Trip Postscript

This May marks the third anniversary for our Aliner, having purchased it in Wisconsin in 2011 when we were living in Florida.  That first year, we pulled the Aliner through 31 states, including a jaunt from northern California to Kansas for the birth of our grandson Adrian.  What made that trip memorable was the failed trailer axle that we rode on for 1,700 miles.  We added only one more state in 2012, exploring Michigan's upper Peninsula to escape the oppressive summer heat we were experiencing that year.  2013 saw us head to the southwest where we added Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to our Aliner travel list.  2014 adds Louisiana to the list and probably signals the last of the state bagging for a while.  The remaining 11 in the continental US are all in the north east where we have very little experience traveling.  Still 37 states and a lot of gas is a pretty good record for relatively trouble free camper traveling.

New Orleans via Vicksburg and Natchez, Hot Springs and home

We made a dash away from St. Charles, arriving in Natchez, Mississippi after driving two days.  Our first night was spent in a familiar campground in Memphis, Tennessee named T.O. Fuller State Park.  This was our third stay there, always just staying overnight.  It's a nice green campground with showers, laundry facilities and free ice.  We've never ventured in to Memphis, just finding that its at a cross roads on our travels between Florida and Kansas or our now home in Arkansas going east to Tennessee and Virginia.  The second day we drove to the Natchez Trace State Park, about 15 miles outside of Natchez.  I had no expectations for Mississippi parks, but was surprised to find the park to have a very nice campground and shower house.  We had a shady site with lots of space between us and our neighbors.  Very nice campground.  We were there for five nights and did some sight seeing driving up and down the Natchez trace parkway between Natchez and Vicksburg several times.

Natchez Trace Foot path

'Here's a pic taken of the original Natchez Trace.  The path is worn down from all the traffic, thousands upon thousands of feet did this.  The soil is easily eroded, as it is Loess, windblown dust from the ice age.   Apparently very fertile, but erosion is a real problem, for agriculture in this area.

Old country Church

Church Interior, in use until 2010

We visited Vicksburg, taking in the Vicksburg National Military Park, the site of the siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War.  Frankly, not being civil war buffs, I was getting bored until we stumbled upon the USS Cairo.  This was a flat bottomed gunboat sunk by the Rebels and raised from it's watery grave a few decades ago.  The state of preservation is remarkable.  Touring the boat and related museum were highlights of the Military Park.

Bayou Signette State Park in Louisiana was an easy drive from Natchez and we arrived on a Tuesday and had reserved for five nights, meaning a Sunday departure.  We were joining another aliner rally, this time sponsored by our home group, the LOKAT's (Lousiana,Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas).  A few couples had arrived early and we got acquainted right away.  Another couple from Arkansas joined us Wednesday to tour the Garden district in New Orleans.  Thursday we spent most of our time visiting with other aliner folks and Friday joined two other couples to take the ferry from Algiers across the river to the French Quarter.  We walked around a bit, checked out Cafe du Monde (long lines), and one of the group mentioned a fried chicken place that she had seen on the Food Network.  We stopped at a tourist info place and the person there said it was within "walking distance".  Off we went... turns out to be three miles and one of the guys (not me) came close to passing out from dehydration.  I sunburned my feet, and then we stood in line to get in the place for two hours!  Of course we all agreed this was the best fried chicken we ever ate.  We got a $15 cab ride back (6 people and off the meter) to the French market and walked verry slowly back to the ferry for the ride back to our cars.

Garden district

Garden district, reminds me of Savannah

Our tour group

The line to get in - 2 hours long

Hot Feet

"America's best Fried Chicken"

I failed to mention the "genuine Cajun Dinner" we were served as part of the aliner rally.  The sponsoring couple included a third generation Cajun who used his Mother's recipe to prepare a chicken and sausage gumbo for us.  The menu included Jambalaya, Gumbo and Potato Salad (Potato salad, Cajun?).  When dinner was served, a serving of potato salad was placed in the center of our bowls of gumbo, and we were advised to take a bit of potato salad with every spoonful of the gumbo.  Who knew?   It was delicious!

After all the fun we had in New Orleans, we pulled out Sunday morning and headed toward Hot Springs, Ar.  We went a bit over half way, making our way to the south east corner of Arkansas and spent the night at an Arkansas State Park, Chicot Lake.  Monday we rolled in to Brady Mountain Recreation area, a Corps of Engineers campground in the shore of lake Ouachita a few miles outside of Hot Springs.

House Boats

From our Campsite

View from our Campsite

We arrived at Brady Mountain Monday afternoon and toured Hot Springs Nation Park Tuesday.  We met Howard and Cindy, fellow rally participants from New Orleans for breakfast Wednesday morning.  Howard and Cindy had joined friends and family and were camped within the National Park.  After finishing a late breakfast, we returned to the campground where we lazed the day away reading and loafing.  Thursday morning we were up early, hitched up the camper and returned 209 miles to home.  As we arrived, our letter carrier drove up and told us there had been a dead possum on our front deck, and vultures were eating it!  The next morning (Friday) as I was typing this, I heard a lawnmower running, and looked out to find our neighbor cutting the grass for me.  What a guy.  Now all I have to do is repair the lift mechanism on the bed in our camper, wash and wax it, before putting it away and tend to more yard work.  That's it for this trip.

Bath House

Filling water jugs with spring water

Bath House Row

One of the Springs in Hot Springs

St Charles

We pulled up at Susie's House early Sunday afternoon, and settled in after parking the camper in her driveway.  Bill and Susie treated us to steaks for dinner Sunday night.  Cardinals baseball monopolized our attention Sunday night with a win over the Cubs.  Monday was haircut day for me, getting  a buzz cut for the first time.  My hair is getting too thin and patchy to support the style I've worn for 40 plus years.  Our hosts took us to an Italian Restuarant, Calecos, for dinner.  I snacked too much earlier in the day, and could only handle a cobb salad.  Too bad, as the menu and dishes ordered by the rest of our party looked really good.  We watched the Cardinals win one from the Braves Monday night.  Tuesday was some shopping in the morning and then a trip to Alton, Illinois to Speedy Eddie's, a biker bar for lunch.  We got there at 12 noon, only to find that they don't open until 1.  We killed most of the hour by sightseeing around the Alton area.    The weather was perfect and we had a great time mingling with all the bikers.  We also spent some time trying to figure out why Susie's TV didn't have HD video.  After scratching our heads, we realized that the box and TV weren't connected with an HDMI cable.  A quick trip to Walmart to get a cable, and we could watch baseball in HD! Unfortunately, the Cards lost Tuesday night to the Braves.  Early to bed, as we plan to hook up and drive to Memphis Wednesday.

Fairfield

We spent three nights at the Jefferson County Park on the outskirts of Fairfield, my home town.  The campground opened for the season on May 1, and we arrived early in the afternoon of May 1, and were the first campers of the season.  That night we were joined by one other person who camped in a tent.  The next day, around 8 in the mornng, a fifthwheel pulled in and set up next to us.  After setting up, the couple who owned the trailer left.  This was the first of many coming in and setting up.  It turns out most were all locals who lived within 10-15 miles and were planning on spending the weekend.  By Friday night the campground was almost full, and we were no longer alone!

We thought the campground was very convenient for us, as with the much improved weather and sunshine (at last) we enjoyed walks in the woods, trips in to Fairfield to use the library internet connection, diverse restaurants  and a favorite coffee shop.  Fairfield has broken the mold of dying small towns and has a diverse economy and best of all lots of younger people.  It's good to see, even though many if not most of the landmarks of my youth are gone.

Here's a hiking trail within the county park.  There is an extensive trail network in the park and surrounding area.  Really nice.

We spotted black squirrels in the down town area of Fairfield, here's one quick moving guy before he got away.

May at last

Spring seems to have arrived and we are embarked on what has come to be an annual Spring outing with the camper.  We left home near the end of April to attend an Aliner rally near Pella Iowa.  The idea was to get a jump on their annual Tulip festival, get in see the Tulips and get out before the Festival actually begins on the first weekend in May.  Our rally covered two days with about 12 other Aliners present, for 20+ fellow campers.  We enjoyed the two days with lots of good food and meeting some very convivial and interesting folks who share our interest in camping and traveling.  Our plan is to slow migrate south to another Aliner rally in late May near New  Orleans.  Between the two rallies we have no fixed plans, but will stop in St. Charles to visit with Bill and Susie, Ginnie's siblings.

Now we are in Fairfield, Iowa, my hometown and camped in a pleasant campground on the outskirts of town.  Fairfield has lots of restaurants and coffee shops and the plan is to sample as many as our waistlines will allow.

This picture was taken from the front window of our camper during the rally.  Shown are some of the other Aliners at the rally.

Don and Marlys the Rally organizers

Some of our fellow campers

More campers

Coffee Shop in Fairfield