Three States in One Day

Leaving Gulf Pines RV Park, in Milton, FL., we continued our westward trek today along I-10 crossing the Black Water River (shown above) just 26 miles east of Alabama.  The river is high from the current rain and other recent storms going through the area.  Interestingly, we spied a town along the way called “Bagdad”, Florida.  Which came first, Bagdad in Florida or Iraq?  Obviously it was Iraq’s Bagdad, but this Florida town may have been named the same because it also is situated between two rivers-the Black Water River and the Yellow River.

The other question that occurs to us is, “Why is the Panhandle part of Florida and not part of Alabama?  Well, throughout the 1800s Alabama indeed did try to annex this part of Florida.  In fact at one point Alabama even offered to pay $1 Million in Bonds to acquire the Panhandle with the blessing of its residents.  However the legislators of both states never brought the matter to a close.  Finally, some Alabamians decided the Bonds were too great a financial burden and the offer expired.  Eventually the railroad connected this part of Florida to the rest of the state and the matter of joining with Alabama faded into history.

We also learn there is a branch of the University of Florida In Milton.  Milton is not far from Pensacola where we subsequently crossed the broad Pensacola Bay.  The bay is protected by the Gulf Islands situated between it and the Gulf of Mexico.  The Gulf Islands have been designated as a National Seashore.  In 2004 however, Bagdad and much of this area were devastated by a hurricane that caused severe damage as far inland as twenty miles even shut down a portion of I-10 at the time. 

Crossing into Alabama we are impressed with the redness of the soil.  By 10:30 am we reach Mobile, see the USS Alabama from the Interstate.  Thirty eight years ago on another cross country trip, I toured it with my parents and brother.  Then the thrill of the day-we pass through a tunnel!  Tunnels in an RV are a hair raising experience and frequently tunnels don’t permit RV’s to pass through them because of the propane we all carry.  Luckily, this tunnel did allow us pass through AND that saved us an additional eighty miles we would have been required to travel to go around the tunnel.

We passed by Dauphin Island (named for the great grandson of Louis XIV) where today there are several bird sanctuaries.  Historically, the island sheltered Native American Mound Builders seasonally, served as a landing point for French and Spanish explorers continuing on to explore the Mississippi River and later became a trading depot for Haiti, Mexico, Cuba and France to exchange products with the local settlers.

By 11:00 am we cross into Mississippi with its welcome sign declaring it is the “Birthplace of America’s Music.”  We pass Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge before reaching Biloxi and crossing the Biloxi River (shown below.)  Like the other rivers we are crossing, the Biloxi River has reached the top of its banks and beyond.  Surprisingly, we learn NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center is found near Biloxi.  It is a NASA rocket testing facility.  I always think of NASA as being in Florida and Texas and naively did not realize they have other locations.

At 12:20 pm we enter Louisiana passing to the north of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain to stop in Hammond, LA in the midst of a rainstorm about 4 pm.  The park is muddy on the banks of a small lake with a sizeable population of ducks wandering around the grounds oblivious to the rain.  The temperature is dropping and we are glad to be off the road!