Heads up, Cotton!

[2Ports]

Excerpt from an email I recieved today from the West Side Citizens group:

 

"Saturday - 8 septermber 2007

10 a.m.

Memorial Hospital South Bldg Auditorium (same old place)

 

Representative of the Port will discuss port development plans (Yes, it could affect us)"

 

I can't go - I'll be out of town. I ordered :eek: several of my neighbors to grill the nice man :p about the cruise ship dock - word is it's in the recently adopted 10 year plan for the port. I'm sure you'd be welcome to attend if you're in the mood.

 

In any case, I'll report back to CC when I hear back from the folks who were there.

 

Maybe that's why there's been no announcement about the fate of the Holiday yet... :cool:

[LHP]

Excerpt from an email I recieved today from the West Side Citizens group:

 

"Saturday - 8 septermber 2007

10 a.m.

Memorial Hospital South Bldg Auditorium (same old place)

 

Representative of the Port will discuss port development plans (Yes, it could affect us)"

 

I can't go - I'll be out of town. I ordered :eek: several of my neighbors to grill the nice man :p about the cruise ship dock - word is it's in the recently adopted 10 year plan for the port. I'm sure you'd be welcome to attend if you're in the mood.

 

In any case, I'll report back to CC when I hear back from the folks who were there.

 

Maybe that's why there's been no announcement about the fate of the Holiday yet... :cool:

 

On man.....if they put the Holiday in Cotton's backyard....that would constitute unusual financial hardship!! Being an hour away was bad enough.

[Cotton]

Awww, I'll be spending the wknd with my DD in the Quarter. Otherwise, I'd just jump right in on that meeting.

 

LHP - Yeah, wouldn't that be a pity? Since I've had to move to Biloxi, I'd have to drive 15 whole minutes!:D

[2Ports]

Awww, I'll be spending the wknd with my DD in the Quarter.

 

I'll post whatever I hear.

 

**LHP: The Waffle house at the end of my block is back & open - stop in and say Howdy next time you're in town.

[selucrey]

Awww, I'll be spending the wknd with my DD in the Quarter. Otherwise, I'd just jump right in on that meeting.

 

LHP - Yeah, wouldn't that be a pity? Since I've had to move to Biloxi, I'd have to drive 15 whole minutes!:D

 

Say Hi to our favorite server Sue at the Gumbo Shop from her Houma friends. Sue is from Biloxi and drives back and forth every day.

[LHP]

I'll post whatever I hear.

 

**LHP: The Waffle house at the end of my block is back & open - stop in and say Howdy next time you're in town.

 

Will do. We were just there last month. We spent the night with friends (who are still waiting for their house to be finished) in Biloxi. They live in Gulfport (Bayou View~ the canal got them). We stayed with them before heading out on the Fantasy. We had a great cruise.

 

We will be staying with them again in December. Hopefully they will be in their house by then. (if my friend will stop changing her mind every 15 minutes~~ I know she is driving the contractors crazy!)

 

We are sailing on the (what else) the Holiday on December 8th.

[2Ports]

(Bayou View~ the canal got them).

 

I've got a cousin in Bayou view - she had water up to the edge of her roof. I think she's back in her house now.

 

We are sailing on the (what else) the Holiday on December 8th.

 

Rats - I'm taking off right after Thanksgiving until January 6 when we get on the Valor for our (first) B2B.

[LHP]

Rats - I'm taking off right after Thanksgiving until January 6 when we get on the Valor for our (first) B2B.

 

 

Oh well...another time. Have a wonderful cruise and enjoy that time off!!

[sandy toes]

Just a quick (out of place, kind of) note...Biloxi has some of the nicest folks. Went there post flooding with Disaster Team. Have been many places over the years but those people are right up at the top when I think back over the areas we have assisted. Manners (they had some wonderful Mommas!), general kindness and such a willingness to help others when they had nothing themselves. Just wanted to let you know how someone outside of your city views you and your neighbors. Biloxi you are good people

[Cruiser from MS]

Sandy Toes, I just have to say a Big Thank you for your remarks. I live in North Mississippi and have been to the Mississippi Gulf Coast several times since that horrible storm. Unfortunately, it seems all of the attention goes to New Orleans, I know they suffered also and I also feel for them. But it was so nice to read your remarks about our wonderful people on the Ms Gulf Coast. THANKS :) :) :)

[2Ports]

Oh well...another time.

 

Y'know, if y'all need a place to stay pre and/or post cruise, you're welcome to stay at my place - just off the beach, up from the Waffle House. Let me know, I'll leave the keys with my neighbor.

 

Cotton: That offer is still open for you if you want to stay there - empty again end of January or possibly February.

[Cotton]

:) Thx, but I'm all cozy in my new tiny house my son built for me next to his house on Back Bay.

 

Sandy - what you said means a LOT. Thank you. You've not been on the boards that long, so you don't know that my 160-yr. old home on the beach in Gulfport was leveled by Katrina...along w/those of my friends and neighbors. We all own empty lots now, as well as my BIL in Waveland.

 

We all appreciate the help that came from so many from faraway!:)

[LHP]

oopps...

[LHP]

Y'know, if y'all need a place to stay pre and/or post cruise, you're welcome to stay at my place - just off the beach, up from the Waffle House. Let me know, I'll leave the keys with my neighbor.

 

Cotton: That offer is still open for you if you want to stay there - empty again end of January or possibly February.

 

Thanks...that is so sweet of you to offer. But we use these visits as "catch up time". We have all been friends for over 20 years...in fact, she is my best friend (and introduced me to my husband).

 

We drove along the coast again last month and it still breaks my heart. It is harder for my husband. I only lived there 10 years...his family had been there for 50 years. We were so blessed that his elderly parents had just sold the "family home" about a year before Katrina and moved closer to my BIL (due to their age) in Madison. They would have definately stayed (since they stayed through Camille in the same house). Their home faired pretty well, but I just don't know what the overall stress would have done to them.

 

BTW< we would LOVE to see a Cruise Port in Gulfport. I can just picture the downtown area all fixed up like a little cruise town. It is really a diamond in the rough just waiting for someone to polish it!!

[bstman]

I was just reading through this thread and wanted to say that I am so glad to hear ya'll are getting back to some what normal lives again. I am so sorry for all your losses!

 

Cotton-I hate to hear that about your home but glad you are able to move on.

 

LHP-we are neighbors!!! I live in the Dyersburg area. I acutally work in Ripley. Come to Memphis shopping before every cruise! Small world.

 

Good luck to all of you!:D

[LHP]

I was just reading through this thread and wanted to say that I am so glad to hear ya'll are getting back to some what normal lives again. I am so sorry for all your losses!

 

Cotton-I hate to hear that about your home but glad you are able to move on.

 

LHP-we are neighbors!!! I live in the Dyersburg area. I acutally work in Ripley. Come to Memphis shopping before every cruise! Small world.

 

Good luck to all of you!:D

 

Well howdy neighbor. We live in Collierville and my husband does not let me go shopping before every cruise....so I shop all the other day of the week!!!

 

Actually I just hit two wonderful outlet malls in Sevierville, Tn (outside of Pigeon Forge) and Lebanon, Tn (outside of Nashville) that had some great stores. Polo, Coldcreek, Nautica, Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hillfiger ..... I was in heaven!!!!

[bstman]

LHP-I love those 2 places!! We go to Gatlinburg about once a year and shop at the outlet malls while we are there. My hubby loves that-LOL!! My sister lived in Nashville and we always would Christmas shop in Lebanon. You can find some great deals there. But my favorite of all is Macys at Oak Court-that is HEAVEN!!!

[2Ports]

I was just reading through this thread and wanted to say that I am so glad to hear ya'll are getting back to some what normal lives again.

 

Of course, the assumption here is that we had "normal" lives to begin with... :eek:

[LHP]

Of course, the assumption here is that we had "normal" lives to begin with... :eek:

 

 

Ain't that the truth....they don't know the coast...do they???? :eek:

[Cotton]

Cotton-I hate to hear that about your home but glad you are able to move on.

 

 

Thx, I appreciate your thoughts.

[firefly333]

Hi, Cotton, not sure you are still reading this thread, but hoping for your thoughts on Biloxi. It was always a favorite place in my heart to go to, but I have not been back since the hurricane. My parents used to live a block off the main street along the ocean, in back of one of the houses back before I was born and always talked about Biloxi, so I had to go and visit again.

 

I have a hotel in the area in a couple of weeks and wondering what to expect. I read a hotel review that said the only thing that has come back is the gambling business. That the old houses sitting along the ocean road are gone and FEMA trailers sit on the ends of driveways. Is it really that bad now? The person said they wouldnt go back again after visiting. I noticed that many hotel listings still show as unavailable that I clicked on, they must not have rebuilt?

 

I was also surprised at how expensive the hotels were compared to Florida. Cheapest for Oct 1st showing was $60 and up up up. There used to be so many hotels it was a cheaper place to stay not more expensive.

 

Of course it was very long ago my parents lived there. And longer still before I was in Florida where I would drive to Biloxi and friends of mine used to go visit for the weekend. Its such a lovely area.

[2Ports]

I have a hotel in the area in a couple of weeks and wondering what to expect.

 

Keep your expectations low.

 

I read a hotel review that said the only thing that has come back is the gambling business.

 

That and the Waffle Houses. (ok, a few things are back, like Mary Mahoney's)

 

That the old houses sitting along the ocean road are gone and FEMA trailers sit on the ends of driveways. Is it really that bad now?

 

It's worse. Everything that made "The Coast" "The Coast" is pretty much gone. Not damaged. Gone. At least the lighthouse survived.

 

The person said they wouldnt go back again after visiting.

 

Understandable - unfortunate, but understandable for a first timer. If you didn't know the area before, you'd have to wonder what the attraction was. 'Course, it was kinda like that after Camille, too...

 

I noticed that many hotel listings still show as unavailable that I clicked on, they must not have rebuilt?

 

Rebuilt? There are still areas, especially down to Long Beach and the Pass that look exactly the same as they did Sept. 8th, 2005.

 

I was also surprised at how expensive the hotels were compared to Florida. Cheapest for Oct 1st showing was $60 and up up up. There used to be so many hotels it was a cheaper place to stay not more expensive.

 

Exactly - there used to be so many hotels.

 

Of course it was very long ago my parents lived there. And longer still before I was in Florida where I would drive to Biloxi and friends of mine used to go visit for the weekend. Its such a lovely area.

 

The area is still lovely, or could be again. :( There's just such a long way to go, and no help or support from the gov't. :mad:

[firefly333]

Thanks. The person who wrote the review was not a first timer, thats why he said it made him so sad that he didnt want to go back for a while. He HAD seen it before.

 

Maybe hotel prices have just gone up but I was surprised what Im having to pay. I did the priceline thing for a few weeks off and on and couldnt even save $5 off the going prices from booking directly. I check hotwire and same results, no price decrease from booking direct and they add about $7 to the "fees and taxes" so its actually more. I finally booked directly. It could be I just waited to book too late.

 

One of the hotels front desks told me that its Coastal Cruising week the first week in October and walk in rates will be over $100. Dont know if he was telling me the truth. I finally booked a Best Western that got rave reviews and booked a Super 8 for the trip home when we stop back thru.

 

Im thinking about taking the ocean road going thru the area (Im driving in from Dallas) and seeing if they have signs outside the casinos for dinner deals in one of the casinos. Ill check the signs as we drive along and then go check into the hotel. Just playing everything by ear.

[Cruiser from MS]

Well it's really a small world. I live in North Mississippi and work in Collierville. I love to shop at the new Collierville mall. I have really done some damage for my cruise coming up.

 

Cotton, I know how bad it is where you are but I really am glad to hear you everything is getting better there. I love the Ms Gulf Coast, but I have to admit my favoriate is Gulf Shores, Al. I go through Gulf Port and Boloxi severak times and I want to cry everytime I saw all of the damage that was still there and all of those beautiful homes gone. Were you on the Conquest in January after Katrina? We met several people from there when we were on our 1st cruise.

[Jabee]

Excerpt from an email I recieved today from the West Side Citizens group:

 

"Saturday - 8 septermber 2007

10 a.m.

Memorial Hospital South Bldg Auditorium (same old place)

 

Representative of the Port will discuss port development plans (Yes, it could affect us)"

 

I can't go - I'll be out of town. I ordered :eek: several of my neighbors to grill the nice man :p about the cruise ship dock - word is it's in the recently adopted 10 year plan for the port. I'm sure you'd be welcome to attend if you're in the mood.

 

In any case, I'll report back to CC when I hear back from the folks who were there.

 

So...it has been four days now...

what did you learn???

 

Oh..have they rebuilt the Westside public pier that was across from the park in Guflport?

 

When I was a kid, we stayed at Moodys for two weeks every summer and fished from that pier every year.