Roadtrip Part IX - Gulf of Mexico

05.06.-12.06.2018 Finally, our long-awaited trip to the Gulf of Mexico was here. Summer, sun, beach, sea, and palm trees. From New Orleans, we drove on Highway 90 towards Gulfport in Mississippi, crossing small bridges, less traveled roads, and sparsely populated areas. The roadside was characterized by either swamp/forest or stilt houses. Since this region is prone to flooding, houses are built on 10-meter high tree trunks or concrete pillars (although the first version is more common). Most of these houses are single-story, but we also spotted two- or three-story ones. Underneath the houses, there are cars and boats, and a looooong staircase leads up to the living area. Personally, I don't want to have to carry groceries or suitcases up there.

After we left Louisiana and crossed Bay St. Louis, the marsh and swamp landscape decreased (and therefore the potential sighting of alligators/crocodiles) and the miles-long beaches increased. Although the drive only took about two hours, Patrick couldn't really enjoy it. Despite taking fever-reducing medication, his fever returned. We only stayed for a 5-minute walk on the beach in Gulfport. After checking into our hotel, I went straight to bed. Meanwhile, Bella went to Walmart to buy groceries. The most affordable way to get something halfway healthy to eat. Besides eating and sleeping, there was nothing exciting about the day. Unfortunately. We were supposed to spend most of the time in the sun and at the beach.

On Wednesday, we continued to Foley, a small town east of Mobile (Alabama) and near Orange Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA. Again, the short drive there was a struggle for one of us. So unfortunately, a visit to the USS Alabama, which is located in Mobile and houses an exhibition about World War II and subsequent wars along with war material, had to be canceled. At least from a distance, we could admire the huge battleship, which is comparable to German Bismarck-class battleships. After crossing the Mobile Bay and finally checking in at the hotel, we went shopping together this time. The weather was very warm and humid, just like the previous days. It was definitely too hot in the car and outside. It was also too cold in Walmart, due to the excessive use of air conditioning. Once the shopping was done and we were back at the hotel, it was time to eat and of course, not forget to sleep.

The next morning, I was feeling better. The medication had worked. We spent the morning at the beach and in the water. Wonderful. The water was bathtub warm and only waist-high for the first 50 meters. It was very pleasant. But to avoid overexertion, we spent the afternoon in the sun-shaded hotel room. At some point in the late afternoon, Bella got in Jim Bob and went to the nearby outlet to pursue her favorite activity... SHOPPING! But the joy of the shopping spree that would come later in the evening was soon followed by the next bad news. On the way back from the outlet to the hotel, Jim Bob stopped working at an intersection. It didn't make a sound anymore. Luckily, Bella had the king's pigeon with her to send a message to his majesty. I hurried on foot to the scene of the accident. What looked like a short trip on Google Maps turned out to be about 25 minutes' walk on unlit sidewalks. In the land of the free, nobody walks. Everything is done with their own four wheels (as explained in one of the previous posts). There's no need for lighting on sidewalks. Anyway, a few passing Americans helped Bella recover Jim Bob, who was in the middle of an intersection. After a short time, the police and the fire department arrived. The latter was needed to contain the spilled gasoline with sand. We looked at each other puzzled. We didn't really know how to interpret the whole scene. Finally, when the tow truck arrived to lift our big guy up, we removed some important things from the car. We didn't know what would happen to it and where it would be. Fortunately, the policeman present drove us back to the hotel. Conclusion: An American police car is not particularly comfortable for the passengers in the back seat. It's a 'plastic' seat located in the plastic-lined rear part of the car. Practical for quickly removing residues of feces, blood, vomit, or entrails with a garden hose. They think practically, those Americans. The confusion would stay with us throughout the evening and the next morning. What now? Is a higher power trying to tell us to go back home... mmmhhh. But we weren't ready to give up yet and continued our route as planned. We needed a workshop. Luckily, it was Friday evening. No one was reachable. And we were even luckier when we found out that most workshops are closed on Saturdays. Except for one. So we quickly called there and asked if they would repair a slightly older Dodge truck. Luckily, they said yes. So we quickly called the tow truck and directed them to the workshop. We paid another $200 for the service. That's how it can continue. After the workshop owner, a middle-aged man who had emigrated from Turkey (very open-minded and friendly), took care of our truck, we had to call a hotel and cancel our reservation. Because: Shortly before Bella went shopping the day before, we had already booked a hotel in Panama City, Florida for the following day, Saturday, and Sunday. Originally, our trip was supposed to continue. But since we didn't know exactly what was wrong with our big guy, continuing the journey was not an option. Unfortunately, the hotel only refunded the second night, as we had canceled too close to the arrival date. The reason 'unfortunately, my car is broken and I don't know when it will be drivable again' was not accepted by the hotel. Stupid assholes.

However, the afternoon brought some good news: Only the fuel line of Jim Bob had torn, and its replacement only took about 2 hours. And, at the end of the day, it cost just a little more than the tow truck service. It was around 3 pm. Theoretically, we could have driven the 3 hours to Panama City to visit the hotel we had canceled a few hours earlier. But since they were uncooperative and also because we had extended our hotel in Foley for another day that morning, we stayed in Foley. Including the night from Sunday to Monday. We really liked the hotel. And the Orange Beach nearby. We had originally planned to end the day with a game of mini-golf, but unfortunately, it started pouring rain. On Sunday, we finally spent some time at the beach and in the pleasantly warm water. In the afternoon, we drove back to the hotel, as it looked like it might rain at any time. But it didn't. Very funny, Petrus. In the evening, we returned and spent a few hours at a beach bar with cold drinks and delicious seafood. It was our last evening here in Alabama. We felt a bit nostalgic. We really liked this place. But we had to move on. We still had some stops to make on our way towards Washington, where we were expected no later than Friday. As a conclusion to the whole trip, we walked along the beach and observed the sea (as well as one can inspect the sea in darkness). Luckily, a thunderstorm was brewing over the Gulf of Mexico, which we could leisurely watch from the beach. Have we mentioned how beautiful it is here...

The next morning, we saddled our mule and slowly left the Gulf region with a brief stop at Perido Key (a beach in Florida). Here, too, the sand was incredibly soft and the water was crystal clear. We will definitely come back. That's for sure. The goal for today was: Jacksonville, Florida. Did we make it there??