This is Monday, Feb 25th have left the town of Cameron going down hwy 82 still going through the area that was ruined by the tornadoes and hurricanes in September of 2005. Many areas still just have foundations, at one place there was a bathtub and a sink left. Another one just had plumbing. Some have rebuilt and some have gone with mobile homes. Even went by a place where they are rebuilding a church. I have only seen just a couple of buildings still standing but not safe to get close to. So we will travel through this hwy 82 for the remainder of the day heading east.

Today is Tuesday, Feb 26th we spent the night in Fork Island at Maw & Paws Bait & Tackle Shop in their parking lot so we thanked them for letting us stay there. This morning traveling the rest of hwy 82 until we reached the town of Abbeville and took hwy 14 which took us over to New Iberia and we will spend the night here. Today we took a couple of tours. Went to Avery Island and toured the Tabasco Plant and we also went to the oldest rice mill in the U.S. Today was a day of excursions after traveling about 40 miles.

This is Wednesday, Feb. 27th, we spent the night in New Iberia we have gone to hwy 182 heading southeast towards New Orleans. Historical marker Beau Ere Circa 1828. This home originally known as Pine Grove was bought in 1830 by John W. Jeanerette the first postmaster for whom Jeanerette is named. This historical home escaped the destruction of military operations during the Civil War. Traveling along hwy 182 came to a town named Franklin. Named for Benjamin Franklin in 1800 by founder Alexander Lewis, the town became St. Mary Perish seat in 1811 was incorporated in 1830 served as Teche Countries Port of entry and trade center until coming of railroad in 1870's.

This is Thursday Feb. 28th, we spent the night in Morgan City La. hwy 90 continuing our way to New Orleans today. Good portion of hwy 90 is on bridges going over swamp land area covered with water and some vegetation made it an interesting ride. One thing I noticed on hwy 90 as we are getting closer to New Orleans and throughout the area here there is Mardi Gras beads on the hwy off to the side.

This is Friday Feb 29th. Happy birthday to all who were born on the 29th. When you are younger having a birthday every four years is bad but when you are older it is pretty good. Coming across New Orleans today from southwest side to the northeast side was difficult to get across, could not get on a couple of bridges and was stuck by a train for 30-45 minutes. Ended up finding the ferry taking it across and ended up in the downtown section of New Orleans out to where we were staying for the evening. We came back into the French Quarter had a great lunch and walked around, it is coming back alive, activities there and still some building going on, a good place to come back to.

This is Saturday March 1st left New Orleans on hwy 90 east heading towards Mississippi, through town there is still some rebuilding going on, the devastation is still there but the rebuilding continues. Came across the new bridge since the old one was destroyed to get us on hwy 90 to Mississippi.

This is Sunday March 2nd. we spent the night at Waveland Ms. and heading towards Biloxi Ms. which is our destination for today. Going across the bridge it is a very clear day and overlooking the gulf, you can actually see a ways. As we are traveling on hwy 90 there are miles and miles of white sand, very clean, well kept. Quite a few of the homes are gone, some of the large trees are still standing, and the rebuilding goes on. In Gulfport Ms. there is an historical marker which reads; Ship Island, 12 miles south of the mainland lies emerald water and sugar white sand the site of economic and military conquests, the Spanish in the 1500's, the French in 1699, the British in 1700, and the Union Army in 1861. Site of Civil War Fort Massachusetts and quarentine station from 1881 to 1916. British headquarters for the battle of New Orleans during the war of 1812 a brick lighthouse was built in 1853 and was destroyed in 1886. The wooden lighthouse was built in 1886 survived hurricane Camelle in 1969, burned by a campfire in 1972, and reconstructed in 1999. Southern Terminus for the gulfport shipping channel and became part of gulf island national seashore in 1971.

Monday March 3rd, we spent the night in Ocean Springs Ms. Yesterday we went by Biloxi and found it not too friendly for people in RV's. No place to park so we went on to Ocean Springs for the night. We traveled on and left Mississippi and now in Alabama, just off hwy 90 in a town called Theodore and staying the night.

Today is Saturday March 8th we have spent the last couple of days seeing my dad in Huntsville Alabama and now we are back to Mobile to continue the trip. We started out today on hwy 193 to Dauphin Island. We are at Fort Gaines. Historical marker here about Fort Gaines which was established in 1821 for the defense of the Mobile Bay and named  in honor of General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, who played an important part in early Alabama history and while commandant of Fort Stoddard captured Aaron Burr near McIntosh February 1807. Now that we have traveled  25 miles on hwy 193 to Dauphin Island to take the ferry and found out it is not operating, fortunately I have some motor transportation to take me around the area. I only need to go less than a mile across the water but that is not going to happen.

This is Sunday March 9th, we spent the night in Gulf Shores , Alabama and this morning we are taking hwy 82 east following the gulf and I am on a bridge at the moment over looking the gulf, a slight breeze coming at me today but a very nice morning with sunshine and clear sky. I understand it is daylight savings time but it means nothing to me right now I travel from sunrise to sunset. I watch the time only so I know when I can call people from back home. Got on to hwy 292 came into Pensacola spent a little time at a park area just before crossing the bridge on hwy 98 east. Hwy 98 goes into Gulf Breeze and just as you enter the town there is a plaque which says Sight of Pensacola to St. Augustine road. Degunned by a military detachment from Pensacola in 1824. The first federal hwy in Florida was designed to connect the two principle cities of the new territory. Construction was later contracted to John Bellamy wealthy Jefferson County and the majority of the road was built by slave labor which was completed in May 1826.

This is Monday, March 10th, we spent the night outside of Pensacola taking hwy 98 east towards Panama City going by white sand beaches. Clear today a little cool breeze and we ended up spending the night at Destin Florida. It is spring break time here and you can tell by people coming into the store buying soft drinks and quick meals and filling up the hotels and camping areas, so it has been a good ride today.

This is Tuesday, March 11th. We are leaving Dustin on hwy 98 going towards Pensacola. There is a little bit of a drizzle today so there is no sunshine and it doesn't look like the spring breakers have been spending too much time in catching some rays on the beach. I am taking alternate 98 in Panama City beach going by the water, there are a few people out, cloudy and cool. I have on my long pants, tee shirt, sweat shirt, jacket, by cap plus my helmet, and my semi cool gloves. There are guys without shirts on the beach just wearing their swimsuits, they must be from the northern part of the country here. As long as they are having fun that is what counts.

This is Wednesday, March 12th. Last night we made it to a Walmart in Panama City Beach area after a day of rain, put in about 50 miles and found a place to stop. Early this morning we were rudely awakened by the police saying we can not park here. I guess not all Walmarts except Rv's parking. So we had to remove ourselves before sunrise this morning. Out of Panama City taking business 98 going through the historic district and came across an historic sign here, St. Andrews Skirmish, near the site of marshland in 1863 Confederate Soldiers compelled a landing by Union Sailors. There were a few people killed during this skirmish. Add to the Walmart incident when I heard banging on vehicles around there the officer told , Fme if we don't move we will be put in jail. I told him about the Walmarts letting people staying in their parking lots, and he told me this does not. We have been doing our shopping and getting gas at the Walmarts but not this time.

This is Saturday, March 15th. We are on hwy 98 east, we spent the last two days at Mexico Beach in an rv park and enjoying the beach and spent time doing taxes. We have left Mexico Beach on our way through the panhandle of Florida. I'm not sure way they call it panhandle but to me it looks more like a handle for a fishing net. One thing about this area they have pine trees and also palm trees. In Apalachicola is Fort Combs the Franklin Guards they are a company organized Apalachicola in 1884 by J.H. Combs and Fred Bitterfield who erected the first building to be used solely as an armory in 1898. Made of sinulated brick it was located at the corner of High Street and Center Avenue. On May 25th 1900 a fire destroyed it and much of the downtown. In 1900 a committee was formed  to build a new armory facility and was completed in 1901 and the replacement armory features  real brick walls and a gable roof. Apalachicola has a nice old downtown area that hwy 98 goes by a good place for tourists and shops to stop. World War II D-Day training site. In late 1943 Carrabelle Beach and Dog Island while they were a part of Camp Gordon Johnson were used by the U.S. Army 4th Infrenty Division to train for the Normandy invasion on D-Day June 6th 1944. That amphibious training center had been officially closed but was reopened for the training of this important mission.

This is Sunday, March 16th. We spent the night in Carrabelle Beach. This morning about an hour into the ride found a nice pull off where just the other side of the trees there was a nice beach area, so Sandy and I and Cuddles spent about three hours taking it easy on the beach, walked into the water, helping out some sea creatures. Saw some stingrays, birds were trying to catch some fish out there, it was a great relaxing afternoon. Now I am continuing on hwy 98 on our way for the rest of the days ride. I can smell the nice fresh evergreen trees, seeing people relaxing under the sun light, just enjoying a nice spring day.

Monday, March 17th. Happy St. Patricks Day to all the Irish and once a year Irish people. We spent the night in Crawfordville, Fl. made it back to hwy 98 and spent the day cruising onto Perry, Fl. It has been a nice ride going through the trees, a lot of lumber trucks and chip trucks pass me and now I have road crude on me, but had a good day.