So, Thursday ended in a rather different place than we’d expected.

We got up in Biloxi to yet more rain and some impressive thunder and lightning. It tapered off for awhile as we headed toward Louisiana. And then it poured. Jenna did an admirable job navigating it, even as other cars were pulling off the road to wait for the deluge to pass.

We successfully made it through the storm and rolled into Slidell, Louisiana, where we stopped at Janet’s Korner Thrift Store. It’s a cozy little spot stuffed to the gills with clothes and some household goods, and its proceeds help to fund the Community Christian Concern. The organization also has a food bank, and they do everything in their power to aid people in their community who need assistance.

After Slidell we headed on to New Orleans, where we were scheduled to stay at a KOA. We took the bridge over the impressively ginormous Lake Pontchatrain. The train tracks ran parallel to our bridge for awhile, and it was unnerving to think about how much water and little land those riding the rails would see on that leg of their trip. Particularly when I considered that just a few days later, I would be one of those people.

It was apparent as soon as we got into New Orleans that it had been raining there. A lot. Many of the side streets in the campground’s neighborhood were closed, impassable due to flooding. The campground itself was open, but half of the sites were knee-deep in water already. It was then that I developed a new Life Rule: Do not mess with a giant, 30-amp electrical plug in a flooded campground. I had already made a reservation at a hotel for Friday night — because it was much closer to the train station than the campground, and I thought it might be nice for Jenna to sleep in a real bed — so I called to see if they had availability for Thursday night, too. They did, so we drove over, checked in and nearly fell asleep the minute we walked into the room.

It was only 5 o’clock, though, so instead of napping Jenna worked for awhile and then we went to dinner.

It’s no secret that New Orleans has a ton of restaurants, and Jenna’s Facebook wall is proof that most everyone who’s been there has a recommendation for you. We are rebels, though. Rebels who were tired and wanted neither to climb back into HaRVey nor rent a cab. So we looked for something within walking distance.

I was delighted to find a John Besh restaurant about 3 blocks away. I first saw Besh on one of Food Network’s cooking competition shows — I think it was “The Next Iron Chef” — and I remember thinking that I’d happily eat most any dish he presented. I quickly checked out the reviews of “The American Sector to get an idea of the prices. Once we confirmed that they were “moderate,” we headed over. The restaurant is part of the National World War II museum, and the concept is “a sassy new spin on the most popular staples of American cuisine.” I had a knock-your-socks-off sloppy joe made with short ribs. Because who doesn’t go to New Orleans to eat sloppy joes? OK, maybe I’m the only one. But I shouldn’t be. I’ll definitely go to The American Sector again if I have the chance.

Jenna got a few thrift shop recommendations from our waiter, and then we headed back to the hotel. I was excited to learn (via Casey on Twitter) that it was the first night of the new episode of “Project Runway.” I love that silly show, and I won’t be able to watch this season because we had our satellite service suspended for the summer. But I was staying at a hotel! And they have televisions at hotels! Serendipity-doo-dah! I turned on the TV, tried to flip to what the hotel’s TV listings told me was the right channel, and found that the hotel’s TV listings lied to me. They did not, in fact, have that channel any longer. So I read a book instead.

Lessons learned on Day Six

Tiny thrift stores give me the claustrophobias.

John Besh knows his way around a sloppy joe.

Note: Internet issues demanded that I post two days after-the-fact when I started the All Thrifty States trip, so I kept to that schedule throughout. But I am home now, with any luck cuddling with my small people.

Judging by the state of its thrift store racks, the ladies of Pascagoula, Mississippi, are a snazzy group. There were more sequins per square foot in the Goodwill store there than you’re likely to see anywhere else other than Vanna White’s closet. Judging by the diversity of sizes, I don’t think they all came from one party-happy patron, either. It was impressive. The sheer amount of shiny and glitz nearly overpowered my steely, puritanical nature. I knew it was time to leave when I started seriously considering one particularly colorful sequined shawl.

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After Pascagoula we hit the Goodwill in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, which seemed to be brand new. They had neat little niches built into the store where they’d set up vignettes and sections, like a little art gallery and a media room. Their T-shirts were even grouped by color. It made for a pretty store, but it almost felt a little too sterile. Thrift stores are supposed to be at least a little chaotic.

As we’ve drifted further south, I’ve noticed that another animal has usurped the monkeys’ reign as Chief Beast. In their place? Chickens. They’re everywhere. I’ve seen at least two Beyonces (warning: foul language. also fowl language) and countless other poultry large and small. I have yet to be quick enough to snap pictures of those on the roadways, but I’m now making a special effort to photograph the ones in the stores.

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I’d never been to Mississippi before last week — although I’ve known how to spell it since my step-mother’s sister Pat taught me when I was 9 or so (em eye crooked letter, crooked letter eye; crooked letter, crooked letter eye; humpback, humpback eye). I’m pretty sure it’s my 29th state. We stopped at Biloxi’s Hurricane Katrina memorial on the way into town, and it was making me rather emotional right up until a guy on a bicycle rode over to try to get us to fork over some change.

We stayed the night in a rather sketchy-looking campground in the middle of Biloxi. You could see the Gulf from the laundry room, though. We spent a good part of the evening there reading Vogue, W and Redbook before coming back to HaRVey with clean clothes and an appetite. Jenna made dinner again, and then we commenced with the blogging.

Lessons learned on Day Five

Pascagoula is synonymous with party. (In my head, anyway.)

Mississippi’s coast is rather pretty.

Note: Internet issues demanded that I post two days after-the-fact when I started the All Thrifty States trip, so I kept to that schedule throughout. But I am home now, with any luck cuddling with my small people. Also: Jenna is still about a week away from the end of her trip, and her funds are quickly dwindling. If you have some spare dollars, please consider sending them her way via the donate button on her web site. Thanks!

First, an important note: Jenna has 1,700 miles and 8 nights left on her trip. Her funds are quickly dwindling. If you have a dollar or $5 or $500 to spare, she could use it. All Thrifty States is a very cool project, and Jenna is a great girl. Please click here to donate.

Now on with our show …

We spent Monday night at the home of Jenna’s friend Cecelia and her husband, Ryan. Before we all crashed, we ordered pizza and watched the “Breaking Bad” pilot. I’ve only been on the road with Jenna for a few days, and it was so nice to return to “normal” life. Jenna has been on the road for 30-plus days; I can’t imagine how welcome these little in-home oases are for her!

I woke up Tuesday to the rain gently falling against the window, with a soft light streaming through the trees. I pulled myself out of bed and got ready to face the day, only to snuggle back into our hosts’ couch to finish my book. I’ll take that every morning, please. After finishing “The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet” — which was weird but compelling, although I didn’t really find the end all that satisfying — I ate a few pieces of leftover cheese bread from Papa John’s and begged Jenna for some ibuprofen. Despite the day’s delightful beginnings, I’d woken up with a hoopendoodle of a headache.

The ibuprofen started to work its magic, and we headed out to visit the Goodwill store in Montgomery, Alabama. Goodwill is sponsoring Jenna’s trip, so she’s trying to visit as many of the shops as she can along her route. Like the Buckhead Goodwill, the Montgomery store was spacious, clean and well-organized. Many years ago I overheard a kid at a thrift store complaining to his mom that the shop smelled “like broccoli and old ladies.” Maybe Jenna just has a knack for choosing the best stores, but I’m thinking maybe thrift stores in general have cleaned up their act a bit. That is to say: I’ve been impressed at how tidy the stores we’ve visited have been.

The Montgomery Goodwill gets my vote for both Best T-Shirts and Most Wonderful Book Section so far this trip. They had a vast array of N’Sync t-shirts, as well as a host of goofy slogans such as “I (heart) hot moms” and I (cheeseburger) cows.” Their book section was actually its own room, which could have functioned as a small used book store. The lack of organization in there made me a little twitchy — the “Dune” books should all be together, for one, and I spied four copies of Robert James Waller’s “Puerto Vallarta Squeeze” and a variety of Paul Reiser tomes scatter wily-nily across the bookshelves — but they had an impressive selection. I bought a copy of Tom Wolfe’s “A Man in Full,” a circa-1964 cookbook from Brennan’s restaurant and a set of flip-through explorer cards for the kids.

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We started the drive to Mobile, Alabama, after Jenna finished a few interviews with the local media, and we made it about halfway there before HaRVey politely requested an oil change. His little dashboard notification system said, “Pardon me, miss, but I could use a spot of oil. Pip-pip, cheerio!” OK, well maybe it wasn’t that, verbatim, but it was along those lines. So we made a brief pitstop, then carried on our way.

The sky was ominously dark in the distance for the rest of the drive, but we forged ahead anyway, with a song in our hearts and Nutella-graham snacks in our hands. The skies were clear when we arrived at our campsite, and Jenna made us some Butternut Squash Ravioli for dinner. It was delicious, but it made me miss my Poppy something ferocious. The clear skies seemed to be giving way to more rain as I typed this, and there was enough thunder to make me a little nervous. Let’s hope it isn’t a night like the one Jenna experienced in Iowa!

Lessons learned on Day Four

Toasted almonds and garlic are a genius addition to butternut squash ravioli.

Getting the oil changed in an RV is expensive.