Early to Mid-February 2022

From Carrabelle, we went to Florida’s Panhandle, returning to Fort Pickens campground in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. We’ve stayed here before and it always feels like coming home. This time around, it was a bit chilly, with rain and wind that cut down on our beach walks and bike rides.

But it’s still Fort Pickens, with its old timey feel, great sunsets, and lovely shore birds.

This time, we were fortunate to meet up with some camping friends. We stopped in Navarre to see Judy and Jim, folks we met during one of our first times at Fort Pickens. It’s always good to catch up with these hardy travelers and share tips. They’re remodeling a trailer and getting ready to start a different sort of traveling in the late spring. It will be fun to hear how they like trailering, as opposed to a Class B…or whatever hybrid configuration they come up with.

We had a great lunch with Steve and Susan Whittle at Aunt Katie’s in Pensacola. You may recall that we met them at Fort Pickens in November and were invited to Thanksgiving at their home. They’re busy with work and family, but managing to fit some trips into their lifestyle. Steve has some great stories about camping at Fort Pickens as a kid. We had a really nice visit.

A real surprise, was bumping into Ed and Mannie, on our last night in camp. We met them at Fort Pickens the same year we met Jim and Judy. They’re from Wisconsin and also travel in a Class B motorhome. Seeing them reminded us of how many lovely people we’ve met on the road. We hope our paths continue to cross. Maybe in Wisconsin next time?

From Fort Pickens, we went into Mississippi and stayed for a few days at Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs. Davis Bayou is also in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Davis Bayou, Ocean Springs MS

Town is an easy bike ride from the campground. Here’s where we discovered that Mardi Gras is a season, not just a day. After a total shutdown last year, everyone is happy to see the return of tourists and the season. Places were decorated in Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, gold for power, and green for faith.

People repurpose Christmas trees, turning them into Mardi Gras trees, doors have Mardi Gras wreaths, and porches and yards have some glitz.

We rode into town, and stopped at Mosaic Tapas Restaurant for a bite to eat.

We really enjoyed our appetizers, and started chatting with the owner. He encouraged us to stop back and try out their brewery, Lost Springs Brewing Company. The brewery is tucked right behind the restaurant. So, the next day, we rode back to town and sampled some beers. John was totally smitten with the quality of the beers. We might have to move to Ocean Springs.

Biloxi

We crossed the bridge into Biloxi to visit the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum. This museum was designed by Frank Geary and features the art of Mississippi master potter George Ohr. The O’Keefe family has underwritten numerous projects for Biloxi.

The museum is a collection of quirky silvery pods nestled among giant live oaks. Geary rarely did projects in the South, but it’s said he worked in clay early in his life and had a soft spot in his heart for George Ohr.

Ohr was truly an eccentric. It’s said that he never made the same pot twice. His sense of humor and whimsy are evident in the collection here.

We also really enjoyed the works of Dusti Bonge’, which are displayed in a separate house behind the main building. Bonge’ was one of the South’s first 20th century modern painters. The exhibition demonstrates her journey through different artistic styles. Her use of color was so imaginative.

“I love color, I love color everywhere. I love dull colors. I love gray colors -they don’t have to be bright.” Dusti Bonge’

We had lunch in Biloxi and wandered through Art Gallery 782, a co-op for local artisans featuring beautiful woodworking, jewelry, and crafts.

Although we haven’t space for wall or table art in our little jewel box, we do enjoy window shopping and meeting the artisans.

We finished up our time at Davis Bayou and headed to Mandeville LA for our next adventure.