Biloxi, MSs

Betty and I have been in the Biloxi, MS, area for the past 10+ days. The weather has been nice, but a little cool some days. Aftter attending several Mardi Gras parades, we also checked out the drive along the coast on highway 90. The last time we were here was just a few months after Hurrican Katrina (2005) had hit the area. There has been a great deal of construction since then, especially the casinos and the repairs to the highways. However, there are still many empty lots along the coast waiting for someone to build a home or for another hotel to be sited.
Many of the locals seem to be pleased with the way the tourist economy has rebounded, but overall there are still problems.
Hope all is well with you.
Warmest regards, Gus

To the left is the Biloxi lighthouse which has been repaired since Katrina.

Pintail Wildlife Drive

On the Pintail Wildlife Drive of the Cameron Wildlife Refuge, I saw many alligators along with many birds. This "gator" seemed a little curious, but I did not get out of the car to see how friendly he really was!! The air temperature was aabout 70 degrees, so some of the "gators" were on the banks sunning themselves.

Today we left the Lake Charles area and drove to Hammond, LA. In a few days we will be in Biloxi, MS.

Warmest regards, Gus

Louisiana's Outback

Yesterday I took a day-trip to see Louisiana's Outback. I traveled from the Visitors' Center in Sulpher (where I am pictiured ready to go fishing), down to Holly Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, across the shipping canal at Cameron and then on to the National Wildlife Refuge. This area along the Gulf is still trying to recover from the damage of Hurricane Rita -- it was not hit as hard by Katrina in 2005. A few people are starting to re-build at Holly Beach, but there are many more empty cement slabs in the area than there are homes. All of the new construction is about 20 feet above ground. Only sheds and rvs are located at ground level.

Warmest regards, Gus