We got an early start this morning to try to reduce the hours in the heat without a/c.
Came across 2 dead alligators on I-10 near Irish Bayou. Other dead things: wild boar, turtle. Toto, we are not in California anymore!
Driving across the bridge between lakes Ponchetrain and Borgne, it feels like we are driving across the ocean! These lakes are HUGE!
Final Thoughts on NOLA
Sad to say, this is one of the most depressed, poor, dirty cities I’ve ever seen. Most of the people seem pretty miserable.
I truly loved learning the history and the famous places I’ve only went in movie and pictures, but the majority of the city is sad and a pretty sketchy.
The streets are chaotic (so are the other drivers), many buildings are destroyed from Katrina, but a lot of houses and buildings are it’s run down from lack of care.
There are piles of trash thrown out next to trash cans – not in bags or anything, just tossed on the ground.
I never really felt “safe” walking around – or even driving through some areas.
Mississippi – take 3
This is the 3rd time we’ve crossed the Mississippi border on this trip. 😂
NASA – Stennis Space Center
… home to America’s premier rocket engine test complex, the NASA center where engines for all manned Apollo and space shuttle flights have been tested and where next-generation engines and rocket stages that will carry humans aboard NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) deeper into space than ever before are being tested.
Read More About Stennis
More Waterway
Jourdan River 
Biloxi Water Tower 
Biloxi River 
Escatawpa River
Pascagoula River – it deserves its own section. All of the photos be lower are separate sections of the River. Huge! And I’m sure alligator run!
Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
When I was 2, my dad was in the army and we moved to Alabama where he learned to fly helicopters – and where I got a good foundation of the English language.
My mother tells he story of a little friend of mine who was over to visit when mom was making dinner – my friend (maybe 3) said “I ain’t et yet”.
I don’t remember talking with a thick accent – but that southern drawl does tend to come out when I’m around someone else who has an accent (and occasionally when I’m really mad).
The other story I hear is that we lived in a mobile home park when a tornado rolled over the top of us. Parents say it sounded like a train rolling across our roof.
Earthquakes are unpredictable too – I’ve experienced a lot of those. One is underground, ones above. Unless a quake is HUGE, it doesn’t do near the damage of a small tornado. I’ll take the quake over a nado any day.
George Wallace Tunnel (Chickasaw Creek Channel / Mobile River)
2 things that make me nervous – bridges (anything heights) and tunnels under water (anything confined). So yeah.
This Is A Tunnel 
On the bright side – it’s cooler than the sweltering mugginess up top. And it was only about 30 seconds – so I’m ok now.
Mobile Bay (Part of the Gulf of Mexico)
Blakeley River
Florida
Yep – the palm trees start at red border 
Gator Fencing 
Wildlife Protection
Louisiana, Mississippi & Alabama had an awful lot of dead critters on the highway – especially gators.
Florida has animal fencing lining both sides – reinforced when there’s some type of water.
Random fact – some of my ancestors on my mothers side were Choctaw. Per dna testing, I have NO Native American blood (you get 50% of each parents dna, whatever % of Choctaw blood my mom has, I didn’t get it). I have much respect for the culture and the tribe – so it’s been interesting to drive through some of the old Choctaw territory.
Jurassic Park?
Chattahoochee
We won’t be crossing the Chattahoochee but saw the sign so did the research (of course I can’t get Alan Jackson oi of my head now).
Chattahoochee is a Creek Indian word meaning river of painted rocks. The Chattahoochee was the dividing line between the Cherokee and Creek nations.
The Chatahooxhee River forms part of the Georgia/Alabama border and part of the Florida/Georgia border.
It’s 4pm eastern time and we are off the feeeway and heading to rv hookups so we can get some air one goin. Unless something exciting happens tonight – I’ll be back tomorrow!
PS – we are now in eastern standard time.
PhilippiJoy 