Dreaming of a White Christmas

December 17 – 26, 2013

SIT arrived at Gulfport/Biloxi on December 20^th. On our way there from Austin we stayed a three nights in Lake Charles Louisiana.

We had to do some TLC on the trailer, well it was filthy and needed a bath, plus we wanted to play some golf since the weather was actually above 60 for a day.

The weather along the Mississippi gulf was a bit below normal for the time of year so I finally had to break down and wear my jeans. Darn, my goal was to wear shorts all of December. Oh well, at least we weren’t in below zero temperatures.

Our first stop was to see the white sands of the gulf. I decided this was a nice way to have a white Christmas without having to put your snow suit on!  The bad part though is Izzy can’t enjoy the beach like we can since they don’t allow dogs. Oh well, she was able to take a nap!

Inviting You Out

 

 

We headed to a few places we were told we should visit while in the area. The first one is the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. Walter Anderson lived from 1903-1965 in the Ocean Springs area for most of his life. His art depicts plants, animals, and people of the Gulf Coast and your eyes are drawn your to them to search for all the hidden treasures.

We did get some pictures but the museum is well worth the trip if you are ever in the Ocean Springs/Biloxi area.

His Dining Table

Birds in Paradise

Determination

Man and Lion

Swimming Fish

Horse

 

He created the Community Center Murals as a gift for Ocean Springs. You walk into the room and are pretty much amazed. The work was finished in 1951.

 

 

He was known to be a bit eccentric and would take off on his bicycle which was how he got around. He rode it to New Orleans even to get some paint. He also would take his boat and row out to the barrier islands where he would spend weeks drawing and painting and writing in his journals.

We hit the visitor’s center in Biloxi and found some great carvings on display. The Lighthouse is also in the middle of the highway in front of the center. To our knowledge it is the only one in the middle of a highway!

 

Two Herons carved from Katrina Driftwood

 

We spent a few days staying at the Gulf Seashore National Park. This gave Izzy a chance to play fetch so should could get some exercise and use up some of that energy. She was getting pretty excited for Christmas since she usually gets a present.

My Bone

Throw It Pretty Please

 

We also took their nature trail hike and we were by ourselves so Izzy roamed leash-less. That was both good and bad as she found a bog and made herself some mud socks. The good part was she probably got about 4 miles of running and walking in!

 

 

 

 

The Gator Pond

We had a chance to go visit a couple that I worked with during my career. Byron and Carol moved to Long Beach from Washington DC in July. It was great to see them and it gave Izzy a chance to have a play date with their dogs too!

The other place we were told to check out is Beauvoir the home of the only President of the Confederate States of America and the place where he penned his memoirs. Beauvoir is a Mississippi Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

The Green Gate

 

It serves as a museum and the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library.  Beauvoir, which means beautiful view in French, was built by wealthy Mississippi planter-entrepreneur James Brown. The house was completed in 1852, and was eventually purchased by Jefferson Davis in 1879.

The estate had been used for a soldier’s home after Mrs. Davis (Varina) sold to the Mississippi Division, United Sons of Confederate Veterans. Through her direction upon the sale the home and the grounds were dedicated to the veterans.

The house was decorated for Christmas and the furniture inside is of the era and simply beautiful. We were unable to take pictures inside but the doors on the back porch will give you an idea of the height as well as quality.

The Back Door

Bedroom Doors

 

Our first Christmas on the road was wonderful and we feel very blessed to have the opportunity. Plus the turkey breast we cooked was great! Steve didn’t complain about the chocolate chip cookies either.

 

We pulled up the stabilizers and hit the road Friday with our next destination Milton Florida in the panhandle. Stay tuned for why Milton!   

River Walking!

December 12-16, 2013

 

SIT’s adventure took us to Austin Texas via Laredo and San Antonio. You might be asking why would they go to Austin? Good question but you have to keep reading to find the answer.

We arrived in Laredo on Thursday December 12^th. We were just spending one night there so didn’t really plan on exploring but wanted to give Izzy a chance to be happy. So we found Lake Casa Blanca
State Park to spend the night.

Our spot was next to the water so she could get her feet wet, which of course she did. The fishing pier was nearby which pulled Steve to it. He didn’t fish but spoke with a local fisherman who was hanging out with a line in the water.

Izzy Love's This Place, Guess Why

Smilin' Steve

 

The Fishing Pier near our spot, too bad the fish weren't biting

 

We headed out the following morning with San Antonio as our destination. We arrived at our new spot in the early afternoon which gave us a chance to unwind.

On Saturday the weather was better so we headed to the Mission San Jose which was just one mile from where we were staying.  There is a lot of history with this Mission but the building of the limestone church, with its extraordinary Spanish colonial Baroque architecture and statuary began in 1768 – the peak of this mission’s development. At that time there were 350 Indians residing in 84 two-room apartments. The pictures we were able to take provide a view of what it looks like. The church of Mission San Jose came to be known as the “Queen of the Missions.”

We enjoyed touring the Mission and the grounds which provided us with a chance to take some pictures. Hopefully these will give you an idea of the uniqueness of this place.

The Mission

The Church Entrance

 

The Original Color

The Rose Window

 

The Guardian

The Stairway to the Bell

Inside an Apartment

Apartment Row



The Arches

 

 

Preparing

 

Staying Warm

The Gate

 

More Apartments

The Well

 

The Oven

I found it interesting compared to the missions I visited in California years ago.  The walls of this Mission are actually ten feet as the apartments are within them.

 

 

From here we ventured down to the Alamo. For the history buffs out there The Alamo had thirteen fateful days in 1836. Originally named Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years.  In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The rest is history as they say.

Since we were there on a Saturday it was quite busy so it did not lend itself to taking pictures quite like the Mission San Jose did, but for those of you that have not been here you should get the flavor of it. Also the original Alamo structure is mostly gone unfortunately so what you do see is not what was standing in the 1800s.

The Alamo Grounds

The Church

The Shrine

Taking in the Sites

We wandered to the River Walk from the Alamo. Izzy hung out in the truck so she could people watch and take a nap. The autumn colors were coming out along with the Christmas spirit. It was quite nice wandering along the river.

 

The history of the River Walk started with Robert H. H. Hugman a San Antonio native. He conceived his river project in 1929. Construction didn’t take place until October of 1939. Hugman was fired in 1940 but the project was completed a year later, but went largely unused. It wasn’t until 1961 when the city brought in the major designers of Disneyland to determine the commercial potential of the river. The River Walk today is a result of that transformation.

Candles for the Night

The Tour Boat

 

As you leave the River Walk area and wander back toward the Alamo you come across a few sites worth getting their picture taken.

San Antonio Entertainment!

The St. Anthony Hotel

Touring via Carriage

When we finished with this River Walk Izzy and I did another river walk from the RV park. It was a bit windy but otherwise a very nice afternoon. She enjoyed watching the birds and sniffing every inch along the path.

We headed out Sunday for Austin so we could visit our nephew Ian. Ian is a chef at Max’s Wine Dive restaurant in downtown Austin. He had the day off so we ventured downtown so he could show us the sites and of course eat the restaurant. If you are a wine drinker this is the place for you. They know the details of the wines and can describe their taste to a tee!

Ian, Steve and Tory

 

The food is unique in terms of flavor but they make some of the old comfort foods you are used to if you are from the south. Well heck even if you aren’t. Steve was so impressed with the chili dog he had to take a picture!

 

We had a great time seeing Ian and the area. Austin is a busy place and has a lot to offer if you end up here one day.

We left today, December 17^th to work our way to Florida. We’ll cruise through Biloxi Mississippi to see what that’s all about so be sure to come back and check out the next post!