Dec. 29 - Raining cats and dogs again. But we lucked out today, as the skies were blue for the morning, and then cloudy/sunny until late afternoon. We also had rain yesterday, but again managed to get out for some hiking/biking for a part of the day. The park is one of the best, with great facilities, bike trails, hiking trails, and a wonderful beach when the Red Tide subsides. Today, it was not nearly as severe as it was our first day here, so we were able to walk the beach in both directions for a km or so. Great beach, with white crisp sand, and lots of wave action. Gail loved venturing out a bit, and ended up pretty wet as we walked along the shore.
After the beach, we did a great hike today, biking to a trail head, then plunging off along one of the two small lakes that are tucked in behind the beach. We walked for a couple of hours, over to a second lake, and around, so did a good 5 kms or so. Shortly after we got back, the rains began, just as I had taken over laundry duties, so after foreboding weather forecasts, we lucked out with a pretty good day.

We have been reminded of home at this site, because of the sand dunes that front the main Gulf beach, and the two interior lakes reminiscent of our East and West lakes behind the Sand Banks Park. Here, the dunes are protected, as no-one is allowed to walk in them. At home, go for it! Climb all over them! A little different concept with respect to local resource management. Perhaps a lesson to be learned for we Canadians.

We've booked a site at Bay St. Louis in Mississippi for tomorrow and New Years Eve. When we talked to the owner, he told us a party of sorts is planned for New Years Eve...campfire, bring your own drinks, and bring an appetizer. Sounds like fun. He suggested most folks don't last past 10, so that may be a bit early for us, but it'll be fine. Next day, they have a southern dinner for New Years. So we may change our plans a bit, stay for that, and delay our stay in New Orleans for a day, as we've booked into a place in the city suburbs for Jan first to the fourth. Found a new park in New Orleans that will let us take the bus downtown, rather than having to drive in from a more distant location. Confession! We're not going to NO for New Years Eve. Too crazy. Too many drunks. Too dangerous. We are definitely getting old.