We tried to take the more interesting, and shortest, route to Biloxi, MS. from Ft Pickens, AL., but it wasn't to be. After traveling the length of the Gulf Shores Island to board the ferry that would transport us across Mobile Bay to Dolphin Island and then on west along the coast, we were stopped dead in our tracks. There at the end of the pier we were directed to call a number about "ferry status." We listened to a recording confirming our fears, "Because of low tide conditions and high winds, no motor homes exceeding 24 foot would be permitted to board the ferry....Sorry for any inconvenience"
We did an about-face, waved farewell to the the short people and retraced our tracks to the bridge that would take us to the non-scenic, tasteless, mind-numbing Interstate 10, under Mobile Bay, through Mobile and on west. I guess if one is hurried, getting from point A to B, expressways accommodate that need.
In 1962 John Steinbeck published his book, "TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE." To paraphrase, he said, "One is able to travel from west to east, completely across this country on a continuous cement slab without seeing a thing besides billboards." If you were still around, John, you'd be appalled to see it's even worse. The billboards have been replaced by smokestacks. So it goes.
While I'm in such a happy mood, let me quote another of my heroes, Charles Kuralt, on one of his cross-country trips he observes, " You can find your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars."
That's the report from Gautier, MS., 17 miles short of Biloxi.
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