We're Backkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Back on the road again ... with a hope and a prayer we're again meandering southward looking to avoid another Michigan winter. Snow is not our friend and with any kind of luck this winter, we will find much more temperate weather.

But what a great summer!  Cousins RV Park, near the shores of Lake Michigan, was again our summer resting place.  Hard not to return as we've got so many good friends there, the park is always well run and maintained, and did I mention those fantastic sunsets in South Haven?  We'll be returning this coming Spring to a newly improved patio and parking pad as well.  We'll be adding some new plantings as well so it should be extra nice.

Just before leaving my kids threw me a nice birthday party.  All the grand kids were there too so it was extra special.  It's always a bittersweet time for us as we are leaving our family for a time but also enjoying the fruits of many years of labor.  I'm sure there will come a time when we either do not want to travel or can't but right now we're enjoying each day.

We started our trip with a quick two day stop-over in Battle Creek visiting with friends and family.  I've often said you cannot have too many friends.  But if we never acquired new ones, the ones we now have are simply the best; probably better than we deserve.  To a person, they've treated us like members of their own family and  it's really tough to leave them all behind for the winter.  But somebody has to test the warm winds of the Gulf Coast ... sample the fresh shrimp at the dock or sit down to one of those Texas steaks so tender and juicy.  So childhood friends, high school friends, college friends, rv friends, neighborhood friends ... they're all very important to us.

Needing a fuel stop before leaving Michigan, I stopped by a Flying J station and was pleasantly surprised that I could pull right up to a pump with no waiting.  The wind was kicking up outside and snow started to fall.  I was thinking my timing for leaving the state was right on the money.  I started putting the necessary credit card and customer discount fuel card in only to receive a message on the pump that I needed to see the cashier.  Once you see that message there is no chance things will go well.  So I stood by the pump and Sharon went into the station (some 250 feet away) to find out what was the problem.  She soon returned joining me again in the cold, blowing snow.  I started pumping fuel but it promptly stopped after spending only $75.  I re-inserted the credit card and discount card and started over.  Another $75 rolled up and it stopped again.  Now I needed about $350-$400 in fuel and all I can think is that I'll be pumping fuel here till spring.  Not only was the pump stopping every 24 gallons but I could have filled the tank with a turkey baster faster.  Absolutely the slowest pumping I've ever run across.  Maybe this was Michigan's way of punishing me for leaving the state but I was thinking there ought to be a law for such a poor operation.  Sharon made an additional trip into the station only to learn that we could pre-charge a large amount of money on the card and it wouldn't stop so often.  She then put $300 on the card and was assured that the pump would stop at that amount. The coach soon gobbled up the $300 but the pump ran over 5 cents and the dreaded "see chasier' message re-appeared. The thought of driving off without paying crossed my mind but the idea of being sprawled across the hood of some state police car for 5 cents quickly quenched that notion.  So back in she went with the nickle to pay off the bill.  I will never know why I continue to go back to this outfit for fuel but for some reason I do.  They are usually clean and their prices are competitive but certainly not friendly to this rv'er.

With a stop or two along the way we finally met up with our Iowa friends Jim and Carol in Tunica Mississippi.  Tunica, for the uninformed, happens to be the mid-south's answer to Las Vegas.  With 8 or 9 casinos/hotel complexes it's quite the place.  We parked our coach at Harrah's park for about $18/night.  A very nice park though few campers were there this time of year.  We spent three nights there supporting the locals but in the end, actually came out ahead.

Before leaving Tunica the four of us decided that it would be fun to go down to New Orleans for a day or two so we booked a couple of nights at the French Quarter RV Resort ( http://www.fqrv.com) in downtown New Orleans.  A little pricey but safe and very near all the neat spots in this dynamic city.  The city is really an assault on ones senses.  The smells, sights, food, the many cultures and its people all push the extreme.  Mid westerners like us, should have a little coaching before entering the city as the unexpected is really the norm here.  We enjoyed a couple of great meals in the 'Quarter', listened to a little jazz music, and wandered a bit around.  It was Jim and Carol's first trip to the Crescent City so rather than me stumbling around town in our truck, we all decided to take one of the city bus tours offered.  During the three hour trip we hit all the hot spots from the Garden District to the French Quarter to the famous above-ground cemeteries.  But the eye-opener was the tour of the lower 9th ward where the devastation from hurricane Katrina was still very prevalent.  Abandoned homes and businesses were everywhere.  High water marks could best be seen by how high the mold had grown on the building.  A family here and there had re-claimed their property but most were still gone.  The nine generation New Orleans tour guide took us through some of the roughest areas you could imagine.  I think she was making sure we understood what went on here.  She places the blame on government.  Federal, state and local all shared the blame but most she said belong to ex-mayor Ray Nagan.  Obviously the wounds are still raw even after 5 years.

A rain storm greeting us this morning as we prepared to head for our next stop ... Bella Terra RV Resort in Foley Alabama.  A driving rain followed us the entire trip making the 200 mile trip seem like 400.  Anyway we're here and are looking forward to kicking back and taking it easy for a few months.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil