A Twist(er) in Our Plans!

 March 29-April 3, 2021

Our original plans for when we left Pensacola were to spend a week at Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama.  However, a couple of days prior to our Pensacola departure, we received a text from Oak Mountain State Park saying they had been hit by a tornado, had no electricity and a big “DO NOT COME” message!  Watching the nightly news, we learned Alabama had been hit by 17 tornados that day.  Our emotions were so confused.  One: We were so concerned about the people of Alabama who had lost their lives, loved ones, homes, possessions…. Such a catastrophe!  Two: We were thankful we had not been there at the time the tornadoes struck.  It seemed like a close call!  Three: We’ve been making reservations several months in advance…  where are we going to go????  Our thought process was to avoid going north, where the tornadoes had been so destructive, and stay south.  This took us to Pass Christian, MS!  The campground we found was beautiful!  It is located on a bayou where we could hear the alligators during the night (it’s mating season!), azaleas were in full bloom and was only an hour from New Orleans! 

TLC Wolf River Resort 

The Bayou at TLC

Azaleas are in bloom!

Our hearts are really in Minneapolis right now.  When we left Minneapolis last spring, the city had just experienced the killing of George Floyd and the riots that followed.  This past Monday was the first day of Derek Chauvin’s trial.  We had a couple of days of rain and cloudy weather when we first arrived in Pass Christian and we found ourselves spending way too much time watching and praying for a fair trial that honors George Floyd’s life.  I pray not only for our country, but that the world takes a huge step forward in the equality of every individual.  George’s death is tragic.  Hopefully, we as a society can learn and grow from the sacrifice George made.  Just watching the trial, listening to the testimony, viewing the video evidence… provided me with sleepless nights.  I can’t even imagine how George’s family and friends, members of the jury, witnesses and anyone else personally involved with this are managing the stress.  Please join me in praying for justice and for advancement in equality for all.

Once the sun came out, we finally emerged from the RV and set to work exploring the area.  Pass Christian is located on the gulf coast where we found ourselves drawn once again to the white sand beach!  The beach is right across the road from Hwy. 90 and the Scenic Drive of beautiful homes that have amazing views of the gulf!  Several of the homes are of historic significance, including the “Dixie White House” that served as a vacation home to both Ulysses S. Grant and Woodrow Wilson during their presidencies.  It was fun walking along the beach across the road from this home, imagining these men also leaving their footprints in the same sand!

 

As we walked the path to a few of the other historical sites in town, my phone rang.  It was the weekly FaceTime call I have grown accustomed to receiving from our granddaughter who lives in Salt Lake City!  Eva never fails to be the highpoint of my day when she calls!  

Pass Christian's White Sand Beaches!

Mississippi gets filled in.

Disappointed Pelican!  No treat for him!

We took advantage of being so very close to New Orleans and spent one day exploring the French Quarter!  Highlights of our day pretty much included walking and eating!  We couldn’t pass on beignets, gumbo, jambalaya, po' boys… while walking the streets, taking in the street entertainers, artwork shops, St. Louis Cathedral…  It was fantastic seeing where the mighty Mississippi River empties into the gulf!  After having grown up not far from the Mississippi River in Iowa, vacationing at the headwaters in Itasca (where we literally walked across it) and then living beside the river in Hastings, it was somehow fulfilling to see where it ends.  The riverboat tours were closed due to Covid; however, someday I will be back for that cruise!  My favorite part of our NOLA experience was inside one of the little art shops we stopped at.  We happened to be there on Holy Thursday, the day that marks the day Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples.  We found the perfect purchase when we discovered an icon of the Last Supper!  We don’t have room in the RV for many souvenirs; however, this one made the cut!

St. Louis Cathedral in background

Knife Juggler entertains the crowd

A Holy Thursday memory from NOLA

This trio was very talented!

Too good to resist...

St. Louis Cathedral

Bourbon Street - a family name (not booze!)

The end of the mighty Mississippi River

After we got back to the camper from our day in New Orleans, we went to the local Catholic church, Our Holy Family, for Holy Thursday mass.  It was only two miles from the campground, which made it irresistible!  We returned again on Friday for the Stations of the Cross.  Pass Christian has a population of under 5,000 people; however, the turnout for Holy Week services was impressive!  Over the years, I have experienced Stations of the Cross in such a myriad of locations, but never have I appreciated it to the extent I did this year.  They used “We Were There: A Way of the Cross” by Sarah A. O’Malley and Robert D. Eimer that included reflections from the viewpoints of the various people Jesus encountered along His way of the cross (Peter, Judas, Caiphas, Pilate’s wife…).  It made it so very personal.  It also contained prayers that made it so very current and relative to today’s society.  I had felt regret earlier in the day that we had not been able to attend any of the services offered at the Cathedral in New Orleans.  In the end, I can’t imagine a more meaningful way to participate in Holy Week than what this little community had to offer!  Truly, the best gifts do come in small packages!

 

Pass Christian also has a very small-scale fish market on the local fishing pier.  It certainly is not at the level of Pensacola’s Joe Patti; however, we did purchase some shrimp that made up into some pretty tasty shrimp scampi!  Shop local and support those small business owners, right?  Even if it is out of a cooler at the end of a fishing pier!  

Holy Family Catholic Church

Coolers filled with fresh shrimp for sale

Historic Dixie White House

We will be making our way to north Mississippi where we will be back on our original travel plans, at least for now.  This was an amazing little detour that we had not expected.  Life seems to do that from time to time … gives us a little nudge to go in a direction we hadn’t planned on.  I’m so glad it does!  What a blessing Pass Christian was!