation, Chief Tishomingo. The famous Natchez Trace Parkway, the premier highway of the early 1800s and a modern scenic parkway, runs directly through the park. Visitors to Tishomingo State Park discover the same timeless natural beauty that enchanted the Indians centuries ago. Tishomingo offers a unique landscape of massive rock formations and fern-filled crevices found nowhere else in Mississippi. We wish we had been able to see it in the spring in its glory when everything was alive and green. 

 With Ethel back in top form, we headed to Arkabutla Lake, a Corp of Engineers property south of Memphis  We scheduled visits with all of our doctors and also for Karma.  Part of getting older involves a list of specialists for all your ailing parts. We discovered Arkabutla when we lived in the Memphis area.  It is a phenomenal park. We had a lake front site and the campground was nearly empty. Since it is a corp property and we have a senior pass, it only costs us about $20/day with full hook ups.  The park is located about 30 miles south of Memphis -which allowed us to visit our doctors, dentists, veterinarian and even our financial advisor. It was a scheduling jigsaw puzzle, but it all worked out. We will try to establish medical care in Chattanooga, since we use Megan's address as our "home" while we travel. Once we get medical care established in Chattanooga, we will no longer have any ties to Memphis.

We have learned from the summer to slow down and enjoy our journey as much as our destination.  We are taking our time getting to the coast with a stop at Twiltley Branch, another Corp property located in Central Mississippi.  We are continually amazed at the Corp of Engineer properties for the value and the wonderful sites they provide.  They have consistently been some of the very best campgrounds, often lake front, with huge sites, full hookups and cost a mere fraction of what a RV "resort" charges. 

The sign on the tree was probably 150 ' from Ethel and 10' above ground.  It is the highwater mark from when the Corp had to hold back water due to flooding in April 1979.  Twiltley branch is part of the Pearl River where the flooding occurred. It was rainy while we were there, but thank goodness we were spared any flooding!