Beaver Believer

 

Buc-ee Beaver?

When traveling between Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, on the recommendation of our friend Becky, we stopped at Buc-ee's in Robertsdale, Alabama which was located next to I-10. We had heard of Bucee's, but hadn't stopped yet.

We pulled in and avoided the fuel lanes as our yet to be named RV did not need fuel.

Our Home on wheels

Looking around inside, they had EVERYTHING a traveler would need.

This place is so big they even had shopping carts

7-11 doesn't have shopping carts

Out front there are 120 fuel pumps!!

Note two rows of double fuel pumps.

Buc-ee even helped us out to our home with our purchases

Friendly Service.

While there we purchased a light lunch, I had the BBQ Brisket sandwich with onions and pickles while Elizabeth had the Smoked pimento Cheese spread on some crackers out of our pantry.

We had to get a bag of  Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets, not to be confused with Chicken Nuggets.... these are sweetened fried corn snack - think carmel corn with a hint of maple.

Crunchy Beaver Nuggets.

In our previous travels we actually drove past the world's largest convenience Store.  It is the Buc-ee's in New Braunfels Texas at 66,335 square feet. We will stop in next time. Buc-ee's AKA: Worlds strangest convenience store.

We didn't try the bathrooms that are so highly touted, but I guess you'd say that we are beaver believers - just like one of their bumper stickers says.

Where Are We Going Next?

Along the Gulf

We had been looking forward to our visit with John and Becky and their daughter. They have a travel trailer and camped with us over the weekend. Harold could hardly wait to uncork the Pappy 12 year whiskey that he had been carrying around.

John, Becky, and family

It's Pappy Time

Always a Flag Guest

We stayed at Presley's Outing in Moss Point, MS. We were given a lakefront site and really enjoyed the view. Mr. Presley was certainly very accommodating and super nice. We will say that some of the sites had a, um, really unusual layout. No alligators though, unless one had gotten out from the gator farm up the road.

Beautiful sunset at Presley's Outing

Speaking of the gator farm, we did opt to take an airboat swamp ride from Gulf Coast Gator Ranch. Incidently, they are a Harvest Host location too. Neither of us had been on an airboat and we enjoyed our little ride around the swamp. Sam, our guide, knew his stuff and took great delight in getting us airborne. 

Here we go!

Scary big

Got him!

Zooming in

Since Harold was stationed in nearby Pascagoula when the USS Leyte Gulf was being built, he had quite a few memories. He just had to go to Bozo's for some seafood. Back in the day, they'd swing by Bozo's, buy over ten pounds of crawdads and take them back to the barracks. Thankfully for me, Bozos makes sausage po boys. 

Oh yeah!

Time to move on, a little further east, to Pensacola and the famcamp there.

Where Are We Going Next?

Water Parks and Hot Coffee

After leaving Pickensville Campground, we headed southwest toward the center of Mississippi to visit my cousin Sheila and her family. We stayed at Dry Creek Water Park. The spacious, full hookup pull through site at the campground was quiet. The staff  was helpful and friendly. 

We did have, as Harold would say, a high pucker moment getting there. Our GPS took the "fast" way. Despite the winding narrow road, we did ok until that acute left turn at the top of the hill.  We opted not to disconnect the Jeep. We turned right, and let the GPS reroute us to a better road, the road we should have taken the first time, despite the "longer" time.

Left turn here?  Rerouting...

When I think of a water park I think of water slides, wave pools, splashing fountains, and lazy rivers. When we were trying to find Dry Creek Campground and other nearby campgrounds, I almost dismissed them from our search because they came up as water parks. It turns out that water parks are recreation areas within water districts where you can camp, fish, picnic, and swim. Water districts are set up to manage rivers for flood control, water usage management, and recreation. They are certainly not the commercial water theme parks of which I automatically think when I hear "water park."

Beach front at the water park

Pull through, full hook up - yes!

We visited Sheila and her family, including a drive out to their future home. The shop and runway are near completion, and the framing is almost done on the house. We suggested a 50 amp outlet and a sewer connection. ; ) 

We met Sheila and Joel at Zip's Cafe in Magee for lunch on our last day in the area. We had had supper at their house the night before, but I missed the full family photo. 

Sheila and Joel

Then, we had to have hot coffee in Hot Coffee, MS.  We stopped at McDonald's Store where they brewed up a fresh pot of coffee for us. We were even further surprised when they informed us that coffee was free for out-of-staters. Southern hospitality for sure.

Free hot coffee in Hot Coffee

Don't forget your boiled peanuts

Oh, and if you check your mailbox, there's a very good chance it was made nearby in Taylorsville, MS. 

Where Are We Going Next?

Along MH 65

I never knew that there was such a thing called marine highways. I knew that we shipped things along rivers, lakes, canals, etc. I just didn't think about them being called marine highways. The Dept. of Transportation has a map on their website.  

We took two quick overnight days to get from Austin, TX, to Pickensville Campground in Alabama, just across the Mississippi line. We were visiting my cousin Russ and his family in Mississippi. 

It turns out the campground is right on MH 65, the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. We really enjoyed our stay there. We snagged a full hookup, pull through site along the riverfront after someone else cancelled. After being in city traffic in San Antonio and Austin and three days on the highway, we were ready to relax. 

Tugs pushing barges went by several times a day, daytime and nighttime. Occasionally we'd hear a fishing boat or two. We definitely heard the bass boats roaring down the river as we were leaving. Apparently there was a bass tournament going on.

View from the campsite

Along the riverfront

In the campground

We enjoyed catching up with Russ and Loretta and seeing how their family had grown over the four years since we had seen them last. Russ cooked up some deep fried catfish for Harold. Of course we made sure to stop by the Ole Country Bakery too.

You can thank our recent visits with family and friends for the suggestion to add our future plans to the posts.  We will try to remember to add the below link to future posts. It's a bit general to be sure, but we will be happy to provide more details on a one-on-one level. That is, if we have them!!!

Where Are We Going Next?