BILOXI MISSISSIPPI & DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FLORIDA

WE ARRIVED AT MARTIN LAKE RV RESORT, JUST OUTSIDE OF BILOXI,  ANOTHER PASSPORT AMERICA PARK.

WE HAD A LARGE PULL THRU SITE, WITH A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THIS LITTLE LAKE.

AFTER WE GOT SET UP, DARRELL CALLED THE DODGE DEALER AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE TRUCK SERVICED  THE NEXT DAY. DARRELL WAS  IN DIRE NEED OF A HAIRCUT, SO WE TOOK OFF THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND A BARBER. WE FOUND A LADY BARBER....SHE DID A GREAT JOB!

ALSO DID SOME SHOPPING AT WALMART AND WINN DIXIE, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SOME NICE LOOKING, REASONABLY PRICED  MEAT AT WINN DIXIE.
THE NEXT MORNING WE TOOK OFF FOR DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FLORIDA, WHERE I WAS BORN, I WAS EXCITED!

I WAS FINALLY  BACK IN FLORIDA AFTER 54 YEARS!

WE MADE THE TURN OFF INTERSTATE  10 FOR DEFUNIAK, 54 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NO INTERSTATE 10.

WE WERE STAYING AT SUNSET KING LAKE RV RESORT, JUST OUTSIDE OF DEFUNIAK.

THIS WAS ALSO A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK. WE HAD A VERY NICE LARGE LOT.

AFTER WE GOT SET UP, WE HEADED FOR DEFUNIAK, I COULDN'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE.  I PUT 104 TOLEDO AVENUE IN MRS. GARMIN. DRIVING IN TO DEFUNIAK I HARDLY  RECOGNIZED  ANYTHING. WE FOUND THE COKE PLANT........IT WAS STILL THERE!! THAT WOULD BE MY STARTING POINT IN FINDING ANYTHING.

AND THE BALL FIELD............

WE DROVE BY MY HOUSE, EXCEPT THE ADDRESS  WAS NOT 104, IT WAS 41, SO I WASN'T SURE IT WAS MY HOUSE.

MY MEMORY WAS AS FUZZY AS THIS PICTURE!

THEN WE DROVE TO BALDWIN AVENUE, WHICH IS THE MAIN STREET OF DEFUNIAK.  MY DAD'S TAXI BUSINESS WAS ON THIS STREET, I FOUND IT,  AND THE MOVIE THEATRE, JUST A FEW DOORS DOWN.

THIS WAS THE MOVIE THEATRE, WHERE AS A KID I SPENT A LOT OF MY TIME. THEY HAVE RESTORED IT AND STILL USE IT. I LOOKED IN THE WINDOWS, AND I REMEMBERED.  I WALKED AROUND THE BLOCK,  EVERYTHING  WAS SMALLER THAN I REMEMBERED.  I USED TO WALK TO TOWN PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY AS A KID, AND THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A LONG WAYS FROM HOME TO TOWN.  IT'S NOT, IT'S VERY CLOSE.  I STARTED REALIZING THAT  54 YEARS IS A LONG TIME!!

I REMEMBERED  THIS CLOCK.

THE CREATIVE SALON BUILDING IN THIS PICTURE  WAS THE DRUG STORE AND THE BRICK BUILDING WAS THE BANK. DEFUNIAK HAD DEFINITELY CHANGED.......FOR THE BETTER IT SEEMED.  DEFUNIAK WAS NOW  "HISTORIC DEFUNIAK."

 IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL FOR ME.......

THERE WAS A LITTLE JOG IN THE STREET HERE....AND I REMEMBERED THIS LITTLE GATHERING PLACE.

WE DROVE BY LAKE DEFUNIAK AND OUT TO MY SCHOOL....TO MY HORROR ...THERE WAS JUST A BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT COMING HERE.....BUT I WAS ON AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER....AND I HAD  SEEN ALL I COULD HANDLE FOR ONE DAY.