Unfortunately, I don’t have much to share with you today. After a lot of spirited discussion, Jasmine and I decided to drive the 690 miles all the way to Orlando from New Orleans. This was also our first four state day as we started in Louisiana and drove through Mississippi and Alabama on our way to Florida.
When leaving New Orleans, I convinced Jasmine that we should drive over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway even though it added about fifty miles to our trip. This long road over the water stretches for about 24 miles and provides quite a unique experience. At one point in the middle of the drive we couldn’t help but feel like we were at sea since the land behind us had vanished and the land in front of us was not yet visible. I certainly feel like making this detour was the right decision, despite the extra distance.
Much of the scenery between New Orleans and Orlando was similar to what we have seen the past week. The bayou continued for a while through Mississippi and Alabama, treating us to a mixture of trees and water. Eventually, the water dried up leaving miles and miles of green tree lined highway. Once again I found it very easy on the eyes. Every so often the interstate would cut towards the coast treating us to a small glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico. One such occasion was in Mobile, Alabama where we saw the USS Alabama docked in the bay. When he saw this massive ship in the water, Shawn Reece screamed, “Daddy, daddy that’s an army ship!” I gave him a quick lesson about the Navy and we left it behind. However, if you are in the area civilians can tour the retired ship which is now part of a museum.
After nine long hours of driving we pulled into Orlando at 8:30pm eastern time. Somewhere during the drive we lost another hour due to the time zone change. Tomorrow we are going do some laundry in the morning, leaving us the afternoon to explore one of the Disney parks for a couple of hours. Hopefully this “sneak preview” will get us into the “Disney spirit” for the next 10 days. Arriving in Orlando early also allows us to settle (this is the first time we have really stopped since we left and I will unpack my backpack) in to our hotel where we will be staying for the next eight nights. My family arrives at the airport at 6:00am on Friday, so I probably should get to bed early tomorrow night.
In closing, I feel like I have to mention that Shawn Reece is so excited now. I have always tried to make Disneyland a magical experience for him (as it is for me) and both of us are starting to act rather giddy the closer we get to Disney World. I cannot believe that tomorrow will actually bring us our first taste of this enormous place. For this occasion, the most appropriate words that come to mind are… “When you wish upon a star…” I guess those magical words can be applied to this whole dream filled trip! The updates may be a little less frequent over the next ten days, as I am not sure whether or not I should write every day while we are at Disney World. It may become redundant, but who knows. It is all new to us! Talk to you soon.
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Hi Shawn, Jasmine and Shawn Reece, You have just experienced in the last few days what I experienced when I was 14 years old. In 1950 we drove down there from California in a 1936 Buick (floor shift). I can certainly relate to the mosquitos. For about 6 of the nine months my parents and I lived there in was a very small town off of Hwy 60 called Gautier, MS. Not to far from Ocean Springs (where I went to school) and Biloxi. I can also remember the alligators and water mocassins in the swamps and ponds on the property. My mother had to wear combat boots to hang up the clothes on the clothesline to give her the security that she wouldn’t get bit by a snake. Mary and I returned to the South in 1974-5 and we visited Disney World in Orlando before Epcot Center was built. They only had a model of it then and the park was still huge.
I have been following your trip and have thoroughly enjoyed your stories. It is my prayer that you will continue to enjoy your trip and be safe and secure the whole way. Mary and I will continue to follow it with great enthusiasm and interest. We love you all, Barry and Mary