EAST BOUND I-10 MISSISSIPPI WELCOME CENTER TO FOUNTAIN FLORIDA AND TELL ME WE’RE NOT IN AN RV PARK WILL YA

WE CERTAINLY ARE ENJOYING SOME NEW SCENERY

I’m really liking these warm pre-dawn mornings as opposed to those cold desert nights.  Nice not having to have heat on in the coach every night too.  We rolled out of the Mississippi Welcome Center and John C Stennis complex this morning at 7:35 heading further east on I-10.

I WAS SURPRISED AT I-10’S LITE TRAFFIC AND AT TIMES IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES ON THE ROAD

Because it was Saturday traffic was lite and of course that is always a bonus no matter where one is.  We had clear dry roads, warm temps, and a semi-sunny sky with big fluffy cumulous clouds.  I am certainly enjoying this new scenery for a change.  Nice to see so much greenery along the roads and great expanses of water again too.

We rolled right on through Mobile Alabama without any problems.  Last time coming through Mobile the other way I remember traffic as being very heavy.  Anyone traveling I-10 through Mobile will pass through the underwater tunnel which is kinda groovely spooky.

HEADING STRAIGHT FOR DOWNTOWN MOBILE ALABAMA

NEAR THE DOWNTOWN AREA I-10 CURVES TO THE RIGHT AND DISAPPEARS DOWN INTO THE GEORGE WALLACE TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE MOBILE RIVER

AT LAST A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

BREAKING OUT OF THE TUNNEL TO THE EAST WE ENTER UPON A LONG BRIDGE SPAN ACROSS BLAKELEY ISLAND AND MOBILE BAY

WE WERE SOON SOCKED INTO A FOG UNTIL WE REACHED THE OTHER SIDE

KELLY SPOTTED THE BATTLESHIP  USS ALABAMA IN THE MIST

WE CROSSED THE FLORIDA STATE LINE AT 9:50 A.M.

LEG STRETCH AT THE I-10 EASTBOUND FLORIDA WELCOME CENTER IN PENSACOLA FLORIDA

One of the great advantages for boon-dockers like ourselves in the Southwest is the availability of BLM lands to freely camp on.  Whether set up for a lengthy stay or just an overnighter lands are readily available to simply pull in off the road and shut things down.  Just as in Southern Ontario back home we are in lands now that basically offer no free BLM areas to camp on while traveling so we are having to get into this whole RV and State Park reservation thing which of course is something we are not used to doing.  Overnight prices for some these places are huge along Florida’s panhandle coast and of course site availability is virtually non existent at this time of year.

Had noticed earlier this morning while checking our maps that there was a Walmart and Crackle Barrel located in a place called Crestview Florida right on I-10 so we made Crestview our destination.  Cracker Barrel was a few blocks before Walmart so in we went.

COMING OUT OF CRACKLE BARREL GUESS WHO’S ON THE DASH:))

We had thought of overnighting at Walmart while trying to find a place to stay over the next few days.  Don’t think there was a flat spot in the whole parking lot for an overnighter so we stayed only long enough for half a dozen phone calls regarding a place to stay.  Finally located an RV Park that amazingly enough had a spot for us.  We didn’t know this was a long week-end for the American folks (Washingtons Birthday) so every campground was booked up.  The one we located was another hour and a half drive east on I-10 so off we went.  What a beautiful looking day it turned out to be and yes Florida I did notice how smooth your I-10 stretch of highway is.  What a treat after some of the stretches of poor road we have been traveling on these past 5 or 6 days.

We much prefer State Parks over RV Parks but with every State Park in the area being full we had no choice but to find us an RV Park and preferably somewhere in about the middle of the Florida Panhandle.  And by golly that is just what Kelly found.  We are at the Pine Lake RV Park in Fountain Florida just a few miles north of Panama City.  Coincidentally we are parked right beside an older couple from Oakville Ontario.  No idea how long we’ll stay here.  Maybe just tonight, maybe longer………..

‘OMG’ CAN YOU BELIEVE THE ‘BAYFIELD BUNCH’ ARE ACTUALLY PULLING INTO A CROWDED RV PARK…..NO WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT EITHER:((

FOLKS ON THE RIGHT ARE FROM OAKVILLE ONTARIO

HEY, THIS AIN’T NO DARBY WELL ROAD!!

OUR RIG IS EASY TO SPOT….IT’S THE DIRTIEST ONE IN THE PARK WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES OF ROAD GRIME ON IT…AND WE WEAR THAT ROAD GRIME PROUDLY I MIGHT ADD

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Bubbles and Barbie, two blonde sisters had promised their Uncle, who had been a seafaring gentleman all his life, to bury him at sea when he died.  Of course, in due time, he did pass away and the two blondes kept their promise. They set off from Clearwater Beach with their uncle all stitched up ina burial bag and loaded onto their rowboat.  After a while Bubbles says, 'Do you think we're out far enough, Barbie?' Barbie slipped over the side and finding the water only knee deep said, 'nope, not yet Bubbles'. So they row a little farther.... Again Bubbles asks Barbie, 'Do you think were out far enough now? Once again Barbie slips over the side and almost immediately says, 'No, this will never do, the water is only up to my chest.'  So on they row and row and row, and finally Barbie slips over the side and disappears. Quite a bit of time goes by and poor Bubbles is really getting worried when suddenly Barbie breaks the surface gasping for breath. 'Well is it deep enough yet, Sis?' 'Yes, finally. Hand me the shovel.'

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“I have problems with math but with chemistry, I have solutions.”

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TOURING THE JOHN C STENNIS SPACE CENTER AND WHAT WAS THAT SUDDEN LOUD NOISE BURSTING INTO THE BUILDING

INSIDE THE JOHN C STENNIS SPACE CENTER
Despite being parked only a few feet from the Mississippi Welcome Center exit road we slept fine even with big 18 wheeler trucks gearing up going by.  Like cars some of those diesel bangers are nosier than others.

CARS AND TRUCKS GOING BY ON THIS EXIT ROAD CAN BE DISTRACTING BUT WE MADE OUT OKAY

I DIDN’T STRAY TOO FAR FROM MY FAN THIS AFTERNOON
Our day dawned under a gray cloud cover but how nice to step out first thing in the morning to warm temperatures.  Of course pay back will come for that later in the afternoon when the hotter air becomes sticky for me. 

YES I DID USE THE HOT AND STICKY WORDS
Decided to take a travel break and stay put for the day.  The John C Stennis Space Center is right here close to the Mississippi Welcome Center so figured while we’re here I might as well go have me a looky see what that Space Center is all about.  Could have walked over except for a closed gate blocking a flooded walkway.  We drove the Motorhome around and parked in their huge parking lot.

PARKED IN THE JOHN C STENNIS SPACE CENTER PARKING LOT FOR A FEW HOURS THIS MORNING

MAIN ENTRANCE

A ROLLS ROYCE TRENT 1000 ROCKET ENGINE

THAT WHITE SPACE CAPSULE IS ACTUALLY THE ORION IMMERSIVE THEATER

MOCK-UP OF INSIDE A SECTION OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE
 
VERTICAL SLEEPING CHAMBER AT LEFT AND THE CENTERS 2 FLOOR OPEN CONCEPT AT RIGHT
The Center opened at 9 so of course I was there at 8:45 pounding on the door.  Okay, forget the pounding part but I was there early and it was open so luckily I was into the building about half an hour before the big noisy explosion happened.  The Stennis Center is very oriented to children with a lot of interactive exhibits.  This is a newer center still growing and with time I’m sure they will have more and more things added to make it even more interesting for adults. 
 
GERMAN ROCKET SCIENTIST DR.  WERNHER VON BRAUN’S DESK AT LEFT AND BELOW

THIS FRIENDLY STENNIS STAFF MEMBER EVEN HAS AN ALLIGATOR ON HER DESK WHICH I DIDN’T SEE UNTIL I EDITED THE PHOTO

BIG CAFETERIA FOR STAFF AND VISITORS ALIKE….EVEN HAD BURGS
<<< I WAS ON THE SECOND FLOOR WHEN I HEARD SUDDEN HIGH PITCHED SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE BELOW
This is an open concept building and I was up on the second floor taking some photos of the floor below when all of a sudden there was this rush of exaggerated noise coming from the lobby area.  It welled up onto the second floor rebounding off the walls and ceilings.  The noise was a high pitched squealing and shrieking and I instantly knew exactly what had happened.  I had seen the line of school buses pulling in about 10 minutes earlier.  By the sounds of the hollering and yelling I easily estimated about 847,352 kids had come bursting through the main doors into the building all at the same time and  the manic little Aliens were running amok everywhere.  That was it for me and I had to quickly get myself out of there.

NO PEACE AND QUIET OUTSIDE EITHER
Making my way back down to the first floor I somehow managed to escape the building unhurt.  If I thought quiet refuge was waiting outside I was sadly mistaken.  There was another 300,000 yellers and screamers outside!!  Made my way to the far end of the parking lot where our Motorhome was parked and took a break. 

‘OH DAD YOU ARE LOOKING SOOOOO STRESSED, DID YOU SEE A BUNCH OF SCEAMING KIDS OR SOMETHING’’

YES PHEEBS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I SEEN AND HEARD AND I AM NOW FRAZZLED!!
I had signed up for a bus tour of the Stennis Space Center’s big rocket engine test sites so I was the first one to the bus at 10:50 to get the best seat, which I did.  I was absolutely mortified to think that the bus might fill up with screaming kinds but luckily it was just a bunch of slow moving Seniors like myself.

MY FIRST RIDE ON AN OFFICIAL NASA VEHICLE

LOOKS LIKE THIS ROCKET IS POWERED BY A FORD F650 ENGINE

I HOPE WE CAN REACH THE MOON IN THIS

LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE OUR CREW ABOARD

AND THIS HERE’S OUR BUS DRIVER GUY

SOME OF THE ROCKET ENGINES AND PARTS ARE SO HUGE THEY CANNOT BE TRANSPORTED BY ROAD SO THEY COME IN ON BARGES UP THIS CANAL

THIS WAS THE MAIN TEST FACILITY BACK IN IT’S DAY FOR THE BIG SATURN 5 ROCKET ENGINES

SPOTTED SOME MILITARY TYPE PERSONEL

The bus driver was also the tour guide pointing things out as we drove through a couple security gates into the Space Center proper.  There are branches of 5 Universities in here, and the center employs about 5,000 people and it has it’s own infrastructure.  Gas stations, restaurants, garages, fire department, medical center, etc.  The Stennis Center is the second largest Nasa facility covering a total of 215 square miles.  Florida’s Kennedy Space Center covers 230 square miles.

HAD TO CLEAR A COUPLE SECURITY GATES

THIS FOOTBALL FIELD SIZED ROCKET ENGINE TEST TOWER WAS LAST USED JUST TWO WEEKS AGO

AND IT’S BEING EXPANDED



THREE OTHER ENGINE TEST FACILITIES


The bus tour lasted about 35 minutes and we were back to the Stennis Space Center’s main building.  A/C had been going full bore on the bus so when I stepped off out the bus door I was nearly bowled over by the hot Mississippi  air.  It was a warm walk over to the far end of the parking lot to where the rig was.  Kelly had the door and all the windows open with a nice breeze flowing through.  She had done a lot of cleaning.

 
H-1 ROCKET ENGINE ON THE RIGHT

NAVY SEAL TEAMS TRAIN HERE AT THE STENNIS CENTER AS WELL….THE U.S. NAVY HAS A BIG FOOTPRINT HERE IN THIS COMPLEX
 
EVEN SAW MYSELF AN ALLIGATOR CRUISING AROUND OUTSIDE
 
FIRST STAGE OF A MASSIVE SATURN 5 ROCKET

PLANS ARE TO REFURBISH AND RESTORE THIS SATURN 5 FIRST STAGE ROCKET IN IT’S OWN BUILDING
    
SURE LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF COMPLICATED STUFF GOING ON THERE

I WALKED UP AND TAPPED ON THE SIDE OF THIS THING AND THE STEEL HULL DIDN’T SOUND TOO THICK

 
AND THAT IS A SATURN 5 ROCKET TAKING OFF AND THE SECTION I TOOK PHOTOS OF TODAY IS ONLY THE BOTTOM THIRD OF THE WHOLE ROCKET
No overnighting at the Stennis Space Center so we pulled the slides in and headed back over to the welcome center area with fingers crossed our Thursday overnight spot would still be empty.  It was, so that’s where we still are having decided to stay a second night.  No idea if we’ll stay a third night or move on Saturday morning.


GROANER’S CORNER:(( A Chinese guy goes into a Jewish-owned establishment to buy black bras, size 38.  The Jewish store keeper, known for his skills as a businessman, says that black bras are rare and that he is finding it very difficult to buy them from his suppliers.
Therefore, he has to charge $50.00 for them.
The Chinese guy buys 25 bras.  He returns a few days later and this time orders fifty.  The Jewish owner tells him that they have become even harder to get and charges him $60.00 each.  The Chinese guy returns a month later and buys the store's remaining stock of 50 and this time for $75.00 each.  The Jewish owner is somewhat puzzled by the large demand for black size 38 bras and asks the Chinese guy
'Please tell me What do you do with all these black bras?'  The Chinese guy answers: 'I cut them in half and sell them as skull caps to Jewish men for $200.00 each.' ... and this is why the Chinese own us!  Business is Business.
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I work in a busy office, and when a computer goes down it causes quite an inconvenience. Recently one of our computers not only crashed, it made a noise that sounded like a heart monitor.  "This computer has flat-lined," a co-worker called out with mock horror. "Does anyone here know how to do mouse-to-mouse?"
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