MARITIME & SEAFOOD INDUSTRY MUSEUM

Newly Constructed Museum in 2014

In 1986 the original Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum was housed in the old Mississippi Naval Coast Guard Base. It was established to preserve the heritage and maritime history of Biloxi and the Gulf Coast. However, in August 2005, the museum was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A newly constructed museum opened nine years later in 2014.

The bell was a showpiece at the entrance to the former museum. It survived Hurricane Katrina intact in 2005.

Shrimp Peeling Machine

In 1943 James Lapeyre designed a shrimp peeling machine based on his experience while wearing rubber boots. When he stepped on a shrimp it popped from its shell. The Lapeyre machine peeled 1000 pounds of shrimp per hour in place of 30 to 150 people peeling shrimp by hand.

Wheel House From Old Kovacevich Lugger

Beautiful Fresnel Lens

On display is the Ship Island Lighthouse lens. The 250 pound Fresnel lens was made in Paris the late 1800's. The lens is made of several prisms that were scattered after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. One year and $3,000 later, every piece was found. It was restored but the scratches and chips that the hurricane left on the prisms still remain.

Nautical Treasure

The Nydia was built around 1898 on Biloxi's Back Bay. It is the only known Johnson Shipyard boat left. The 30 foot gaff rigged cabin sloop represents the ultimate in boat building skills. This impress sloop is constructed of cypress and steam-bent oak with brass fixtures.

Ship Island Lighthouse

The Biloxi Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1848 and one of the first cast iron lighthouses to be erected in the South. The civilian lighthouse was operated from 1848 - 1939 and has been kept by more female keepers than any other lighthouse in the U.S. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina enveloped a third of the 64 foot lighthouse.  

CAJUN PALMS

Good Sam Rating 10/10/10

Double Wide Paved Sites

AVERY ISLAND - HOMEOF TABASCO

There are five salt dome islands rising above the flat Louisiana Gulf Coast. Avery Island is one of them. These islands formed when a vast plain of salt was left by an ancient saltwater ocean. Surrounded by low-lying swamps and marshes, Avery Island stands at only 163 feet above sea level.

The McIlhenny family settled on Avery Island and began to produce a brand of hot sauce, made exclusively from tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt.

Tabasco Museum

The museum contains exhibits, videos and artifacts important in the Tabasco family history. A small greenhouse contained seedlings to mature plants with peppers. 

2014 Batch of Mash

Only two batches of Tabasco is made each year. The barrel warehouse is full of white oak barrels containing pepper mash that is aged for up to three years.

Vats of Tabasco

A balcony was provided to see the vats where the pepper mash becomes Tabasco sauce. The intense pepper aromas almost took our breath away.

Tabasco Bottling Line

The bottling line had processed over 392,000 bottles of Tabasco the day we visited the factory. Over 700,000 bottles can be bottled in a day.

On the self-guided tour, we walked through a re-creation of an underground Avery Island salt mine cavern. Salt has evaporated from brine springs on Avery Island since 1791. In 1862 workmen enlarging these springs to produce more salt for the Confederacy hit solid salt at 16 feet. This was the first type of mining operation in North America. It continued until the Union forces destroyed the salt works in 1863.

JEFFERSON ISLAND

New Tiffin Friends

We contacted a couple from New Iberia who we met last summer at the Tiffin Rally in Gillette, WY to set up a lunch date. They suggested Cafe Jefferson nestled in a grove of live oaks on Jefferson Island. 

Acclaimed American Actor Joseph Jefferson Played Rib Van Winkle Role

It is situated on a prehistoric salt dome and home to Lake Peigneur, the Joseph Jefferson mansion and the Rip Van Winkle Gardens.The Joseph Jefferson Mansion was built in 1870. It has 22 rooms with a cupola. The mansion sits atop the salt dome at an elevation of 75 feet above sea level.

Joseph Jefferson Mansion Listed on National Register of Historic Places

Massive Live Oak Tree

Only the Chimney of a House Remains From Salt Mine Collapse 

Jefferson Island is situated on a prehistoric salt dome. In 1980 a Texaco drilling oil rig pierced one of the giant caverns of the Diamond Crystal Salt Company, flooding the entire mine. 

The vortex into the salt cavern swallowed Lake Pegneur, 65 acres of wood land, the Rip Van winkle Welcome Center, a 1/2 acre garden under glass and a new home. A drilling rig, several barges loaded with trucks and rock salt, boats and equipment also vanished into the whirlpool. 


Nine of the lost barges were coughed up after the lake was refilled by the Gulf of Mexico via the Delcambre Canal. What was once a ten-foot deep freshwater lake is now a 1,300 foot deep salt water lake.  No lives were lost in this man made disaster.

ManyVarieties of Bamboo

Asian Influence in Rip Van Winkle Gardens

Enjoying the Beautiful Tapestry of the Japanese Garden

JAMAICA BEACH

"Construction Camp"

Jamaica Beach RV Resort had a Good Sam Rating of 10/10/10. It had advertised good paved roads, 111 pull-thru sites, cable, wifi, pool, spa, splash pad, lazy river, outdoor movie theater, activities, and minutes away from cruise lines, NASA, etc. The amenities sounded too good to be true.

Upon arrival,the receptionist told us we did not have a reservation. And we could not park on the site they had originally assigned to us. Finally, the two gals were able to verify our reservation and assured us the "premium" lot they assigned us was nice...and quiet.  It was in the new section but there was "grass."

Windshield View

We were very disappointed upon arrival at our site. The sod looked like they put it down that morning and it had not been rolled out, very uneven and lumpy. A worker was covering the sewer pipes with duct tape as there were no caps. 

During the day there were workers placing rerod and pouring cement for new sites, working on construction of the lazy river, and hauling dirt in a skid steer or large bucket roller past our site.

The heart of Galveston was 11 miles away from us as Jamaica Beach is on the west end of Galveston Island. There was no wifi for 90% of our week's stay.

Funny, the RV resort map indicated a dumpster would be placed on the end of the row alongside our "premium" lot. Yuck!

The Best Thing: Although the beach was about three blocks away from us, we could hear the surf through the walls of the motorhome (for three days we could hear it but not see the surf...sea fog).

"ICI ON PARLE FRANCAIS?" (Do You Speak French)?)

"Joie de Vivre" (Joy of Life)

Jeaux Biff's (Jeaux pronounced "Joe")

Zydeco is a fast tempo musical style dominated by the accordion and washboard.  The music integrates rock and roll, shuffles, and waltz.

Saturday Morning Zydeco Dancing

We were lucky to find a Saturday Zydeco breakfast in Breaux Bridge at Buck & Johnny's. The place was hopping by 8:30 in the morning where Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys were playing. The best thing was the fellow playing the "rub board". 

"Laissez lesbon temps rouler! Let the good Times Roll!

New Zydeco Friends

Above Ground Burial Tombs

Above ground burials are more expensive than in-ground burials. Possible reasons include preventing water damage and leakage, saving space when below ground sites are not available, and having a more stylish memorial in their wake.  We were told an above ground burial in this area costs upward of $20,000.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Lafayette, LA is in the heart of the region called Acadiana, consisting of 22 parishes. The Cajun region of Louisiana is known as Acadiana. The term Acadiana encompasses the Cajun & Creole Country, land settled generations ago.

Cajun Jam Session at "Joie de Vivre"

Cajun culture began with the arrival of French Acadians, french speaking people from Canada, who migrated to and settled in Louisiana between 1765-1785 after the English stripped them of their land and exiled them.  Over 3,000 of them made their way to Louisiana. 

Crawfish Capital of the World

Breaux Bridge, LA is located just east of Lafayette, LA.  Because of the crawfish farming and cooking the state legislature designated it as "la capitale Mondiale de I'ecrevisse". Native Americans in this area are credited with first harvesting and eating crawfish before the Cajuns arrived. It took some time to convince Cajuns to eat crawfish but by the 1930s they were seen as a good source of protein, especially for the poor Cajuns. 

Acadiana produces the most crawfish in the state and has the most crawfish acreage. The Atchafalaya Basin with its varied region of rivers, bayous and swamps iis the largest swamp in the country. 

Where do the crawfish come from?  First you need rice. Farmers use rice fields as crayfish ponds by adding crawfish seed to the rice bed. So they actually grow two different crops in the same field.  

Going for Lunch on the Levee

Where's the Beef?

"Laissez les bon temps rouler!" Let the Good Times Roll!

BISHOP'S PALACE

Bishop's Palace is One of the Most Lavish Homes in U.S.

As we drove by this home, I was impressed by its beauty. The Bishop's Palace is so exquisite,it was definitely worth a look.

The Bishop's Palace, formerly the Gresham mansion, was built in 1892.  It was built for Walter Gresham, a Galveston lawyer and politician, his wife Josephine, and their nine children.  

Octagonal Mahogany Staircase with a Pulpit

It is an ornate Victorian-style house with 19,082 square feet. The raised basement once housed the kitchen and servant's quarters. There are three formal floors that include stained glass windows, rare woods, painted murals and ceilings, intricately carved ornaments, and exotic materials and furnishings. There are impressive fireplaces from around the world. One fireplace is lined with pure silver.

Fireplace with Silver and Onyx Mantle

Because the mansion was designed for strength and beauty, it survived the Great Storm of 1900 virtually unscathed. The Gresham family welcomed hundreds of survivors of the hurricane into their home.  

Post Card Box (Family Photo Album)

In 1921, Galvestonians raised money to purchase the house for the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese.  The Catholic diocese bought the home in 1923. While Bishop Christopher E. Byrne resided there one room was made into a chapel with stained glass windows. After the diocesan offices were moved to Houston, the Diocese the mansion was opened to the public in 1963.

The Galveston Historical foundation purchased the property in 2013. 

The home is estimated to have cost $250,000 at the time. Its value today is estimated at over $5.5 million. The building is listed by the U.S. Dept of Interior as a National Historic Landmark. 

LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM

Lone Star Flight Museum

The golden age of aviation is recalled at the Lone Star Flight Museum. It hosts more than two dozen vintage aircraft, all in flying condition. The LSFM boasts a collection of planes from WWII to the Vietnam War era.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The B-17 was primarily used by the U.S. Army Air Force for strategic daytime bombing campaigns during WWII against German military and industrial targets. 

B-25 Liberators Bombed Tokyo

The Doolittle Raid, a/k/a the Tokyo Raid, was a dangerous secret mission in WWII, the first air raid to strike the Japanese Home Islands. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle was in charge of this mission. At his request a special bomb sight was cobbled together from two pieces of scrap aluminum. The cost of materials was only 20 cents. This special bomb sight was nicknamed  "Mark Twain" and
replaced the Norden bomb sight that had a price of $10,000.

Col. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

Doolittle and his crew were the first off the USS Hornet. As a result of an early takeoff, the 16 B-25 bombers were short on fuel to reach safe zones.  All of the airplanes, except one, either crash landed or the crew bailed out.

Russian MiG-15

The MiG-15 was a jet fighter that incorporated swept wings to achieve high speeds in combat over Korea. It outclassed the West's straight-winged jet fighters. With the more refined MiG-17, the basic design again surprised the West when it proved effective against supersonic fighters such as the F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War.

Checking Out a WWII Trainer Aircraft

The U. S. made Cessna AT-17 Bobcat is a twin-engine advanced trainer aircraft used during WWII. 

Navy Corsair Maximum Speed 462 MPH

The fast and powerful Corsair fighter was the first Allied plane capable of going toe-to-toe with the Japanese Zero.  It was designed to operate from U.S. aircraft carriers.  The Corsair saw service during WWII and also flew during the Korean War.

Me & My Fly Boy

The Lone Star Flight Museum suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008. The hangars and Hall of Fame were flooded with eight feet of water. Most of the airworthy planes were flown out of the museum prior to the hurricane, including the B-17 and the B-25.

The LSFM is in the process of moving to Houston to avoid repeat of the devastation suffered during Hurricane Ike.

AT THE BEACH

Playground of the South

There are 32 miles of sand beach. The east end is flanked by hotels, condos, shopping, attractions and restaurants. The west end is residential, mostly condos and single family structures. 

Galveston has many soft beaches and calm, warm waters along the Gulf of Mexico along with different types of parks on the beach. 

Toes in the Sand

It is believed that the barrier island known as Galveston is believed to be over 5,000 years old.  On the west end of the island, where we were, the dunes roll right into the prairie.

It Doesn't Get Any Better

The Seawall is a great place to take a stroll or a bike ride with many diversions ranging from souvenir shops to restaurants and, of course, the "Pleasure Pier".

Galveston Seawall

At 10.4 miles long, the Seawall lining the Gulf of Mexico is the world's longest continuous sidewalk.

Beach on San Luis Pass

Pleasure Pier

Beware of Snakes in the Dunes

Original Beach Home?