Our Weekend On the Gulf Coast

Mechanical issues may be the cause, but air and ground congestion also contribute to frustrating flight delays.

We traveled to Mississippi again recently to visit with our dear friends who moved from Florida to Diamondhead sometime after we left for Raleigh. On this occasion, we were going to rendezvous with another couple from Florida at the new terminal complex of the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans and pick up a rental car together to make the one hour drive east from Louisiana. The plan was made and the details were all arranged. We made our reservations for Thursday, March 24 in Comfort Plus on Delta to arrive at the airport in New Orleans about 12:45 in the afternoon and then have lunch at the Delta Sky Club before meeting our friends who were due in at 2:50 on a Southwest flight from Tampa. However, when we arrived at the Raleigh-Durham Airport about 8 o’clock for the 9:52 AM departure, we received text messages from Delta informing us that our outbound flight to Atlanta was delayed by one and a half hours, which would cause us to miss our original connection to New Orleans.

Delta Sky Club agents, like those at other airline lounges, will do their best to assist you when your flight is delayed..

The airline had automatically rebooked us on a later flight which was to arrive at 3:59 PM. Hoping to secure seats on some different flights that would have put us on the ground in New Orleans closer to the 3:00 PM arrival time of our friends, we enlisted the aid of Chamé, an agent at the Sky Club in Raleigh, who valiantly tried to rebook us through Washington National, Charlotte, Chicago, and New York, only to discover that in each case, we would arrive in New Orleans much later than 4:00 PM so we decided to keep the revised reservations. Unfortunately, we could not secure advance seat assignments as it was so close to flight time and were told that they would be assigned by the gate agent in Atlanta. We thanked Chamé profusely for her kind efforts on our behalf and settled in to wait for our 11:22 AM departure to Atlanta. It was a long wait but we caught up with our friends to advise them of our delay and found a quiet corner in which to get some work done while taking advantage of the breakfast buffet available to Sky Club guests.

Despite our outbound difficulties, we appreciated the open spaces and natural light in the new terminal at MSY.

In the gate area, we learned from our Captain that the delay resulted from a mechanical issue which caused the airline to switch equipment, although we were still flying aboard a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. While American Airlines has retired the type first introduced in 1983, both Delta and United Airlines continue to fly these planes and they are getting rather long in the tooth. We opted for Comfort Plus on this trip to take advantage of the little bit of extra legroom offered in the rows behind the First Class cabin and to avail ourselves of the promised beverage service. Unfortunately, on the way to Atlanta on this particular flight, we could see the First Class customers enjoying their drinks and snacks but, never once saw our flight attendant until it was time to land and she checked to ensure our seat belts were fastened. To make matters worse, the inflight entertainment system was inoperative on the entire right side of the plane! (And this was a replacement aircraft, too.) These were disappointments and Delta can do better. We stopped by the Sky Club nearest Atlanta’s Gate A17, which was very crowded but featured a variety of food, beverage and desert options which satisfied our hunger. Although we were in the upgrade queue thanks to Chamé from Raleigh, those never materialized. The Atlanta gate agent assigned us to Row 36 in the very back of the aircraft, which meant it was a good twelve minutes after landing in New Orleans until we were able to make our way to the exit! So much for a seamless outbound journey.

Beauvoir presents a rich history of Jefferson Davis and sits on a stunning 52-acre expanse facing the Gulf Coast.

We eventually met up with our Florida friends who had picked up the rental car on their arrival and, after dodging some rush hour traffic, the four of us arrived safely in Diamondhead in about an hour. Soon after settling into our friends‘ beautiful new home, the three couples spent an enjoyable evening catching up and reminiscing about past adventures over good food and wine. It was a wonderful way to end a very long day. On Friday morning, the boys decided to travel the thirty-six miles into Biloxi and visit Beauvoir, the historic home where Confederate President Jefferson Davis spent his later years. On arrival, I was very surprised to see signage referring to the site as ‘The Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Museum.” Readers of this post will know the only official US Presidential Libraries are those administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and this is not under their auspices. While Beauvoir is a Mississippi Historic Landmark as well as a National Historic Landmark, it is owned and operated by the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., a non profit organization.

A photo from Beauvoir's rear parlor into the front parlor taken after restoration work was completed in early 2010.

We were given a tour by the archivist on staff and learned this was the post Civil War home of Davis, the first and only President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Completed in 1852, it was the property where he wrote his memoir titled The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, published in 1881. Beauvoir is a Louisiana raised summer cottage-style residence. Containing nine rooms and a long reception hall, it was built on sixty-two, eight-foot-tall brick piers. This elevated the house so that sea breezes could pass under, around, and through it thereby keeping it cool during those days before air conditioning. In doing so, the builders inadvertently saved the house from storm surges they did not foresee. When Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi's coastal areas in 2005, the storm severely damaged Beauvoir. The hurricane completely ripped the front porch off, taking part of the slate roof with it, and knocked down several support columns. Windows were blown out, and water flooded the interior. Furniture and pictures dating to the 1800s were waterlogged. Restorers from Delaware’s Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library voluntarily restored the furniture and paintings. A paint historian surveyed the interior of the home after Katrina to ensure the restoration efforts were historically accurate. The project was completed in 2010 but unfortunately, in the ensuing twelve years, the home and outbuildings have been sorely neglected. We noticed chipping paint in so many areas and rampant mold on the exterior of many outbuildings which was so disappointing.

The Oak Room at The Club at Diamondhead offered fine dining to enjoy in an upscale yet relaxed atmosphere.

On the way home, we stopped for lunch at Bacchus on the Beach in Pass Christian. Here, we shared some jalapeño poppers, charbroiled oysters, firecracker shrimp and enjoyed a few beers. That only served to set the stage for our group dinner that evening in the Oak Room of The Club at Diamondhead. Initially developed as a Gulf Coast retirement community, Diamondhead has evolved into the area’s premier residential community featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses, 10 hydra-clay tennis courts, swimming pools, playgrounds, ballparks, a marina, walking paths and even an airstrip! The Oak Room offered an upscale dining experience with nightly specials and a very nice selection of wines. Our server Theresa took excellent care of us. My Ahi Tuna starter was great and I followed that up with the Steak au Poivre special, which was served with Baked Potato and Broccolini. We closed the evening dancing to the five-piece band performing in the Latitude 30 Grill, which offers an à la carte menu selection for dining inside or outside on the patio.

Lovely views of the Long Beach Harbor can be found along the window walls of Parrish's Restaurant & Lounge.

Saturday found the boys making the short trip over to the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis. This complex offers around-the-clock Las Vegas style gaming action, featuring slots, table games, live entertainment and championship golf. One of my buddies managed to walk away with $200 in his pocket after a stint at one of the blackjack tables. Not a bad way to end a leisurely Gulf Coast afternoon! We went out for dinner again that evening. This time, to Parrish's Restaurant & Lounge in nearby Long Beach Harbor. With some of the best views on the Mississippi Coast, Parrish’s buys from local vendors whenever possible and delivers fresh ingredients prepared by Executive Chef Jean-Paul Levelle, a Canadian native who has been in the industry for over thirty years. His culinary expertise was evident in the Crab Cakes I had as an appetizer and the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops that were selected for my main course. Stopping off at a local bakery on the drive home, we were well fortified for our dessert.

Sunday came and went relaxing at our friends’ home and our visit was capped off with a delicious evening meal of barbecued spare ribs. We said our good byes the following morning as we departed Mississippi to return our rental car at the New Orleans International Airport. CLEAR lanes for fast identity verification were available as well as TSA Pre Check, so making our way through security was effortless. I was disappointed with the new Delta Sky Club located at the top of the C Concourse near Gate 1. It was a small and confining space with a very limited food selection and rather loud jazz music blaring from the overhead speakers. So, we had a small snack and chose to spend the balance of our time at the departure gate waiting for our flight to Atlanta. We had no issues with timing and enjoyed sitting in Comfort Plus on both legs, arriving back at the Raleigh Durham Airport shortly after 7:00 PM with fond memories of an outstanding weekend with our good friends.

Until next time…safe travels.