Movin' On to Hattiesburg, MS

Big Bertha the Titanium Driver at Shady Cove

Friday, April 16, I got up at 7:00 and we packed up without incident. At 10:32 a.m. we left our one-month home here in Slidell. As we pulled out the gal in the office asked if she needed to move her truck for us to make the left turn but we're okay. I get out to make sure we clear the curbside tree. The back of the RVs have a tendency to swing around farther than you think.

They don't call it Shady Cove for Nothing! And the azaleas are in bloom everywhere

Part of Bob's pre-move adjustments included putting red nail polish on our Superglide hitch. It works like a champ to let us know at a glance that we are locked in tight. I feel better after hearing Shane next door to us here tell his terrible story of his Superglide not being locked in and having his RV drop onto his tailgate. I can't imagine our 14,000 pounds crunching down on Big Bertha. Yikes!

We head north on I-59 for only 88 miles to exit 67B where we take Hwy 49 north to Shady Cove RV Park, 7836 US Hwy 49 North, Hattiesburg, MS 39402, Forrest County, (601) 268-1077. Hattiesburg's population at the last census was 45,000.

Bob fishes Shady Cove Pond

Charlene, who I made our reservation with, is on the phone when we arrive so I take the opportunity to use our restroom, as there is a keypad on the ladies room behind the office. She finally gets off the phone and her and Bob get in a golf cart (that won't start) to drive around and choose a site. Two RVs are pulling in as they head off in the golf cart. One guy runs to the rest room behind the office and actually gets in. Charlene tells us later the ladies room keypad is operating but the men's room keypad is broken. What are the odds? I had to go just as bad as that guy did I'm sure. Anyway, his truck and 5th wheel are blocking another truck and travel trailer and two cars behind them at the front entrance. He runs out and sets his car alarm off and zooms around our rig making me nervous.

While I'm waiting for Charlene and Bob to return, a little female beagle who clearly has just had pups shows up. She is skittish and won't eat my trail mix. Charlene calls her the campground dog when they return. We're all set for site #14. We pay her $150.00 for one week. She tells Bob they don't get any snowbirds here during the winter; it's too far north. They all want to be on the Gulf Coast. She gets some in May and June when the hurricane season gets going. But mostly she has pipeliners here who are all out of work right now. She put a lock on one guys trailer hitch who owes her money. First she stopped his utilities but he still didn't pay.

We set up quickly at 1:00 p.m. after we gather our wits and push the RV back a foot so our awning will open next to a big tree. Then we head to lunch. We find an O'Charley's on Hwy 98 after we circle around the University here. We both have salads; Bob's is a pecan-crusted chicken salad and I have a California chicken salad with mandarin oranges, strawberries, honey pecans and baby spinach. Our waiter is an annoying mumbler.

We try Target across the street but it is not a Super Target so we go to a nearby Wal-Mart for groceries. The area is very congested and on the way back we can't get on I-to north from the left lane so we circle around the University again on every back road and service road until we reconnect with 49.

Our last stop is Dollar General for SoBe's and Gatorades-got to have them for cycling. I walk next door to BP for Hattiesburg American newspaper; quite a small publication compared to the Times-Picayune. We get home at last around 4:45. I cut up veges, we put the bikes on the rack on the truck so we're ready to ride tomorrow. It's 5:26 p.m. and 81 degrees with 22% humidity. The high was 88 and the low was 61. We have no ABC or Fox here. Yikes!

Bob fishes the pond at the back of the campground but catches nothing. It's very shallow and seems to be about three feet low. I take a short walk but my heart is not in it. Some overnighters pull in across the road and drag out all of their BBQ stuff. That makes me tired after moving all day. We have soup, veges and fruit. It beats all that work of BBQing after such a long day.

Some camping club calls on the phone and says they are affiliated with Good Sam (who is not supposed to give out our info) so I ask if they are on the Good Sam website and she hangs up pretty quickly.