Mardi Gras rocks the South

When one lives in the old South, it's not necessary to travel to become involved in Mardi Gras festivities.

The Mississippi Coast has a myriad of parades from Pascagoula and Moss Point on the east to Bay St. Louis and Waveland on the west. And there are plenty of towns in-between that help fill up to the time leading to Fat Tuesday.

Mardi Gras is early this year, coming on Feb. 12. And that usually means there will be cold weather to contend with.

But the two weeks leading up to the Ocean Springs parade this past Saturday, temperatures have moderated and Saturday was a beautiful day with temperatures in the high 60s with sunny skies. Reports indicated that the turnout was the largest ever.

And I can believe that. The parade route ran within a mile of our house so wifey and I headed toward downtown and set up our camping chairs under the oaks at a place called the Mary C which is the original high school now an arts center.

The crowd was large, the festivities entertaining and the people well-behaved.

It was the first time in a number of years that we attended the parade and we had an enjoyable time.

Next post: Feb. 5, 2013

First B&B experience paves way for more

Coos Bay Manor, Oregon

On our trip last fall to the West Coast, I wanted to give my wife the experience of staying at a bed and breakfast.

She had talked about it numerous times and I had  been hesitant about such accommodations.

I'm kind of a private person. When the motel door is shut, I don't want others involved in my life. I knew that a B&B would be different. They are more intuned to having people interact.

My wife likes and encourages building relationships. B&Bs are good for that, but not necessarily for me.

Our one and only B&B experience ever was the Coos Bay Manor. I had done a search on the Internet and it looked like a good selection.

The business was in a residential area, had a lot of history behind it and the pictures on the Internet made it feel likes a warm and inviting place.

And it was.

We arrived late on a Sunday, about 8 p.m., when the proprietors, via their website, suggested a 6 p.m. arrival time. 

But that wasn't a problem.

We happened to be the only guests for the night and were treated royally. Our second floor room was inviting and comfortable. We could open the window to let in some cool October weather.

Coffee and tea were left at our door the next morning and we thoroughly enjoyed the amenities.

Hostess Madge Osborn

Our breakfast was more than sufficient and we muddled around the first floor furnishings before getting serious about heading down the coast toward California.

Our stay gave me a better perspective and appreciation of B&Bs and I wouldn't hesitate to stay at such accommodations again.

Next post: Jan. 29, 2013

LA LA land -- who wants to travel there?

I took a trip to LA LA land Monday morning.

And part of my  brain still seems to be there although it is more than 24 hours since I went under sedation.

My physician went down my throat, no, not himself, but sent a little camera to see what was going on.

I have  been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. I have had that situation for a number of years.

The pain comes and goes.

Another medical search a couple weeks ago indicated that I have a 3 centimeter gall stone. The Friday before Christmas it really  hit me hard and I didn't feel like eating anything until about the Thursday after Christmas. I dropped about eight pounds.

Not exactly the way I want to lose weight. I have a consultation about this situation in about two weeks to determine what is going to be done.

i am still on my journey on the edge of that mystical land that one doesn't really want to be in.

Maybe next week I will have extracated myself from unreality and returned to my regular type posts.

I sure hope so.

Next post: January 22, 2013

Lori's gushes "nostalgia" for Baby Boomers

Lori's Diner is another place we like to eat when visiting the City by the Bay.

They offer a wide variety of food and serve up an extra helping of "nostalgia" for all the Baby Boomers that go through the doors. 

There's an old Edsel, some old-fashioned record players, an old gas pump and red, red, red colored booths. 

The location we're most familiar with is the one at Powell and Sutter. Whenever we visit, it's always busy and is an enjoyable experience. They have other locations in the area.

We are tourists, and it fills a touristy need. The food is filling, the prices in line with a tourist spot and the decor takes one "back to the good old days" -- if they ever existed. 

Next post: Jan. 15, 2013

Make 2013 a great travel year

As my wife can relate, travel seems to be always on my mind.

I just like to hit the road and get away from reality.

Reality -- the house needs painting, the roofing shingles need replacing, the inside of the house hasn't been painted for some 20 years (except for some necessary things), the yard needs to be landscaped, the garden area needs work, the walls and floors need some work, plumbing fixtures need updating, 

There must also be some things that I forgot, but those are enough to mention.

But those are reality.

We don't want to deal with reality. The government doesn't want to think about fixing the debt and spending, people seem to care less about going over the fiscal cliff.

And then there's travel.

Last year we managed to go to the Smoky Mountains three times, the West Coast once and made a few overnight and weekend trips.

But I wonder sometimes if I'm overdoing the travel.

I don't think so.

So, today is the day, now is the time, get out a piece of paper and make plans.

Maybe we'll see you in northern Europe on a cruise sometime in May. And then, of course, back in the Smoky's in the summer and who knows where else later in the year.

Go ahead, make plans and hit the road.

Happy New Travel Year!

Next post: Jan. 8, 2012