Insatiably Curious, Incurably Restless
Welcome to the travel blog of Curious Craig. A lighted hearted look at the people and places that make America great.
Paddle Wheel steamers are a part of the Mississippi Rivers’ history, from the plantation era, to the Civil War, through the gay nineties and into the 21st Century. From utilitarian uses to entertainment, the paddler was developed during a time which it could navigate the Mississippi’s shallow waters as well as upriver against strong currents. The paddle wheeler is engrained into the lore of the river. […]
‘The catfish is plenty good enough fish for anyone‘ – Mark Twain –
It is said that the face of Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships. In that vein, the whiskered face of the catfish launched my quest to track down Supergraphics. While participating in the RAIN bicycle ride in Indiana, I’m contemplating a sabbatical of travel. Unsure of what my goal or 
destination might be, I see a U-Haul trailer with catfish emblazoned on the side. It announces Belzoni as the Catfish Capital of the World. That was it, I have to see what this venue is all about. Luckily my visit coincides with the annual Catfish Festival.
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Americans love their rockets and proudly display them, as is evident when approaching the US Space center. Rocket Park, sporting a 200′ Saturn 1 and other rockets is visible on the horizon well before reaching the center. […]
As usual, I’m the first to arrive at Hudson Marina at Skull Harbor for a Gulf Shores deep sea fishing charter. Once the Captain arrives, he introduces his crew for the day including Jason who is as an off duty 1st mate just out for a day of fishing. […]
I arrive at the Jack Edwards National Airport for a Gulf Shores Helicopter Tour and feel immediately at home. There is something about walking around the tarmac that is just familiar. I started my own flight training when I was 15 only to quit when I got my driver’s license. With regret, I didn’t stick with it as aviation might have been the fulfilling career I always sought. Although I did finally obtain my private pilots’ license some 25 years later, for any number of reasons I didn’t stick with it. Might I digress?
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I am to meet James, a pilot from Lost Bay Helicopter, for a tour of Alabama’s Gulf Coast. I promise myself I’m not going to throw out the superfluous “I’m a pilot too”. Knowing I’ll only embarrass myself by trying to make a comparison to someone who has made flying their lives work. We weren’t even off the ground before I blurted out my meager flying accomplishments. As to be expected, James didn’t seem particularly impressed but it did make for some lively cockpit conversations. Oh the joy of discussing altimeter settings, flight control systems, traffic patterns, and a little banner plane turf war banter thrown in.
Our tour begins by heading east at 300 feet above Gulf Shores along the coast toward Orange beach. We cross over the Gulf State Park pier and Perdido Key. With Pensacola on the horizon, we turn north at the infamous Flora-Bama bar. James recounts a story of the annual mullet toss that takes place there. The visions of participants flinging a dead fish across the Florida and Alabama state line places this event way up on my ever-growing bucket list.
After the turnaround, we fly over, Ono Island, Bayou St John, and Caswell. Our final approach toward runway 27, places us over Bay La Launch and Portage creek. The flight while just over 15 minutes, provided a great view, great conversation and reason to get back this way in April for some much-anticipated fish flingin.
When traveling through our country, I am often amazed if not amused at the collections of war “junk” that we decide to place on our city squares and courthouse lawns. I wonder if the howitzers on display are a show of Government might so we don’t go off on the unsuspecting DMV worker. For some reason, an M16 tank with the barrel pointing down Main street is just a little too much, in your face, largess for my taste. […]