rollin' on the river

I love staying at a Bed & Breakfast. Which is why I'm so happy that we get to spend  tonight at the Devereaux Shields Bed and Breakfast in Natchez, Mississippi. We arrived at about 5:30 p.m. which is the earliest we've ever checked into our lodging. As a result, I still have some energy and will type up this post tonight.


So let me back up to earlier today. We left the hotel in Shreveport and took the bridge across the Red River into Bossier City to The Boardwalk. Basically, it is a outdoor mall similar to Downtown Disney or the Otay Ranch mall (for those who live in San Diego). There are a bunch of casinos  and restaurants that line the waterfront which is the main reason folks head over to The Boardwalk. There's a trolley that runs through the shops, but it wasn't operating at the time we were there.


We played a round of miniature golf in a large room lit with black lights only. It was kind of like Cosmic Bowling, but with glow in the dark golf balls and neon colors on the floor, walls, and  structures. Joe won, but Zach is disputing the win. He thinks I didn't add correctly. We've already thrown away the scorecard, so we can't check. I guess it will always remain an unsolved mystery.


After golf, we walked over to a huge sporting goods store. It reminded me of a Cabela's where the outdoorsman (hunting & fishing) could get just about anything he needed. When you walk in the door, there's a big sign that instructs those who enter to check in their firearm or bow at the Courtesy Desk! I am such a Southern Californian. I found the whole thing quite amusing. 


Outside by the exit of the store were the alligators. I counted two. They looked like they were sleeping and keeping cool fully submerged underwater. The entire exhibit was a teaser to get you to go to Alligator Park about an hour away. We drove right past it, figuring we'll have other opportunities to see alligators up close and personal.


Before too long we were crossing the mighty Mississippi River into Natchez. One thing I've enjoyed recently on this trip is the number of rivers we've crossed or seen. Rivers were the lifeblood of people and businesses and you can see how different towns and cities rose to importance because of these waterways.

As we drove through town, it was great fun seeing all of the old homes. Natchez is the oldest city along the Mississippi, and it's chock full of historic homes and plantations. Our B & B home is in the middle of downtown on a street with many other beautiful Victorian homes. Our hosts are very accommodating and we are the only ones in the house tonight. We have a two bedroom suite on the second floor and the whole experience is just lovely. David made the comment that the furnishings remind him of the Titanic. However, he was quick to add, that he wasn't thinking our vacation would end in the same way!


 If you would like to see more of our rooms (The Rose Suite) you can view a virtual tour on this page. There is also a link to the second room at the bottom. The Rose Suite

We had dinner at the Magnolia Grill which was right on the river front. The food was pretty tasty, our waitress was hospitable, and the view was impressive. The boys and I had a great conversation over dinner about the second book in the Hunger Game series, Catching Fire (we started it today). We talked about the characters and made predictions on the plot. And Joe, shared his (and others') opinions on casting for the movies that are scheduled for filming in the coming year(s). That's what happens when you have a film guy around. It's almost like having an Entertainment Tonight reporter at the table giving you the latest scoop. 



Tomorrow we hope to do a walking tour of the downtown historic homes and then take a tour of at least one plantation. But for now it's time for a relaxing evening and a quiet night of rest.