South Along the Coast

SOUTH ALONG THE COAST

It is funny, or maybe strange, how different and yet similar different areas of the country are. We see the same national chain stores, Walmart, Home Depot, Payless Shoes, and all the fast food restaurants. People in different parts of the country dress the same, considering the weather. Then, you go into a Walmart and see entire counter of spicy salsa, or Heinz Chipotle BBQ Style beans, and cans of Hominy and collard greens!

In the middle-Northern states and in the west and mid-west, train tracks are usually close by the interstates and we can hear them rumbling by during the night, sometimes blowing their whistles at road crossings. One night though, we heard a roar overhead. We were parked right at the end of a runway, and jets taking off make quite a noise!

Traveling along I-10 in a winter storm,we arrived in Fort Stockton, TX. Funny, but the last time we were in Fort Stockton, it was cold, and snowy. (Next time we will by-pass Fort Stockton!) We stayed at Walmart with about ten other RVs that wanted to stop traveling during the storm. It was like being in a campground!

The next morning we decided to do something different for breakfast, so we stopped at a little restaurant called 'Pepito's.' It appeared to be a popular place since it was filled with locals. We sat by a window and ordered. Now, this is different. The waitress went to the window and opened it. Someone was in a car outside, and ordered breakfast! It was an 'old style' drive-up window. I guess they haven't heard of microphones. A little later, a town sheriff, who was eating breakfast, got up and went to the window. He opened it and had a friendly conversation with the person in the car. The waitress arrived with the order and passed it through the window, took the payment and off drove the car!

The southern coastal states have  had some major flooding. What was a flat, dry area last time we went through, is now a large lake. This explains the long, long bridges we traveled over. One was 27 miles long! In Lafayette, LA, the Planet Fitness gym had been flooded with 3" of water. Fortunately, the exercise equipment wasn't damaged, but they have to check for mold, and replace some of the floor and wall moldings.

We had seen a flyer for a big flea market in Lafayette, LA, so on Saturday morning, that was our first stop. It was really big, with aisles inside full of vendors and some outside, too. We probably missed some of the booths, but we each purchased a little stool for sitting at parades, etc., Joan bought a pretty bracelet and a floppy hat. James bought some hose clamps. So much for the big shopping trip of the American Vagabonds! Think of the saying that one person's junk is another person's treasure.

Traveling through the southwest, we passed through towns that have songs named after them. "Is this the way to Amarillo", "City of New Orleans", and "El Paso," reminded us of those cities. Then there was Tombstone, of Wyatt Earp fame, and the Rocky Mountains, from John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High". All the old TV westerns and their theme songs come to mind when traveling along through that area.

Along the Gulf Coast, it is everything Cajun and Acadian. In Lafayette we stopped at Walmart on Evangeline Blvd. It reminded Joan of reading Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" about young lovers who were forced to relocate from the north to Louisiana by the British and became separated. They found each other at the end of their lives, and by the end of the poem, Joan was trying to hide her tears from her eighth grade classmates!

We found a dance in Mobile, AL. Actually, it was at a ballroom dance club that we had been to a few years ago. The hall was decorated for Mardi Gras. The dancers were friendly and several spent time talking to us. On to Pensacola and the Naval Air Museum where we experienced a simulation of being on an aircraft carrier flight deck. It was really cool to sit in a chair, feel the 'deck' tremble, and air blow across us as planes on the screen landed and took off! They even 'piped' in the smell of jet fuel. As he promised when we went into the chamber, James could not smell the jet fuel.

From Pensacola we drove along the coast to Florida and St. Petersburg, FL to visit Joan's high school girlfriend, Barrie, brother in Winter Haven, and cousin in Altamonte Springs.  And, from there, we will head north toward Connecticut.

Don't forget to check out our website: http://www.americanvagabonds.net