Although we had a mild winter this year, cabin fever still set in and after a couple of warm spring days, I got an itch to take a ride south.  Generally, I go to Florida but this year I decided to go somewhere I have not been and that was the Gulf Shore area.  I was also curious to see the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Talmadge Blackwell, a riding buddy out of Concord, was able to join me on short notice and as fate would have it, he has a friend in Gulfport, MS, who agreed to give a tour of the area when we arrived.

Rather than mapping out a route the traditional way, I simply entered an end waypoint into my GPS and had it calculate a route via the shortest distance or customized option.  This has become my favorite way to ride.  You take some roads that you would never pick off a map and as a result see some very interesting sights/sites.  It is as good as reason to have a GPS as any.

The highlights on the way down were small southern towns with beautifully preserved or restored old homes, miles and miles of wide open spaces, and very little traffic.

In Andersonville, GA we stopped at the Andersonville National Historical Site where Union Prisoners of War were held during the Civil War.  The conditions under which these men lived and died were almost unimaginable.  Well worth visiting.

Andersonville Prison Note there is no shelter other than what you are able to build for yourself

Andersonville Cemetery Over 10,000 soldiers died here

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Hurricane Katrina

The intensity and scope of the damage from Hurricane Katrina is incredible.  I have seen the results of other hurricanes but they did not come close to the complete and utter devastation this hurricane brought.  High winds and a twenty foot plus storm surge simply leveled everything in its path.  It will be years before this area (Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport) fully recovers and some scars will last a lot longer.  Thanks to Paul Bernard for giving us a tour and answering our many questions.

Paul & his new Suzuki V-Strom 650	What's left of Paul's house in Gulfport		What's left of Paul's neighborhood
The house on the left used to sit on the columns on the right	Condos had been sitting on those columns		Home overlooking the bay
Imagine the force required to move that much concrete and steel		Casinos on the bay

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Bayou La Batre

I could not resist riding through Bayou La Batre, AL in as much as this is where Forest Gump bought himself a shrimpin' boat and went into the shrimpin' business.

Grounded boat

Bayou La Batre fleet

My shrimp boat - I got the special fixer upper price "stupid is as stupid does"

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Miscellaneous

Ferry ride	Bartow, GA
Highly trained, professional rider	You would have thought that with a max speed of 570 mph, I would have averaged better than 48.1 mph

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