Notes From the Road - Part III

Wednesday was just another crappy day in paradise. More beach time, and this time joined for a couple of hours by our friends the Jacksons who also were vacationing in Destin at the same time.

It was a bit hotter, so I spent a LOT of time in the water. Barnacle Bridie is a bit less clingy today.

Aidan began a sand castle which Ray and Bridget helped him finish. Before it was time to go, he finally released The World's Largest Hermit Crab back into the wild. I'm sure the hermit crab was ecstatic not to have to endure the car ride back to Texas.

Sushi was the dinner du jour, followed by a game of checkers on the giant checkerboard. The kids whooped us good!

Thursday AM and time to hit the road. Five states in one day. 14 hours total in the car. We actually lengthened our trip a bit by going through Alabama and Mississippi on back roads. Wanted to go deeper into those states for a little "local color." Very beautiful scenery and you don't have to get too far off the beaten track for life to be completely different from ours. I didn't keep count, but I'm pretty sure I saw more mobile homes than standard houses.

Mid-day, when we were still in Mississippi and Butterfly Bladder Bridget had to go potty (again!). I checked the map, and the next town was Bukatunna. Just a wide spot in the road, really. With two gas stations. Randomly pulled into one and hustled Bridget thru the little store to the loo. What a pleasant surprise, perhaps the cutest (and cleanest!) public restroom I've been in! Cute sconces on either side of the vanity mirrors, pot-pourri on the counters. Anyway, business accomplished, back out into the store and I notice they have a cafe of sorts. All the patrons are at least a hundred. And wearing plaid. And goggling at us foreigners in the SUV, wondering how come we're sooo far off the super-highway. I see Ray at the head of the cafe line with a big smile on his face.

THIS is why we come on the back roads. They were frying up chicken giblets! In the back woods of Mississippi! They pair perfectly with Diet Doctor Pepper and we enjoyed a box for the next several miles.

So.... if you ever find your self in Bukatunna, MS..... it's an Exxon station. Tell 'em the yuppies in the SUV sent ya.