July 18, 1967
Tuesday AM
Have had breakfast, and while Kathy is cleming up the kitchen, David reading, Don studying (He was just put on the B shift and goes to school at 11:30 to 6:00) l’m typing. Have met all the cats in the appartment. We are planning on going to Mobile today and down to Dauphin Island.
The apartment that has been put at our disposal is empty because a pipe broke and flooded the place, leaving the Carpet mildewed which caused an odor. It is noticeable when you walk in, but by the time you sleep all night in air conditioned comfort (or freeze in it if I’d let David have his way) you can’t even notice it. (Since I’m writing this on Sunday morning north of Nashville I can’t remember what I wrote last week.) Sure is nice to each have a bedroom, closets, and dresser. Especially since we
will be here 5 nights.
Kathy rapped on the door just as I finished dressing and we walked the 200 ft to their apartment. Don gets up early and studies, so he had coffee with us and an early lunch.
After he left we started out for Dauphin Island about 12:00. Rt 90 which runs right along the Gulf is a 4 lane dividend highway, but very busy, and oh so commercial. You can see vestiges of it’s former beauty in the many ante bellum homes that are well kept, usually fenced with every possible variation of a white wood fence-some combined with brick. Some of the motels are beautiful, even to having golf courses, and walkways across
80 when they are on both sides of the street. There are filling stations, miniature golf courses, restaurants, go-go girl joints, shopping centers, signs, signs, signs. The harbor at Gulfport was full of shrimp boats and large banana boats. We passed
the Keesler annex where Don’s school is. It was a part of the Gulfport Military Acadamy. In Biloxi we passed the street leading to Keesler, but couldn’t see it. I’m sure we get a false impression of the area by only driving Rt 90. Back from this
mad rush, there must be quiet residential streets. Biloxi Bay is beautiful, and the old causeway was lined with fishermen. Stopped in Pascagoula for lunch and David had fried shrimp and I had a delicious shrimp salad. Little shrimp in it, only about
an inch long and chuck full of them. But David’s shrimp and french fries, all mixed up on the plate was no bigger than we get at home for $1.65.
As we entered Albama, the welcome sign with greetings from the govenor had Lurleen on a board pasted over what was formerly George, with the same Wallace used. I suppose they figure this is easier than repainting it when George gets back in as govenor!
The road south to Dauphin Island was interesting, going through small fishing villages, with “Blessing of the Shrimp Boat Festival” signs all around. We passed through pecan groves, and under huge live oaks which formed a canopy over the road, and dripped with Spanish moss. Every yard had it’s crepe myrtle bushes in full bloom, and there was an occasional bloom on the shiny leaved magnolias . Everything is so green and lush,
and there were cattle egrets attending the cattle. The sign saying to Bellingrath Gardens was very tempting, but went on across the causeway to Dauphin Island. Went first to
the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary area, but being summer there were not too many birds. None of the ducks and shore birds that would abound in the winter. Walked over a dune to the almost deserted beach, and waded in the Gulf. Sea oats in good head along here. It’s so graceful in the breeze.
Drove past Ft. Gaines, a civil war fort at the east end of the island and then back to the public beach area where David and I had a swim (I still love salt water, and the waves to jump) and Kathy sunned. As we left, drove to the west end of the island,
which is built up with summer homes on stilts. But where the ones at Rockport, Texas were interesting, and well landscaped, these were ungainly., Just small houses set high on stilts.
Had used up our time so drove back to Long Beach and arrived abut the same time Don did – back from sehool. Showed the rest of the slides, and so to bed.