We are one week into our first long road trip in nine years and have traveled to southern Colorado, through New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and into Alabama. My father-in-law has been living in Theordore, Alabama, for the last year, and we wanted to spend some time with him.
First stop and our first Harvest Hosts stay was the B. Social Feedstore in Westcliffe, Colorado. This is a beautiful part of the state! The Sangre de Cristo mountains were showing some fall colors, and we were delighted to find that Westcliffe is a charming small mountain town.
We got our sexy motorhome Vanessa parked, then headed over to our host for dinner and drinks on the beautiful dog-friendly patio. It was open mic night, which added to the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The talent was incredible, as were our turkey bacon paninis. Two thumbs up from us, and Walden threw in some woo-woo-woos to show his support for the performers. Thankfully, it was a dog-friendly crowd. We took a quick stroll on Main Street before heading in for the night.
A quick stop at Sugarlump Co. for coffee on the way out of town made me want to spend more time there. The coffee was great, the muffins looked delicious, and I could have done some damage at the gift shop if Scott hadn’t been waiting outside in Vanessa.
Our next stop was the town of Childress, Texas, which has a beautifully maintained city park that includes a pond, covered bridge, walking trails, a disc golf course, a playground, and a small RV park with 5 large, flat sites with hookups. The cost was just $15 per night! We’d definitely stay there again.
We were up and on the go early for the next leg, which was our longest travel day of our whole trip. We kept driving and driving and driving across Texas until we finally reached our next stay just outside of Shreveport, Louisiana.
It was a peaceful stay at ODK Farm where they grow blackberries and raise white-tailed deer and chickens. One of the nice things about Harvest Hosts is the people that you meet. The owners showed true Southern hospitality and presented us with homemade lemon bars upon arrival. We had a nice visit and enjoyed learning about their lives on the farm and their travels.
The only mishap was when we were handfeeding the deer. I felt something on my left foot, which is always numb and tingly from some nerve damage, and looked down to find fire ants all over my foot. Not great. The blisters didn’t show up until the next morning. Ugh. BUT, we left with frozen blackberries that grew just a few feet from our camping spot, and yummy blackberry jellies.
The last day of this part of the trip took us down through Louisiana, through Mississippi and on to Theodore, Alabama. It’s been so nice to spend time with Scott’s dad and explore the area. Dauphin Island is nearby, and we spent time there sightseeing, doing a little souvenir shopping and eating lunch on two different days. I got my feet in the Gulf of Mexico so I can check that off for 2024. Pirate’s Bar & Grill has ocean views, good food and a fun beachy atmosphere.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home is one of the most popular attractions in Theodore and it lives up to its hype. It deserves its own post, but here’s a quick synopsis. You can tour the spectacular 65-acre garden and the 15-room mansion of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath in a couple of hours. Walter had the ninth Coca-Cola bottling franchise, which he purchased in 1903 for $1,500.
They became very wealthy and were extremely generous. Many of the antiques in the home were purchased from locals who needed money during the depression. Their intention when building the estate was always to open it up to the public, which happened just a few months after Walter passed away. The gardens are known for a magnificent azalia collection, so time your visit in mid-March if you can. The holiday light display looks magnificent, too. We were there in between seasons, but it was still beautiful.
My nephew and his wife are both dentists in the service, Air Force and Navy, respectively. They’ve been stationed on Okinawa for four years and just made it back to the states. They’ll be in Biloxi for the next three years, which is just a little over an hour from Theodore. We had a very nice dinner with them and loved catching up on their lives in the military and their adventures.
Four thumbs up for Brady’s Steaks and Seafood in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Our waitress Rizzo let us visit for a good hour after we finished eating, then had us pose indoors and on the patio for pics. She’s a good egg. Oh, and the food was both phenomenal and reasonable. A key lime pie martini got me off to a good start.
Yesterday’s highlight was a root canal in Mobile. That’s right, fire ants and a root canal in the same week. I sure know how to travel. Fortunately, I was able to get an appointment with a board-certified endodontist who had a cancellation. Since my brother did my previous root canals, I was a little nervous going to a stranger. It went very well, though, and I can now enjoy a cold cocktail without horrible pain. That’s a win in my book.
We head north soon for our next Harvest Hosts stop, a moonshine distillery in Tennessee. Does it get any better than that? Stay tuned to Tales From the Empty Nest, and I’ll let you know.
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