Wandering Wahls

After our journey to Philadelphia, Miss., we drove to Selma, Ala., and drove the National Historic Trail to Montgomery that Martin Luther King Jr. followed. This was such a fascinating journey, through old downtown and across the Pettis Bridge — the spot where the first attempt to march was stopped by the town sheriff and state troopers. Halfway along the drive is a National Park Interpretive Center that was fantastic in their presentation of the times and the march. The Ranger gave our kids a special tour and explained the whats and the whys about the time. Our kids did the junior ranger program and got their badges. I truly think Joe and Anna had an eye-opening experience about this part of America’s history. This national park was a good complement to the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park that introduced the kids to jazz and its relation to the plight of African-Americans in the late 1800s.

We spent the night at the Montgomery AFB Famcamp. After, we headed north to see our friends, Brad and Susan Sturgis — Air Force friends stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. We became friends with them at Nellis AFB, Nev. Then, after separate tours, we met up again when we were stationed in Washington, D.C. Now, four years later, we’re getting together again. This trip sure has its benefits.

We left New Orleans last week on our way to see friends in Huntsville, Ala. As a midpoint, we picked an RV park in Mississippi to stay for the night. Being in Mississippi and focusing on Civil Rights as part of our road-school curriculum, I started to research where in Mississippi the three civil rights workers were murdered in 1964. I thought if the spot was close, we could drive by. As we settled into our RV park, I searched the workers’ names and their story in Google and found it involved Meridian and Philadelphia. As coincidence would have it, we were staying in Meridian, and Philadelphia was about 30 miles up the road.

The next morning, we left the RV park and drove north to Philadelphia along the route the victims were taking when the county deputy and two carloads of Klan members overtook the three. The road is now called the Shwerner, Goodman, Chaney Memorial Highway in memory of the three victims.

In Philadelphia, where the three were held in jail before the deputy released the workers so the three could be overtaken on the road, we drove the RV through town. We took a photo of City Hall where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke after the incident, while the sheriff complicit in the abduction stood behind him. It was fascinating to drive through this small town with the kids and discuss the events and the time period with them. I was pointing out stores and coffee shops to Joe that looked pre-1965 and asked him to think about how these places would not have allowed African-Americans to come inside.

Next up, the Selma to Montgomery National Trail.

The kids (and parents) had their introduction to Mardi Gras and the parades. First, as we were walking through the French Quarter, the Babylon group were being escorted to their hotel in preparation for their parade the next night. The members were tossing beads and hats, and our kids lucked out with both items. That excitement got them in the mood for the real parade later.

From there, we went to the Garden District and ate soul food with a New Orleans twist at Café Atchalfaya. We had a collection of Shrimp and Grits, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Gumbo, Fettuccini with Crawfish, Potato and Garlic Soup, and Crab Cakes. The meal was fantastic! I think it rates as our best yet on our trip. Plus, the owner was a good guy and chatted with us. He even let us know that Atchalfaya was Choctaw for “long RV trip!” What a coincidence. There’s no better restaurant experience than one with good food and a funny owner.

Finally, we made it to the parade. The Druids were riding by in their floats along with high school marching bands, a band from the U.S. Marine Corps Academy, and floats from the Navy and Coast Guard. The kids really got into collecting the beads, dolls, and cups thrown from the floats — and, no, no one had to raise their shirt. It was a really good time and showed us that even families could safely enjoy Mardi Gras (I was a little concerned before we got to the city).

Finally, I have a new appreciation for the city of New Orleans, and I can see why there has been a concern about making sure it is brought back from Hurricane Katrina. The effects are still evident, from dilapidated buildings seen form the Interstate to empty businesses in the French Quarter. Our visit there, though, showed us what a unique American city New Orleans is and how its history has contributed to the development of our country, especially culturally. After having lived overseas for so many years and appreciating the various cultural activities of Asia and Europe, New Orleans offered us a good opportunity to show our kids cultural aspects created in the U.S. from diverse influences worldwide.

Now, it’s off to Mississippi and Alabama to explore some of the Civil Rights history of our country.

We had a change in route plans. Instead of heading north to Georgia, we diverted west — first to Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Miss., and then to Magnolia Shade RV Park at New Orleans Naval Support Activity.

Our stop at Keesler led us to another “small-world” moment regarding military life. The day before we left Eglin AFB, Fla., our friends Chris and Ann Monahan invited a newly arrived family from Landstuhl, Germany, for a BBQ. Interestingly enough, the family was from our Catholic parish at Landstuhl, and two of their kids were in Mary Claire’s and my CCD classes last year. None of us knew this until they arrived. Then, we head to Keesler AFB at the last moment and find out that more friends from the parish were stationed there. Who would have thought that, within two days, we’d be having a wine with friends we said goodbye to in July 2008.

That leads us to New Orleans Naval Support Activity. What a great spot to see New Orleans — $15 a night, and we’re only a 15 minute ferry ride from the French Quarter! Too bad the park is being closed at the end of this month (a new government building is being built here).

We’ve only been in New Orleans for one day, but our first stop was the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. What a great spot! The Rangers sing jazz and talk about the cultural history of New Orleans — they are talented and knowledgeable (our kids were being entertained and taught at the same time and didn’t realize it).

The park is hard to find near Jackson Square, but it is a site any visitor here must see. Places like the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park truly highlight a unique American cultural aspect — the city of New Orleans (it’s history in America’s development and it’s culture) and jazz (a uniquely American invention).

Off now to see a parade; it’s Mardi Gras time!

We are preparing to depart Florida, one month after we originally planned to leave. Our final thoughts: What a great state to roam around in an RV. We’ve been on Everest (roller coaster ride at Disney World), endured Thunder and Splash mountains, snorkeled the Gulf, biked Key West, explored the Everglades, canoed through Mangroves, enjoyed various base Famcamps, had a flat on our towed car and a fire in our stored car, been rescued by French-Canadian “snowbirds” in a dire time of need, enjoyed Key Lime Pie, spent a week at the Space Coast Birding festival learning how to spot and ID birds, and visited old friends across the state (and enjoyed their generous hospitality). As my son Sam would say, “This is the lifetime.”

The one thing that stands out from time here is the wildlife; it has been beyond compare across the state. Therefore, my kids have compiled a list of what we have seen during our time in Florida:

Manatees
Bald Eagle
Alligator
Crocodile
Armadillo
Turkey Vultures
Gopher Tortoise
Red Shouldered & Broad Winged Hawks
Osprey
Barn & Great Horned Owls
Northern Cardinal
Great Blue, Little Blue, Tri-Colored & Green Herons (we watched the Green Heron spear and eat a fish.)
Anhinga
Roseate Spoonbills
Wood Storks
Purple Gallinule
Sofa Wren
Mississippi Kite
American Kestrel
Great, Cattle, & Snowy Egrets
Shark
Dolphins
White & Glossy Ibis
Double Crested Cormorant
Mickey & Minnie Mouses

We’re here for three more days and then off to Georgia to see the POW museum at Andersonville National Park, learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, and stay at Warner-Robbins AFB Famcamp. From Georgia, it’s west through Huntsville, Ala., and Little Rock, Ark. I suppose I should call our friends there to let them know we’re coming.

My wife’s brother, Dan, called the day before his arrival to tell me he had bad news about the car that we are keeping at his place while we discover America. I knew he had taken the car to his local mechanic because of a “Check Engine” light. Therefore, I immediately started seeing dollar signs and thinking I’m going to need to pay quite a few hundred dollars to repair an 11-year-old Volvo sedan with 100,000 miles on it — and a car Mary Claire had originally wanted to sell. But, was I way off!

Dan said the car had been totaled in a fire. Dan is a bit of a jokester, so I assumed he was kidding. I was actually relieved, because his comment meant I didn’t have any major problems. However, Dan emphasized he was serious and the car had been totaled in a fire at the mechanics’ shop. He then asked if we still wanted him to visit. To us, a car is something to get from point A to point B, and we have USAA to cover our losses — so I was not upset or unwilling to have him visit (quite the opposite, in fact).

It turns out that the small garage in Wilton, Calif., couldn’t reset the “Check Engine” light on Friday, so the mechanic kept it over the weekend. On Sunday, a fire broke out in the garage in which he stored his customers’ vehicles — the roof collapsed and all cars were totaled. How unique are those circumstances? We keep the car and leave it with Dan, he decides to leave the car over the weekend at the garage, and the garage had a major fire that destroys 10 cars!

As it stands currently, the garage’s insurer is denying liability because the fire started at a point beyond the mechanic’s control. My carrier, USAA, is contacting the other carrier, and I’ll have to see where things go. However, my family and I are RVing at MacDill’s Famcamp in 80 degree weather, our Newmar Allstar RV was just repaired and serviced and is running great, and we’re planning the next step of our trip (into Georgia). Life’s too short to worry about a car.

Our trip is turning out to be a way to attract relatives to come see us, which we had hoped for. We’ve had my dad and Mary Claire’s sister. Last week, though, her brother Dan and his wife, Victoria, no-noticed us with a call from their home California and asked what we were doing in two days and how close we were to an airport. Victoria had the week off and Dan was ready to take vacation leave so they could join us in Florida. We were just finishing up the bird festival, so we had them look at the Miami area. Two nights later we were pulling into the Ft. Lauderdale airport and introducing them to RV life.

Their visit was great for us, because it allowed us to return to the Keys and Everglades National Park. Dan is knowledgeable about wildlife, so the visit was good for the kids as he helped teach them about the wildlife and habitats in south Florida. We snorkeled in the Keys again, ate conch in Key West (we can’t diminish the culinary aspect of education for the kids), and toured the Everglades looking for birds, panthers, pythons, manatees, crocs, gators, and turtles (we missed the pythons and panthers, unfortunately).

The highlight of the trip though was night’s stay at Curry Hammock State Park on Marathon Island in the Keys. Florida has excellent state parks (well-maintained and informative), but Curry Hammock was exceptional. We camped on the beach and had a setting that we thought we’d only see in ads — a pristine campsite and beautiful blue water just steps from the RV. If you’re looking for a campground to visit for a holiday, with or without an RV, consider Curry Hammock. Then head up the road to Key West NAS for stay at Key West.