Today was to be a "drive like crazy to get to Tampa" day, but it didn't turn out to be *only* that. It was QUITE the full day.
where the Casino's have been *re*built there. Hurricane Katrina really tore everything up when she came thru, but the area is thriving again.
and we admired the carved trees which have adorned the road median: much in the style and spirit of my step-father Glenn's carvings:
We parked in the MGM's "Beau Rivage" and strolled in.
We had read reviews which indicated that if you weren't a SERIOUS gambler, then they weren't interested in you - and, well, we kind of got that feel - the same as the MGM in Las Vegas. I was surprised to confirm that at 10AM on a Sunday morning - that the low-end tables were set to $10 minimums! ACK! Too rich for our blood. We tried a couple of the "Wheel of Fortune" slots - and didn't get so much as a single payoff for our money. Phooey! Back to "Monroe" and over to the Hard Rock instead.
What a difference in "feel". There's a marina there with a nice view of the fishing boats and the gulf:
Then we strolled in past the usual "Planet Hollywood" decorations: memorabilia from music figures: Billy Joel to "Kiss". And the Eagles (smile).It was pretty quiet on a Sunday morning and we wound up standing near the row of table games - and a routlette wheel which was vacant. I started looking at the wheel and the attendant was very friendly and started showing us the features and telling us some history.
Features: Technology has just gotten *entirely* out of control. The Roulette table is mostly automated. The dealer "throws" the ball in the wheel, but the table itself notes what number the marble falls into - and posts it to a running-display so you can see what has come up recently. OK. All of that is "typical" for casino's these days. But this table took it further. The table itself is back-lit and knows what sections have won: the area where you lay your bets actually *lights up* the spots which have won: indiviual number, red/black, odd/even, 1st/2nd/3rd 12, etc, all of the ways to win. So once the ball drops, anything which isn't *LIT* - is a loser and is scooped off into the chip sorter. Yes. An automatic chip sorter. Each person at a Roulette table has their own-color chips so bets can be kept straight. It used to be that the dealer had to sort out all of the chips - but now he just scoops them all into an automated sorter which uses video sensing to separate by color - and stack the chips up to be used again.
Now. Far from making the dealer lazy, it gave him time to TALK to us and tell us that where we were standing - was under 5 FEET of water - during Hurricane Katrina. On the 3rd floor. The Hard Rock had been set to open *2 days* after Katrina: everything was ready, but the whole place had to be trashed, cleaned up, and rebuilt. But they're there and open now. Also, he directed us to some "Elvis" memorabilia including a uniform used in one of his movies. Katrina had blown the whole thing out into the Gulf - presumably lost. But someone found it, returned it, and it was restored - and on display again in the "High Limit" slot area. REALLY cool.
We thanked the dealer for his time - then circulated thru the casino and played a couple more "Wheel of Fortune" slots (OK... we play *those* because we like the game and because they are "Progressive" slots which could potentially pay us a million bux for one spin: might as well have the *chance* to win *BIG*!) We didn't win - but at least we had the possibility.
Anyway, we worked our way back around to the roulette table and decided to give it a whirl - though Roulette usually isn't our game, but we'd called Chris & Denise the nite before to ask for recommendations on Casinos there - and Denise always plays 17 on roulette. So we did.
The table was a $10 minimum - but we were just going for one spin - so I put the whole $10 on 17 - and Kathy scattered 10 more $1 bets around the table - including Kelly's birthday of 12 and 15.
Kathy has NOT been having good gambling luck on this trip (yeah, I know, I STILL haven't written up our time in Vegas, but Craps were good to me - and Kathy just never had any luck at all).
But 15 came up - and paid Kathy $35 for the $1 that was on 15 - so we actually cashed out and walked away "up" on Roulette - and Kathy felt like a winner. It really *is* a much-better feeling to win than to lose. :)
So! We strolled back to "Monroe" feeling like winners, and headed East on I-10 - rolling thru the rest of Mississippi - and into Alabama - our 18th (and final) *different* state for this trip. Yeah. 18 States. Pretty cool.
We passed the Battleship Alabama - outside Mobile. We didn't stop, but we saw it from I-10 - and I was surprised at how *small* it looked - relative to the aircraft carriers I've gotten used to.
I-10 traverses some low-lying swamp/inlet areas so has some impressively-long causeways - just elevated roadways - going for *miles* over the water and marshes. Quite pretty.
And finally at 12:30 - in bright sunshine - after 52 days on the road - we re-entered Florida - "The Sunshine State". COLD for Florida: 56 degrees, but I choked up a bit as we entered - finally being back "almost home".
I said "We're HOME" - and Kathy just said: "Darn!"
We've been *so* enjoying this whole trip and experience that she didn't want it to end. I suppose she's also never been as fond of Florida as I am, either. But back in Florida we are.
Kathy got out her laptop and fired up the Aircard and started looking at attractions ahead of us - and we decided that the National Naval Air Museum at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola - was just too good to pass up. It's the home of the "Blue Angels".
So we exited at Pensacola, and I immediately steered us to a "Waffle House" there and FINALLY got my "Waffle House" "fix" for lunch, and found a really-cool "tricycle" in the parking lot as we were leaving:
Then we followed "Leila"'s directions to the Museum.
And wound up at a dead-end into a barbed-wire official-looking fence. Oh. Apparently, the traffic flow to the Naval Air Station has been changed a bit and nobody told "Leila" yet.
We just backed up our directions a bit and got back to "Blue Angel Parkway" (which seemed to be a likely way to get to the Museum - considering) - and found the entrance.
The guards were quite polite and confirmed that *lots* of people end up at the dead end. And also confirmed that our luck has gotten rusty: the Blue Angels just had their huge annual Homecoming celebration and show (when they come *back* to Pensacola after touring the world) - *yesterday* (and the day before). We JUST missed it. But, we were told, we also missed "about a billion people" - so there are advantages. So we drove on in and found the National Museum of Naval Avaition.
Really cool, huge place. Kathy had read up online and knew that we wanted to hit the IMAX movie and motion simulator right away - so we hustled in, bot tickets, and were seated in the IMAX theatre just as the movie started - about being a Fighter Pilot. Beautiful, moving, detailed coverage of a training exercise outside of Las Vegas - and a reminder of the amazing skills and dedication of those who serve and protect the rest of us. Moving. Perhaps strongly for me because of my weak stomach: there's just no way I could *ride* in a Fighter - let alone keep my wits about me enough to *fly* one. I salute, thank, and admire you pilots out there.
Out to the "motion simulator" to pretend to be in one of the Blue Angels jets as they did maneuvers... not really something you haven't seen in any motion simulator.
But then out into the main museum area where they have GOBS of planes hung up and on display.
I knew that we were pressed for time, and I said to Kathy that I felt like we were in the Louvre with only 2 hours to see everything. Cool, educational, and amazing and I *do* wish I could have done it with my Dad - who could have told me what I was looking at - though I *did* recognize many of the important planes on my own - like the Catalina flying boat (I do believe that Jimmy Buffet owns one of them personally and Dad and I saw *6* of them flying at the "Sun N Fun" Festival a couple of years ago), a Ford Tri-motor (of "Indiana Jones" movies fame - among others):
and the Blue Angels Jets.
And some I'd never seen before like this "NC-4" which was the first plane to cross the Atlantic:
We really *had* to get on down the road (to get to Tampa in time for the show tomorrow nite), so we quickly got a couple of pictures of me sitting in some static displays:
And then we piled back into "Monroe" and RAN for Tampa.
OK. No. We didn't.
Kathy had read that US98 was a pretty drive - down the Gulf Coast - rather than just going back to I-10 - so we cruised down US98 - enjoying the scenery - including the sunset while we were on a long bridge (don't forget that you can click on any photo and get a big version to admire):
Just Beautiful!
Sooo we decided to "push it" more and drove over the bridge to Pensacola Beach - paying the $1 toll for the privilege.
Annnd I was worrying about getting far enough down the road, so was getting less inclined to "stop and feel the sand between our toes" - but, without coaxing, I *did* find a place to pull off and we walked out onto the *gorgeous* white-powder-sand beach
and watched the colors of the sky as the sun sank lower - and dabbled our fingers in the Gulf waters: Atlantic to Pacific - to Gulf
AND found the broken remains of GOBS of sand dollars.
Then back up the incredible white powder - like snow - to "Monroe" - to drive on East across the coast.
We ultimately just parked and watched the sky keep deepening the colors - while staying warm in the car - with classic Rock on the radio. Ummm... really magical!
and the end to a really-great day. Together.
Except that it wasn't over yet. :)
We headed on down the road - only to find that it was washed out and didn't *exist* much past that last photo. We had to turn around and backtrack - and finally just head for I-10 and *drive* to get a few more hours behind us.
Kathy got online again and found a hotel just past Tallahassee and booked that, then we stopped for a salad-bar dinner at a Ruby Tuesday's - and drove thru the final time change (finally back in *Eastern* timezone - and making us seem to be an hour even *later* than we seemed) - and pulled into the hotel at about 11PM.
Quite a day. Quite a trip. And we're not home *yet*.
10,400 Miles - and Monroe has been making a "grinding" sound after a few hours at high speed. Hmmmm...
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