ON OUR WAY WEST - TODAY IT IS DALLAS/FT.WORTH AREA

After our month in Foley, AL we spent 2 weeks at the River View RV Park in Vidalia, LA, across the Mississippi River from Natchez, MS. We toured the southern portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway, toured the Civil War Military National Park in Vicksburg, MS and toured 2 of the many mansions in Natchez. According to one of our mansion guides, prior to the Civil War, Natchez had more millionaires than anywhere else in the States. Cotton Plantations brought in the money according to our guide. Now we are making our way west. We are in the Dallas area for 2 nights - KOA Park, exit 449 off I-20. Then we will be making our way to Albuquerque, NM where we will spend a few days at the FMCA Rally and then head north and try to get thru the snowy mtns.

For those of you following our son's health problems, he is expecting to be released from the hospital on Monday. He will continue with antibiotics via a stint. When his surgeon returns (he has been out of town during Steve's week in the hospital), he and Steve will decide the next step - sounds like amputation but we will see, that may change again.

Here are some photos of our time in the Natchez area: Illinois Memorial at the Vicksburg Civil War Military Park and a couple of mansions/halls we toured.

LEAVING FOLEY, AL

First of all, I wanted to give an update on our son, Steve. The surgeon did not want to amputate because of the good blood flow to Steve's foot. Therefore, he ended up just cutting away bone and infection in the foot and was able to save the leg. Steve is feeling optimistic and we are all hoping he begins to feel better.

This morning we are heading to River View RV Park in Vidalia, LA, across the Mississippi River from Natchez, MS. We will be there for 2 weeks and plan to tour more of the Natchez Trace.

On Thursday we went to the Bellingrath Home and Gardens, located southwest of Mobile, AL. The Bellingrath money came from Coca Cola distribution. The house was built in the early 1900's. These photos show the back side of the house (the river side), the gardens and the river dock.

NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM

We went to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL - only about 20-30 miles from our park in Foley, AL. We really enjoyed this museum. The museum is free! That doesn't happen very often. They also have IMAX shows which cost $8/each. We saw the Hurricane on the Bayou and Storm Chasers. Both were very good. I would highly recommend this museum if you are ever in the area.

Our son, Steve, is having amputation surgery on 2/23. Surgeon is cutting at about mid-calf on left leg. He has had an infection in his foot for several years. He thought it had healed but it came back again last fall so all his doctors believe it is best to amputate. He almost made that decision years ago when the infection didn't heal but then all signs showed it had healed. The bones are all broken in that foot and x-rays and all other tests just show pictures that look like mush. Therefore, impossible to see infection. Steve is a juvenile diabetic, has had this disease for 38 years. We all believe he will be better off, and feel better, with prosthetic but it is still very difficult for me to see him go thru this surgery.

FOLEY, AL

The weather here has been awful. Cold, rainy, even a snow forecast for this morning but it is just rain, rain, rain. We thought we would be going to the beach to walk but it has been too cold for that. We made it one day, see photo of Gulf Shores beach - so beautiful. I have been doing a lot of reading. I usually get my daily workout done inside the coach and I try to get a bicycle ride in each day but usually so cold that I don't last long. Oh well, I am sure it will be warmer as we move further west. Locals here say this weather is out of the norm - been hearing that all winter.

TRAVELS WITH MY SISTERS

We spent the last 3 weeks traveling with my sisters and their husbands. We saw a lot in 3 weeks. They arrived on 1/5 and returned on 1/26. During that time we toured Charleston, SC, Asheville, NC, Savannah, GA, Fernandina Beach (east of Jacksonville, FL), St. Augustine FL, Epcot Center & Cape Kennedy, FL. Amazing how much one can see in 3 weeks with 6 people. We all took a lot of photos, I'll put in just a few here.

1) sisters toasting our last night together.
2) Paula Dean's restaurant in Savannah, GA (from FoodTV fame)
3) goofing off under the "twisted sisters" sign in Fernandina Beach
4) Sticky Fingers restaurant in Charleston
5) All of us at a stop on the Charleston tour bus

CHARLESTON, SC

We are enjoying our time in Charleston. It has been a bit on the cool side and sunny but we have had a few days with lots of rain. It was raining on Christmas day so we spent the day indoors - Royle finding inside projects, and I spent time watching Christmas movies and reading. We have been doing some sightseeing before my sisters arrive on 1/5.

The fishing pier is in Folly Beach, a few miles SE of Charleston. The live oaks lining the roadway was taken from our car as we drove around James Island on the way to Folly Beach. The plantation house was taken on our walking tour of historic Beaufort, about 50 miles south of Charleston and the photo of the boats in the bay is what one sees from the Beaufort plantation houses located along Bay Street.

OAK PLANTATION RV PARK, CHARLESTON, S.C.

We like the Oak Plantation RV Park in Charleston. Sure is warmer than Alabama. We have had the coach engine buzzer ringing all the way from our first overnight stay on 12/12. We stopped for fuel and it started going off as we left the fuel station. We drove 3 miles to the campground and then Royle checked all the default codes. Looks like it is a pollution gage problem. We drove on to Charleston and will try to get into the Cummins shop located in Charleston. We plan to be here for one month. My sisters and their spouses will be joining us on 1/5.

The first 3 photos are of the River Bottom Farm RV Park and Campground in Swansea, SC and the last photo is of the oak trees in the Oak Plantation RV Park in Charleston, SC.