I hadn’t planned to stay at the Davis Bayou Campground of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, but it was fairly close to Gulfport, Mississippi and the RV Center that was holding the window for me.
I pulled in to the campground and got situated in my site just before the storm hit. Wow! What a storm! We were under a tornado watch most of the night. It was pouring and thundering and the wind was howling. Luckily, it never got any worse than that. I did figure out which way I would have to go to get to the concrete block bath house, if they sounded an alarm.
I have to admit that I missed the insulating property of the window. The plastic that my friends at JD Sanders in Florida had put on held up to the weather, but the cold came seeping through.
The next morning, the storm had passed. I got hitched up easily, but the jack wouldn’t retract completely, and it was hung up on the wood that I put under it. It gave me trouble when I was in Arkansas in June 2014. They had to do a bit of work on it at that time, and I kind of had the feeling that the jack would need to be replaced at some time.
Well, this was the time.
I put the truck in gear and pulled it off the wood. It was almost completely retracted, so it didn’t take too much effort. I was pretty sure that there would be someone at the shop who could help me with it.
I got to Foley RV Center and Airstream of Mississippi, about 25 miles away, and they were ready for me. The woman who had taken my order last Friday saw the plastic over the window and got my paperwork out right away. I told her about the jack issue, and they just happened to have the exact jack I needed.
After a couple hours, several cups of their coffee and their guest wifi, I was ready to roll again.
Back at the campground, I met my neighbors, who were also full time Airstreamers. After several attempts to get it backed in, Jim offered to do it for me. I never refuse an offer like that.
He got Flo backed in and encouraged me to use my chocks, which I had kind of stopped using, and showed me how to remove that enormous hitch from the back of my truck. I was thrilled to get some good advice on such things. There should be an Airstream bootcamp.
I went into the trailer and finished making the chili I had started back in Florida. Since I use dried beans and cook them in the crock pot, I start a day or two before I intend to actually put the whole thing together. I was enjoying a bowl of it when Deb, Jim’s wife came over to invite me to a happy hour with two other Airstreamers in the campground.
That was a lot of fun – and they convince me to join the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, which is the Airstream club. Wally Byam was founder of Airstream in the 1930s and lead it until his death in 1962. He used to lead caravans of Airstreamers to exotic locales. I think the lower 48 will suffice for me, but you never know.
I enjoyed the evening and making new Airstream friends. They recommended many cool things in the area that I might want to do before I head to Louisiana. What great folks!
But, I swear, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. I pulled out of the campground and I got a brake warning light. I also got a “trailer brake not attached warning”. I got out and looked. The trailer hook up seems okay and I was still stopping. So, I figured I’d head out to the main drag. There was a listing for a repair shop about 2 miles away.
About a mile after I started, I pull over to let a car pass, and the driver gestured at the truck. Uh-oh. The international “check it out” sign.
I pulled off the road a little farther, and at least one of the brakes was smoking. That is not a good sign. I called AAA and they sent a wrecker. I found a brake shop that was open until 6:00. I figured that if they couldn’t do it that day, I’d have to rent a car or call a cab.
If the repair shop couldn’t get the job done that day, the campground would have to figure out where to put the occupants who were going to arrive on Sunday. I wouldn’t be able to move the trailer without the truck. I kept my fingers crossed that everything would work out, but I was sure I would not be the first person who wasn’t able to leave their site due to a problem.
While I waited, I got out to stretch my legs. I found a brand new pencil just lying there in the road!
There are treasures everywhere!
Poor Bart! He looked so sad sitting there by the side of the road.
Before too long, Jacob rolled up with his wrecker.
He tipped the back of the truck bed down and drove Bart up. He fastened him down and then we were ready to roll.
I chatted with Jacob and his girlfriend, who was riding along with him. They were pleasant and I enjoyed being able to really look out the window. This “eyes on the road and hands on the wheel” stuff does impede sightseeing.
Jacob asked me if I had put my emergency brake on. Uh, no, I hadn’t. Then I figured it out! Jim might have done it when he was done backing Flo into the camp site.
That left me feeling kind of foolish in a couple of ways.
I had forgotten that I even had a parking brake – so of course I didn’t check it when the light came on.
I got myself into this situation by being too willing to have someone back my trailer in. I have got to get my backing in mojo fine-tuned.
But by the time we got to the Firestone dealer, I was feeling hopeful that maybe – just maybe – I didn’t need any work done.
They checked everything out, and my brakes were fine! What a relief!
Just so I could get a feel for how much I would have to spend when it was time to replace the tires, I had the guy at the desk get me a price. It’s probably going to run me more than $1000 when the time comes. Oh, well. It’s the cost of doing business, and good tires are a non-negotiable item.
By the time I got Bart back, I checked my HISTORY Here app to see what I might be able to get do with the rest of the day.
So, my app sent me to Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’ last home.
In 1877, Davis was looking for a quiet place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to write his books and papers. He called on the owner of Beauvoir, Mrs. Dorsey, who was a family friend. She invited him to stay in one of the two pavilions in front of the main house. He agreed, but only if she would accept $50 a month for room and board.
After two years, Davis decided that he wanted to buy Beauvoir, and he and Mrs. Dorsey agreed on a selling price of $5,500, to be paid in three installments. Mrs. Dorsey died after one payment was made. At that time, Davis discovered that he was her sole heir and he eventually inherited the house along with other property.
The house was originally built around 1850 by James Brown, a wealthy plantation owner from Madison county. It was intended to be his summer house for his wife and his 13 children.
The porch and front steps are currently being rebuilt for the second time since Hurricane Catrina. The informative guide told me that they failed to use pressure treated wood when they rebuilt them the first time and they rotted out.
Luckily, the rear entrance was still useable.
Interestingly enough, the women you see on the left side of the photo are carrying equipment in for an evening fundraiser. They will be measuring paranormal activity. They kept loading in equipment while I waited for my tour to start.
The guide in period garb was knowledgeable, informative and enthusiastic, and I was the only person on the last tour of the day. The first thing he pointed out was the wall treatment in the main reception hall that ran from the front door to the back door. There were 120 distinct colors of paint used in the house!
This is a close up of the wall. The guide told me that all of this was painted free-hand. No straight edges or masking methods were used. Of course, all of this is restored artwork, based on archeological evidence.
This set of furniture was a wedding gift to one of the daughters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep all of the information straight.
On the nightstand, is a picture of four generations. The oldest woman is Varina Davis, Jefferson Davis’ widow. The baby is her namesake.
Varina Davis was Jefferson Davis’ second wife. He and his first wife contracted either yellow fever or malaria. Although he recovered, she died after about six months of marriage.
When they married, he was 37 and she was 19. Due to the difference in their ages, she outlived him by a number of years. He passed on in 1889; she lived until 1906.
I am always surprised when I see how close we are to the past.
This bedroom was another daughter’s room. That is her portrait above the fireplace. It was painted when she was the Mardi Gras queen for a krewe.
This is the parlor. There is a massive piano to the right of the door, that is like the one that was in the house. The guide said that the daughters were musical. I asked if one of them played the harp. He said that they didn’t, but that the harp was left to him by Mrs. Dorsey.
A portrait of Jefferson Davis hangs over the fireplace. It shows him at age 80, shortly before his passing in 1889.
The harp wasn’t the only thing that came with the house. This sideboard dates back to the first owner, James Brown. The guide told me that it was so heavy that the only time it left the building was for restoration after Hurricane Katrina.
Davis had the book cases in the drawing room built to resemble the ones in the Library of Congress. He served in the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as Secretary of War for Franklin Pierce.
This partner desk was also in the drawing room. The guide told me that when Mr. and Mrs. Davis were eating alone, they often at at this desk rather than use the dining room.
On the back porch, there are two cupboards that were made for the Davis family in 1879. They are made of cypress and you can see the water mark left behind by Hurricane Catrina. The water was 18 inches deep inside the house. Since the house is elevated 8 feet off the ground, it drove home how much water came ashore.
It will be interesting to learn more about the hurricane when I get to New Orleans.
When my tour was over, I came across another photo shoot! I sure do stumble across a number of them in historical sites.
Clearly, I will have to plan a repeat visit to Biloxi. But, since it is on I-10, I am sure I’ll be passing through again next year.
I headed back to the parking area, and paused to take a look at the Library and museum.
The sun was sinking in the west, and I wanted to get a photo. The air was cold and clear.
The day had started out kind of rough, but it ended nicely.
As I was heading east, I was smacked in the eye by a full moon rising over the trees. It was beautiful! I wish I had a good camera that could have captured the magical silver disk. The air was so clear, I bet I could have seen the flag that Armstrong and Aldrin planted in 1969.
I stopped for a loaf of bread before I turned in to the park. In the grocery store, there was a display of King Cakes. I decided to buy one and see what all the fuss is about.
I think I’m in love!