Last Autumn, I drove along U.S. Highway 90 and 98 along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Apalachicola (Florida), and then the highways inland down to Sarasota, because there was no coast road. Hurricane Katrina hit that route in August, 2005; but the damage was evident 11 years later - especially in Biloxi, Mississippi. For much of the Mississippi portion of my trip, the north side U.S. 90 was lined with huge, beautiful, old houses. The south side of the highway was a white sand beach, and then the Gulf went on to the horizon. The place was a wonderland for birds, especially pelicans and gulls, and the fishing industry is still busy. Biloxi and Pascagoula have moved lighthouses from vulnerable locations to spots alongside the highway, making U.S. 90 even prettier. The Jefferson Davis home is on U.S. 90 in Biloxi, a beautiful (if controversial) place to visit. I just loved the three days I spent on that drive, and wish I could have spent a week there. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. So yeah, I can see why people want to live in a place like that, even with hurricanes - and they have lived there since the first half of the 19th century.

-Joe-