Texas, Louisianna, Mississippi

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Well it has been a while on the 'ol blog-a-roo so here is an update. We actually left Sandpipers Resort in McAllen, TX on Friday February 13th. We got to San Antonio the first day since we played 3 sets of tennis before leaving. On Saturday, we went on over to Live Oak for one night. It is a beautiful park but no tennis courts. There is a sand volleyball court but no players around. It was Valentine's Day and also not very warm so we figure that made for the light turnout. Well that made it time to head for Livingston Texas which is my legal residence along with 102, 800 other rv-ers. The Escapees RV Club is based there. It is a great organization and it provides both a residence and mail forwarding for all members. The mail center is pretty phenomenal as you might guess with that many people to accomodate. Okay then, from there we went to Gibsland and Arcadia Louisianna. Why you may ask? Well that is where on May 23rd 1934 Bonnie and Clyde were all shot to bits and pieces in an ambush. I have included some pictures. I had to take them myself because Marilyn was laying in the RV all sickly and pretty much worthless. 6 deputees hid in the brush and trees on the east side of the road and waited for them to drive by which an informant had tipped them off about. That happened because his son was part of the Barrow gang and he got his son some specail treatment as part of the deal to tell the police where to find them and when. The plan worked and without warning, all 6 officers opened up on the pair with automatice weapons. 12 seconds worth and about 120 rounds were fired. Then the car was towed into Arcadia with the bodies still in it and all the towns people looking in as it went by. They were taken to a combination furniture store and morgue for the autopsy. Again the on lookers were stealing souveniers and one of them even tried to cut off Clyde's ear. After I went to that sight, I went into town to the Ambush Museum but he was closed due to doctors appointments. The guy that runs it is Boots Hinton. His father was Ted Hinton who was one of the officers doing the shooting. Apparently that incident changed him for the rest of his days and may have even caused some drinking problems. There seems to be a rather large following around here and even the whole country. They have re-enactments every year here on that date by professional actors from Dallas. One couple even got married at the sight and a year later showed up again with a baby daughter named....yep...Bonnie. It is all a bit much as far as I'm concerned but so be it. There are Star Trek groupies and Titanic groupies so why not Bonnie and Clyde groupies. We even stayed at the Bonnie and Clyde RV Park. There are a couple pictures of that too. Anyway, with the museum closed up (bastard), we headed for Vicksburg Mississippi and the Civil War National Military Park. That is where we are now and we will tour the park and the town tomorrow. The drive across northern Louisianna is beautiful. It is rolling and green with a lot of trees. Tomorrow I will have an entry for the battlefield here at Vicksburg.

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Photos

Bonnie and Clyde RV Park
Real nice guy named Ray runs it. He has two dogs that run around here named Bonnie and Clyde.

Our site
Very basic but had hookups.

Pond
View out the windshield.

Gibsland
Here is the Ambush Museum that was closed that day.

Marker
Historical marker with me taking my own picture.

East side
This is the east side of the road where all the police were hiding. 2 hours getting all chewed up by mosquitos.

East side of the road
Cops were back there behind me.

Another view
...and my truck. It was cool and a bit rainy today.

Marker
Close up view. The Historical Society has trouble with it. People shoot at it and write graffiti on it too.

Comments

[Marge & Bill]

Greetings
Hi Jeff and Marilyn, Wow, the things one learns while driving arcross our great nation. Thanks for the comedy comentary and the exciting photos! All kidding aside, we are happy to hear from you. It sounds like you are enjoying your journey (except for Marilyn getting sick. Hope that didn't last long). Same ol' same ol' around here. Work and school. I did get away for three days snow shoeing in Yosemite (Feb 6-8). I went with 12 geography students and the Professor, Debra. Debra is my back packing buddy. We had fresh snow and the stormy weather held off during our trip. Needless to say, Bill did not go (he's allergic to snow and most activies done out side in the cold). Back to my studies now. Best wishes Marge and Bill