We had a short, uneventful travel day from Pensacola to Ocean Springs, MS, specifically to Davis Bayou Campground, other than the fact that we had our first trip through a tunnel pulling the trailer. It was easy-peasy. This is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore and is located just a few miles from Greg’s mom’s house. We will be here for two weeks to visit and do some touristy things we don’t normally get to do when we come down for shorter family visits. We were greeted by two Sandhill Cranes standing on the median near a gas station. Unusual until you remember that there is a Sandhill Crane Refuge right here!

Our campsite is lovely and backs to a bayou view through the trees. I was afraid there would be a ton of mosquitos here. There is only about half-a-ton. These campsites have electric and water hookups. The bath house is within view. It is a short walk to see real, live alligators living their best life in the bayou. On day one we have already seen idiot parents encouraging their kids to throw fries and chicken nuggets to the turtles and gators. When we hear about their kids or dogs getting consumed by alligators on the news, don’t be surprised…and that same group of people will blame the alligators. OMG!!! Anyway…

There is a burn ban throughout the lower gulf region due to extreme drought. That means NO OPEN FIRES. We are not allowed to have a campfire, for example. No problem! I would like to preserve my life and the nature around us, so I am okay with that rule. The idiots in spot 24 either didn’t notice the sign on literally every door and post in the park, or they saw the signs and decided they just couldn’t live without a campfire in 80 degree weather. Some people truly believe they can only drink beer at at campground if they are sitting around a fire…at any cost. All of the 51 other campsites were respecting the risk of fire. Kudos to the rest of us.

Greg met his brother and sister for lunch to plan their mom’s birthday bash at the end of the month. I was happy to stay behind in the camper since they met at the Rib Crib. Not a single vegan option at a place like that. Soooo…

Saturday at Davis Bayou Campground in Ocean Springs, MS

Believe it or not there are a couple of vegan restaurants in the area. Today we enjoyed the food at Good Karma. It was fantastic and the owner is just such a joy to speak with. 

Later we stopped by to visit Greg’s mom and stepdad, Dick. She was sleeping and we didn’t have the heart to wake her. We had a nice visit with Dick. Haven’t seen him in awhile. He told us that only twice since they’ve owned that property has his front pond dried up, now being one of those times. That drought is serious!

We went to the Biloxi Cemetery for a special event where they select several graves and reenact that person’s life a bit. They had actors throughout. The oldest graves are from French settlers in the 1700’s. It’s a bit spooky even in the daytime.

We had to stop by Palace Casino, well, not HAD to… We brought a tiny bit of money and doubled it in half an hour. Not bad! Took our money and ran before they got it back from us. 🙂

Later we picked up dinner at Woody’s and brought it to Greg’s mom and Dick. Woody’s is a word that means anti-vegan, so I brought vegan hot dogs from the camper. I don’t even think Greg’s parents noticed that I was eating my own food. No biggie! We were all happy! They raved about the steak we brought them.

Monday at Davis Bayou Campground in Ocean Springs, MS

It felt great to spend a day at home. We spent time outside and played a game of Monopoly on the picnic table. It was breezy, so we used pieces of firewood and small rocks to hold down our money and property cards. Not to brag, but I bankrupted Greg in short order. He was a good sport about it, although he did start trash talking me about the next game already.

I’m trying to get the cats to run around in the camper a bit more for some exercise, especially Cleo. She is putting on some weight. They both love to chase a feather toy I have that is on a pole. However, Nemo forces himself in when Cleo is playing, and then she pouts in her hiding spot. So now Greg entertains Nemo while I play with Cleo. I hope it helps her!

We woke up early to meet Greg’s brother, Scott, and Scott’s wife, Karen, in Gulfport to take a ride in their boat out to Ship Island. On the way to meet them, they called us to let us know they felt it was too windy and choppy, so we are going to shoot for next week. Scott and Karen came to our campsite and saw our camper for the first time. We all sat outside for a few hours chatting. It was great to see them and reminisce. They always have the funniest stories about their escapades during Mardis Gras or on fun trips, etc. They are a lot of fun!

This RV lifestyle is definitely not for everyone. We love it, but it definitely keeps me on my toes…staring down a suspicious-looking spider while using the bathroom in the bath house is one example. Today I dealt with a smallish one with a shiny black body who was facing me on the floor, but not making any moves like he recognized my human superiority. The more natural and beautiful a campground is, the more likely it is that your campsite will not have its own sewer connection. So the bath house is a daily destination. The spiders are the gatekeepers. I respect them and marvel at their ability to spin beautiful, symmetrical, perfect webs. Also, birds…birds make perfect nests with just their feet and a beak. If I was told to do that, my gene pool would end with me.

We had a nice visit with Greg’s mom and stepdad in the evening. Greg brought his mom a strawberry cream slush from Sonic. This is one of her favorite treats and from the level of intensity she displayed drinking it, complete with a brain freeze, it must have been awhile since she’s enjoyed one. The wonderful relationship between Greg and his mom is very touching to witness. They don’t see each other often, but when they do her face lights up and she participates in conversation, laughing and reminiscing. Greg holds her hand and helps if she has a hard time with anything. She shows normal signs of aging, but to me she just seems under-stimulated and bored. She is a funny lady with a dry, naughty sense of humor.

While we are in known civilization I am ordering a few supplies on Amazon that I can pick up at a counter pickup in Ocean Springs. You don’t have to have your items shipped to a home. Some businesses participate in the counter pickup service, so your items get delivered there and you have a certain number of days to pick them up. Here it is a drug store in town. Very convenient. Our mailing address is in Columbus and packages would have to be shipped from there to us, but many campgrounds do not accept campers’ mail.

Greg introduced me to my new favorite word, touron. Here is the definition from Wikipedia:

Touron is a derogatory term combining the words “Tourist” with “Moron” to describe any person who, while on vacation, commits an act of pure stupidity.^[1]The term is considered park ranger slang that describes how some tourists act when entering a national park.^[2] The phrase indicates an act of ignorance and is known to be used in different subcultures. It is also used to describe tourists in general when they are outside their normal “comfort zone“.^[3]

Here’s to you, you burn ban campfire burners, black tank leakers, alligator feeders, tree bark carvers, yellers, dog tethering fools…Ooh, this word is so great. I shall adopt it immediately.

For the first time in our lives, Greg and I used a senior discount…a momentous, somewhat sobering event.  Saved $3 at the USS Alabama Memorial Park. And they didn’t even ask for ID to make sure we were honest.

We thoroughly exhausted ourselves touring the USS Alabama and USS Drum. They have created a wonderful outdoor airpark and indoor museum alongside the Alabama and Drum. Interestingly, many of the static display planes inside were donated by Jimmy Buffett, yes, THE Jimmy Buffett. 

The Alabama is a fast-attack battleship that was under construction when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. There is so much history to this ship from typhoons to battle. It saw service in both the Pacific and Atlantic Theaters during the war. We took in as much as we could while there, but I cannot adequately or accurately list all that I read. It is definitely worth researching. I believe there are even youtube videos about the Alabama. It has also been used in several movies since it has been out of service, including “Under Siege.”

We climbed those crazy ship ladders as high as we were allowed, squeezed into small hatches and explored everything that was open to the public. They had multiple galleys, a cobbler, baker, a soda fountain, brig, tailor, laundry, post office, sick bay, chapel, even a special battle bridge that was fortified with the thickest doors we’ve ever seen. From there the commanding officer would operate the ship during battle. It is like a small city much like a Royal Caribbean cruise ship minus the fun, shows, buffets and turndown service. Seeing the close quarters and imagining it during its heyday with the addition of heat and unimaginable noise from the engines and inner workings, you really get a new appreciation for ALL veterans. As we left there were groups of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts arriving for an overnight experience on the ship. That would be spooky! We heard that the ship is haunted?

Speaking of close quarters, the USS Drum is a dry-docked submarine museum now. You can imagine how condensed life is on a submarine. Making anyone comfortable was NOT on the priority list at all. They needed room for torpedoes and the mechanics that make a submarine work. Then they stuffed the sailors into the nooks and crannies. Literally. I mean there was a spot where the torpedo racks also served as cot holders. During wartime maneuvers they could not use the showers. They wiped the condensation off the walls and cleaned their bodies with that! And they wore special leather thong sandals so that the enemy couldn’t hear their clunky boots and detect the submarine’s location. There is so much more to it. It was a bit overwhelming.

On our way back to the campground we ate at Aroy Thai in Mobile…such delicious green curry tofu! It was in a cute, eclectic, historical neighborhood called Conti Street. There seems to be a big push to bring the beautiful homes in the area back to their original glory. Mobile is a pretty cool city from what we could tell in a one-day visit.

After a very full day, we were greeted in the camper by the horror of horrors just in time for Halloween festivities. Upon opening the camper door we noticed a pale paste that was tracked and spread on the couch, table, floor and then noticed that it was embedded in Cleo’s fluffy tail. She had a stomach issue in the litter box while we were gone and then dragged her tail through it. We sprung into action cleaning, sanitizing and vacuuming…and then we cleaned the camper. Cleo and Greg were great sports about it all. I’m going to get her some kitty probiotics and hope is this a one-off. Good times.

We’re half-way through our stay in Ocean Springs, MS. We have so much more to do and great catio views coming up!