The Gulf Coast 2010 Edition

We skipped some of the Gulf Coast to go to Livingston and pick up our mail. Mostly we wanted to get my mail order VA meds. We were thinking we’d just get the mail on Monday and be on our way. But the mail room was open on Saturday when we got there so we got our mail and left early Monday. It was about 200 miles down the road we realized that we got no meds in the mail. Crap! You’ll remember our intent was to especially get my meds. I don’t know, CRS, oldtimers, just impatience, whatever, it seems to happen more these days. So Kat called to find out they had come in that afternoon and had them sent on to our next mail stop.

Because they were in our line of travel we chose to stay at a couple of casinos, one of which was pretty good and one I don’t know that we’d go back to. Unless the reefer was working properly, which it is not, and we could just use the parking lot for free. Lots of folks do. But the frig is not working real well on LP right now. We have maintenance scheduled tomorrow so we should be ‘good to go’ for a little boondocking as necessary and appropriate down the road.

We bypassed New Orleans this time and didn’t get back to the coast until Mississippi at Bay St Louis. I think it is safe to say that Katrina is mostly cleaned up but the coastal area is still a shadow of its former self. Lots and lots of vacant lots and naked pilings. There were a few areas where more homes than not had been rebuilt but my impression is that they were the more affluent areas. The less well to do areas are still very sparsely populated and there are many ‘for sale’ signs. We looked at one large lot right next to the beach in a nice area. But the 1.4 million price tag kind of scared us away. We did wonder what the other places were going for? But it was ‘just’ wondering. And how long will it be before the area fully recovers and what’s keeping everybody? I’m told a lot of the problem is insurance. Many insurers went broke and it’s just not doable. Still sort of depressing. But the roads and beaches are good and Waffle House, Lowes, and Home Depot seem to be doing well. Time will heal things I reckon.

Our mail, and my meds even, beat us to Mary Esther, Florida, and cousin Shirley’s. She is well and we are enjoying our stay.