14 Miles Shy of Florida

We had a very restful night at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center in Louisiana, as we have every time we have stayed there since they finished the work on the Welcome Center.  The first time the cars, RVs and Trucks all gathered on the 'other side' of the freeway where the trucks now have their own resting area.

We did not want too early of a start since Baton Rouge is only a half hour away.  So we were off around 8:15, and driving into Baton Rouge by 8:45.  Yes, there was traffic, but it did not last very long.

Above is a picture of the Mississippi River.  The 'red' arrow is pointing out LSU's "Kitty-Cat" stadium.  (My long time blog readers know that I have two children who graduated from the University of Arkansas, and for many of those years the LSU Tigers were our rival (now it is Missouri according to the SEC...but there is still a non-SEC rivalry between the two schools), and my Rotary Club in Pine Bluff at the time had a few die-hard LSU grads who always got my attention...better known as 'ribbing', despite the fact LSU typically beat the UofA.

It is always to see patriotic billboards...this one is by DOW.

Gotta give Louisiana credit, they were working on a lot of the roadway, but nothing slowed us up for the most part.

The gas prices slowly go up ever since we left Texas...Here is Louisiana it is $2.79.

In Mississippi the same type of Love's Truck Stop was up to $3.07!

And at Buc-ee's here in Alabama near the Wilderness RV Park we are at it was only $2.97.

(NOW that I have PO'd all my friends and family in California who are paying well over $4!  SAM'S in Citrus Heights is currently $4.19, and with a LONG LINE!!!  Marcia says "YOU ARE BAD Dave"...I have to agree)

We have had pretty good weather for our entire trip...until we got close to Mobile, Alabama.

As we got closer and closer to the tunnel, it was really raining.

As we got through the tunnel and at the start of the causeway across Mobile Bay, Marcia got this shot of the Battleship Alabama, shrouded in mist from the rain.  It rained from Mobile all the way to Buc-ee's Gas Station, when it suddenly turned into a sprinkle.  After getting gas, we continued the three miles to Wilderness RV Park,  another Passport America park which, for two nights, came to under $40 for full hookups, which is why we stayed 14 miles short of Florida!  When we arrived, the sprinkle had turned to a mist...and the rain held off for a few hours so I did not get wet setting up.  Tomorrow I will take some pictures of the park providing the rain (which is pretty hard right now) lets up.