Day 12. Go West(ish) Young(ish) Man!

Friday January 20, 2023

Wow remember my description of the shower at the last camp?! This one was soooo good! It might rank up their with a shower head at any five-star Marriott! OMGosh the heat and the wide spray with so much pressure it was like a massage for my weary neck and back! Maybe I could do a blog next year on shower head reviews across National Park campsites? That might be a hit huh!? Ok maybe not. I like the coffee shop review across the country idea better. I'm thinkin' mo' fun. And mo' popular. And mo' cleaner. And I'm gonna need mo' grammar lessons when I get back home. Camp sites are...well...lets say they don't always vacuum under the bed : )

I packed up the jeep and rolled outta camp by 8:30! I really wanted to work on the blog downtown and taste the warmth of the village one more time. I stopped in to a breakfast place called "Scratch" which I think referred to their food being made from it and not the fact that their chefs were itchy. I hope anyway.

Once I realized they didn't have wifi here I kinda woofed down the food to make headway to the outside vibe in Seaside. There was a coffee place called Amavida Coffee Roasters there that had some seating outside and it was already 70 degrees and sunny and I wanted to feel that warmth before I left.

Wow what a place to write! The whole vibe kinda resonates 'home' to me in the sense that the people are friendly, they are happy, they share smiles and hello's. There were even road cyclists working there way through. My peeps! There also seems to be a community feel among the shop owners and the area also has a feel of not being too expensive or not too down and out for where I am at in life. That make sense? It's goldilocks bed of 'just right". That's just a feel lol. The home prices are probably off the hook expensive and I don't wanna even look!

I really did not want to leave here, more so than any of the other places I've been but got up to put my toes in the sand one more time before I left! Wow the sand is here, I gotta say, whiter and more like powder than any beach I've been on yet! So good.

I went past the taco bar stand and really felt connected to the people here, the previous nites conversations still resonating in my head. Even the people fixing umbrellas or tidying the garbage cans threw me friendly hello's as I walked by. Genuine too. What are they smoking down here anyway!? Or eating!? Bill do you market some of your baked goods down here!? You know the extra sweet ones? Cuz these folk are definitely feeling the effects of that kind of sweetness lol.

I rolled a little bit further east (I know! I'm turning around soon!!) to a town called Alys that was recommended also and this place totally had that upper crusty kinda 'I have money' feel. Gorgeous just the same but it had those Southampton NY high hedges along the road vibe ya know!? Super quaint shop area too where I stoped in to grab a t-shirt and things for some loved ones back home...

Set the gps for Biloxi and rolled on!

A road trip day for sure...no riding in store for today as I spent to much time soaking up some vitamin D back there lol. This duck definitely enjoys flying south for the winter!

Funny the whole time I was in Florida I played reggae music in the jeep...now on the road thru Alabama I'm playing Eric Church. Huh. No idea why but I did!

My luck on finding a campsite ahead ran out as everything was booked near Biloxi so next time I pulled over for gas I readied the back of the jeep for an overnight in-the-back stay. It's a matter of moving some of the food bins, clothes and bike gear to the front passenger seat area so I can snuggle in between my two girlfriends again. Not sure I want two girlfriends actually. No scratch that...I'm sure...I definitely don't want two lol. One would be nice. I mean I'm a good catch right? "Likes long walks on the beach, sleeps well in a jeep, used to be employed full time and likes cooking (PB-n-honey on whole wheat is cooking right?)". Send pics please.

What!? I mean it's only fair right? My pics are all over this bloggy thing. Oh and for the record I photoshopped all the pics here to make it look like I slept in a car and haven't shaved or showered in weeks OK? I'm actually much better looking up close. Well not to close. I mean in person. But from a distance. Well not a distance like binocular far but right at that point where you don't need reading glasses anymore. Like 6 feet for me. Otherwise keep the lights low. Or lower than what they are in this coffee shop cuz it's pretty bright here. I can tell cuz some of these people shoulda photoshopped themselves before they left home. Wait is that mean? I'm just saying it looks like they just rolled out of a jeep after sleeping all night in it ok? Ha!

I unfolded the cool air mattress that fits perfectly between the two bikes. So glad I picked that up at the REI store a week back....life saver. I also black out the windows so no light gets in or out. Super cozy actually. I mean at any point I could just book a night at the Hyatt or Comfort Inn down the road but for some reason this adds so much to the trip! It pushes some internal boundaries inside me, challenges me. Finding the perfect 'site first is always a journey too- "This area is way to bright! This is super dark and sketchy...there is to much activity around, there are bums sleeping on the bus stop nearby! Where the heck can I pee if I get up in the middle of the night?" Eventually I found a parking spot right in front of Perks Coffee shop, downtown Gulfport MS.

Lights were low and it felt safe. I mean this is perfect right? I can wake up and walk inside for a latte? Sweet!

Life is good.

Tucked myself in, told my two girlfriends to sleep well and nodded off.

Inside

Funny how the state name Alabama strikes up thoughts in my head. Noticing the backwardness of my own mind, how thoughts of a southern state reminds me of how us Northerners may judge others down south, most times in a playful way but just the same a judgement. What I truly find is that no matter where I go people are people. We are the same. We all do and want the same things in life. Connection, love, purpose, even just a friendly conversation. Laying down any thoughts of differences is so freeing...enabling one to see the truth to another persons heart and paving way for a great friendship, even if just for a fleeting moment in a coffee shop, or taco bar...

Outside

Outside take...

You don't have to figure out which city or place you like. For instance - no need to make a spreadsheet of pros n cons to decide the one you want to live in. It's not a thought process. The right one's speak to your heart. They light it up, they peak your curiosity to see more of it. They lighten your mood and your view of the world. Just putting my toes in the sand felt like home...receiving a smile while I typed outside a coffee shop... so good.

Upside

My upside take today was the free wifi we encounter so many places nowadays! A weird one perhaps but man oh so cool! To be able to sit in front of a coffee shop with a latte and type all this out for my millions of followers to read (Ha!) or to search the web for destinations and campsites is such a huge blessing!

downside

No bathroom at 4:00 am. 'Nuff said.