Travel from Spanish Fort, Alabama to Carrabelle, Florida

We drove our coach 257 miles, about 5 hours of driving, from Spanish Fort, Alabama to Carrabelle, Florida. Our last travel day of 2023. (Yes, the blog posts are a bit delayed; we do things faster than I can post about them!)

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops marked:

Leaving the state park:

Leaving state park

I-10:

I-10

Entering Florida:

Florida state line

“No stopping; photo opp in welcome center”:

Photo opp in welcome center

We did stop at the Welcome Center rest stop for a quick break, though didn’t go into the Welcome Center:

Welcome center rest stop

Welcome center rest stop

Home of the Blue Angels:

Welcome center rest stop

Our coach at the rest stop on a traffic cam:

Welcome center rest stop

Welcome center rest stop

I had fun spotting our coach via other traffic cams too:

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Bridge over Escambia Bay:

Bridge over Escambia Bay

Bridge over Escambia Bay

Bridge

More traffic cams:

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Another rest area stop, this time for lunch:

Rest area

Sleepy Paladin enjoying the stacked dining chairs:

Paladin

Rest area

 

Rest area

An interesting feature of the rest areas was a truck windshield washer:

Truck windshield washer

We also appreciated signs that displayed the rest area truck parking availability (which was also available via the traffic website):

Rest area truck parking count

Speaking of, a couple more:

Our coach via traffic cam

Our coach via traffic cam

Then we exited I-10, for some highway travel:

Exit

Starting with a fuel stop:

Fuel stop

While Jenn fueled up, I went in and got some Cokes (to help us stay alert) and snacks:

Snacks

$284.62 for 77.787 gallons of diesel; we saved $22.17 off that with our discount card:

$284.62 for 77.787 gallons of diesel

Paladin watching us from the dash:

Paladin

Cotton field:

Cotton field

Blountstown mural:

Bloutstown mural

Blountstown

The bridge where we entered Eastern Time Zone:

Bridge

Bridge

An uncomfortably narrow road:

Narrow road

A portion was also a little under water; not ideal:

Road under water

Road under water

Road under water

Roadworks to alleviate the flooding; a tight squeeze:

Roadworks

Our destination for the end of the year:

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

A long drive, but then we were stationary for three weeks.

Travel from New Orleans, Louisiana to Spanish Fort, Alabama

We drove our coach 146 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from New Orleans, Louisiana to Spanish Fort, Alabama.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northeast:

Route

An interactive map with potential stops; we actually only stopped at the Flying J:

Preparing to leave our site:

Preparing to leave our site

Hooking up our truck, with the City of New Orleans paddleboat in the background:

Hooking up our truck

Rail crossing and onramp:

Rail crossing and onramp

Drawbridge:

Drawbridge

Bridge:

Bridge

Another drawbridge:

Drawbridge

I-10:

I-10

“Welcome to Mississippi”:

Welcome to Mississippi

We stopped at a Flying J truck stop for lunch:

Flying J

The truck parking was rather full. With our toad attached we can’t back up, and this parking area has back-to-back spots, so we could only park where there was two adjacent ones empty so we could pull through. It was a difficult turn and tight squeeze, but Jenn’s driving skills got it done:

Parking between trucks

Parked between trucks

Parked with trucks

This Flying J has a Denny’s restaurant, so we had lunch there:

Denny's menu

Denny's menu

I tried a rather decadent “choconana pancake slam”, just to be different:

Breakfast for lunch

Jenn’s was a bit more conventional:

Breakfast for lunch

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

“I love the way you look at me” Buc-ee’s billboard… a little creepy, perhaps:

I love the way you look at me

I had fun spotting our coach passing by on traffic cameras:

Our coach via traffic camera

Our coach via traffic camera

Bridge:

Bridge

An amusing info sign: “Cats have 9 lives. You are not a cat. Buckle up”:

Cats have 9 lives, you are not a cat. Buckle up

Another traffic camera:

Our coach via traffic camera

Alabama state line:

Alabama state line

“Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama”:

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama

I think these are electrical transformers:

Transformers on a truck

Another couple of glimpses of our coach on Alabama traffic cameras:

Our coach via traffic camera

Our coach via traffic camera

Mobile, Alabama:

Mobile, Alabama

A tunnel under the Mobile River:

Tunnel

You can see it curving downward as it goes under the river:

Tunnel

Tunnel

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park:

USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

USS Alabama Battleship

Our destination for the next two weeks, Meaher State Park:

Meaher State Park

Check out the video from this drive, which includes a picture-in-picture of the view from the truck behind our coach.

Travel from Toomsuba, Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana

We drove our coach 208 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Toomsuba, Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southwest:

Route

An interactive map:

Back along the narrow road from the campground:

Narrow road

We stopped at the Loves truck stop to use their CAT scale to weigh our coach and truck:

CAT scale

CAT scale

The results are much the same as previous times, though the truck is heavier, no doubt due to the addition of the canopy and slide; all still within the limits:

CAT scale results

Heading onto I-59 south:

I-59 south

The truck parking areas have totally reassuring signs saying “No Security Provided”; we have to wonder what incident caused them to add such signs:

No Security Provided

Lots of space in this parking area:

Parking area

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Another parking area stop; a little smaller and busier, but we found a spot:

Another parking area

“Welcome to Louisiana” sign:

Welcome to Louisiana

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain:

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain

Old bridge segment, I guess? Now a fishing pier:

Old bridge, I guess?

Twin span bridge over Lake Pontchartrain

Drawbridge:

Drawbridge

Chef Menteur Highway bridge:

Chef Menteur Highway bridge

Abandoned buildings on the road to our destination:

Abandoned buildings

Arriving at our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

We had a pull-in waterfront spot for two weeks:

Our site

Unfortunately no travel video again today; I didn’t notice that it had filled up and wasn’t recording until after this trip.

Travel from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi

We drove our coach 180 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Red Bay, Alabama to Toomsuba, Mississippi.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving the Red Bay Acres RV park:

Leaving Red Bay Acres

Leaving Red Bay Acres

“Welcome to Mississippi”:

Welcome to Mississippi

Highway 76:

Highway 76

Exit to I-22:

Exit to I-22

I-22:

I-22

Tombigbee River:

Tombigbee River

A momentary loss of visibility from farm dust:

Farm dust

The speed limit signs also have a minimum speed, unusually:

Minimum speed sign

Exit to Tupelo:

Exit to Tupelo

We stopped for lunch at Tin Lizzie Cafe in West Point, Mississippi:

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

Tin Lizzie Cafe

BLT (without the tomato) and “tater babies” wedges:

BLT and wedges

The highway had frequent turnaround lanes:

Turnaround

Paladin asleep next to the passenger chair:

Paladin

Highway 45:

Highway 45

Exit to I-20:

Exit to I-20

I-20:

I-20

TA fuel stop:

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

TA fuel stop

The pump price was $371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel (thirsty coach!), though we actually paid less, thanks to our Open Roads discount (see below):

$371.99 for 107 gallons of diesel

The slowest DEF pump; it took 10 minutes to pump five gallons:

DEF

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF:

$23.69 for 5.779 gallons of DEF

The Open Roads statement indicated that we saved $30.65 on the diesel (the DEF isn’t discounted):

Open Roads statement

A narrow road to our destination:

Narrow road

And a narrower road:

Narrower road

Our destination, a KOA Journey:

Our destination

Our destination

Our site:

Our destination

Our destination

Unfortunately no travel video today; my dashcam had filled up and failed to record.

Travel from Memphis, Tennessee to Red Bay, Alabama

We drove our coach 139 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Memphis, Tennessee to Red Bay, Alabama.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading southeast:

Route

An interactive map:

“Welcome to Mississippi” sign (just passing through):

Welcome to Mississippi

Building transportation:

Building transportation

Our coach at a truck stop for lunch:

Our coach at truck stop

Menu:

Menu

Breakfast for lunch:

Breakfast for lunch

River:

River

“Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama” sign:

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama

Exit to Red Bay:

Exit to Red Bay

Hotel Red Bay:

Hotel Red Bay

Our destination, Red Bay Acres RV Resort:

Red Bay Acres RV Resort

General Store:

General Store

Store

Heading to our site:

Heading to our site

Our site (#31):

Our site (31)

Travel from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee

We drove our coach 196 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route

An interactive map:

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

Bubba’s, where we got tasty food during our stay:

Bubba's

An uncomfortably narrow lane due to roadworks:

Narrow lane

A break at some truck parking:

Truck parking

Truck parking

I had fun watching traffic cameras to spot us driving by; yes, that’s our coach and truck in the right lane at the bottom:

Traffic camera

Another traffic camera showing us:

Traffic camera

And another one, showing us from the other direction:

Traffic camera

Another snapshot:

Traffic camera

Another stop at truck parking:

Truck parking

Truck parking

A snapshot:

Traffic camera

A bridge over the Mississippi River into Tennessee; a big milestone for us, crossing this major river for the first time:

Bridge over Mississippi River

Bridge over Mississippi River

Dissapointingly, there was no sign marking the occasion. Probably due to roadworks (with uncomfortably narrow lanes again):

Roadworks

Roadworks

Our destination, Graceland RV Park:

Graceland RV Park

The office:

Office

Our site before parking:

Our site before parking