Author: admin

            For my birthday this year, I wanted to visit the WW2 Museum in New Orleans. There are several WW2 museums across the country, but this one, for my first time, was magnificent. The museum consists of seven buildings all connected by skywalks and sits not that far from the French Quarter. I was not sure how long it would take us to see the entire museum, so we arrived when they opened. Our world today is quite different from then, but walking into this capsule made you feel like we had stepped back into time. One thing I want to mention is that all the volunteers that were there were children of WW2 veterans.

Not everyone who reads this will care about WW2, but for Wesley and myself, it holds more than just a piece of history. Wesley’s grandfather and my father were both part of the war effort. My father, though he was fourteen when he enlisted, asked if he could use a friend’s birth certificate that put his age at 18 to join the war. Once the army found out that my dad was only fourteen, they did not send him home but gave him a job as an ambulance driver. Growing up, my father always had a book on his nightstand or there were many documentaries in the movie library about WW2. He really enjoyed history and especially WW2 history.

As I mentioned there are seven buildings. The entrance is a train taking the recruit to boot camp. It took you through the entire war and included minorities, women, and the concentration camps. The museum also showcased how war shaped the world and highlighted advances made since the end of World War II. Politics, science, education, entertainment, machinery, the list went on and on.  One exhibit I want to mention is the wall of military dog tags. They covered an entire wall. It was eerily quiet in the hallway where they hung but incredibly beautiful at the same time.

Within the seven buildings there were three gift shops and two restaurants. Numerous short films were also presented.  My blog does not do this historic dedication justice. You need to see it to appreciate it.  

Peace and Love,

Sara & Wes

It’s that time of year again—when we actually get to see each other a little more! Our family may be getting smaller (it happens), but that just makes the moments we share even more special.

This year’s Thanksgiving adventure took us to New Orleans to visit my cousins who live there. We decided to try out a restaurant called Vessel NOLA, and it turned out to be quite the experience. The holiday menu only offered two dinner choices, but honestly, the real treat was being together—plus, their cocktails were incredible! I’m already plotting a return trip just to sample their regular menu.

Now here’s where it gets really fun: Vessel NOLA is haunted! You know that’s right up my alley. The place was originally built in 1914 as a church, and it’s been featured on shows like The Dead Files and Deep South Paranormal, as well as in Architectural Digest and Southern Living.

Of course, I couldn’t resist asking our waitress if she’d ever seen a ghost. She told us the Baroness de Pontalba is known to make an occasional appearance. The Baroness once owned the land where Vessel NOLA stands—and after surviving being shot four times by her father-in-law (yes, really), she lived to tell the tale, even if it meant staying in a miserable marriage just to hold onto her property. You can read more about her story at Micaela Almonester Pontalba | The Baroness of New Orlean.

Micaela Leonarda Antonia de Almonester Rojas y de la Ronde, Baroness de Pontalba (November 6, 1795 – April 20, 1874)

Vessel NOLA is just a quick 10-minute hop from the French Quarter. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, definitely make time for a visit—it’s an experience you won’t forget!

Happy Holidays!

Peace & Love,

Sara &Wes

I just realized I haven’t posted since our trip to Spain… last year! Oops. I promise I’ll write more often. For now, let’s talk about New Orleans.

First things first: the magic of this city is that you can show up and be absolutely anyone—or anything—you want to be.

As always, I stayed in the French Quarter. And since I’m me, we’re going to start with a little history.

                                                New Orleans is haunted. Very haunted.

Over the years, I’ve met so many fascinating people who left their old lives behind—whether from another state or another country—and started fresh here, swept up by the city’s beauty, chaos, history, and mystery. By now you’re probably thinking, “Wow, Sara really likes New Orleans.” And you’d be right. To be fair, I have family there and have visited many times, most recently this past May, with some friends.

But this trip felt different.

The first hotel I ever stayed at in the Quarter was the Hotel St. Pierre. Is it haunted? Oh yes. Have I personally seen or heard anything? Also yes. It’s quite a story—check out the link if you’re curious.
Another must-see is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, said to be the oldest bar building in America. And if you’re into spooky fun, I highly recommend Witches Brew Ghost Tours. Our guide, Chris, was fantastic—knowledgeable, engaging, and full of eerie stories about the Quarter’s ghosts and vampires, especially one of my favorites: Jacques St. Germain.

Now, New Orleans is famous for a lot of things—the food, the cocktails, the music, the art—but it’s also known for its ghosts…and yes, its vampires. (We’ll get back to that in a minute.)

Now, Jacques St. Germain is no ordinary vampire story. I’ve read a lot about him—even about his rumored influence on American politics. His old house still stands in the Quarter today. Fun fact: it’s now owned by a billionaire from Texas who never visits, and at one point, actor Nicolas Cage also owned it. If you’ve read Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, you might know that her character Lestat was said to be inspired partly by her husband…and by St. Germain himself. Some locals even claim they’ve spotted him around town to this day.
There’s also an intriguing mention of him in The Secret Destiny of America¹—a book that describes a mysterious figure appearing on balconies during the birth of our nation, whispering ideas to the Founding Fathers before vanishing again. Other books tell similar tales of St. Germain’s political influence. Imagine being invited to one of his legendary dinners!

The photo I’ve included is supposedly him—looking unchanged, even as centuries pass. What do you think?

Peace & Love,

Sara & Wes

Footnotes

1. Hall, M. P., & Dunlop, G. (2025). The Secret Destiny of America manly p hall. Adultbrain Publishing.

1. ↩︎

 When we get ATB up and running this is the 1^st place, I want to sail to in the EU. I absolutely love Baiona. It sits in the province of Pontevedra, in Galicia. It has its own food, drink and festivals. What do I love so much about this coastal town? Glad you asked. It is a walking city- you can walk from one end to the other in about 30 minutes along its main road. It sits on the Atlantic Ocean and is very family orientated.

There is a statue of Christopher Columbus near the wall by the ocean along with a replica of the Pinta; one of his ships that sailed to America. They say that he sailed to Baiona, from America.

There is a castle there, Parador de Turismo, which has been turned into a hotel, which is very interesting to visit. We would go there and sit on the patio that looks out over the ocean and have a beer. The beer was excellent. Now, I am a beer connoisseur, so visiting another country I was all about trying their national beer.

Estrella Galicia is one of their most popular national beers. The food that we had was delicious! A few of my favorite dishes were muscles with pepper and egg, Spanish tortilla with egg and potatoes, and chestnuts! One of the local dishes is octopus – but I did not want to try that.

We did go fishing; the marina is gorgeous as you can see in the photographs.

Like other towns in Europe, there are bars everywhere that pop up at night.

While we were there we did go outside of Baiona- we visited Glass Beach. There is sand but most of the sand is made of glass, a vestige of when the area was a garbage dump in the past. I saw people walking bare foot with no  cuts! It is also a popular place for people to take wedding photos. One couple was even there taking theirs.

We also visited the Miño River. It separates Spain from Portugal.

If you want a quiet relaxing vacation with good sea food and great people, Baiona, Spain is definitely the place to visit. The pictures do not do it justice!

Love & Peace,

Sara & Wes

As you all know, Wes has been working in Atlanta since we moved to Mobile but this past week he came to visit! So, I will share some of our adventures.

Of course we went fishing! We went on a party boat- which is anyone can go, and it was $125 each. We went to Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama. Our boat for the day was Zekes Lady. The captain, Dave, has a nice boat. There were bathrooms and inside the cabin was frigid cold since outside was sweltering hot. His first mates, Jay, and Jerry were genuinely nice and helped everyone when we started catching fish. Most people caught Vermillion Reds, and Red Snapper.

Those were in season, but they had to be longer than sixteen inches, so we threw a bunch back into the water. Also did you know that to get the air out of the fish, the first mates would throw the fish way up into the air so when the fish hits the water it would knock the air out. Of course I caught the fish of the day- a Bonita. They are super bloody, so Wes soaked it for 2 days to get the blood out. But he and the pups tasted it with all the blood. He said it was not bad, but I passed.

Another interesting catch was a Remora. These fish stick to sharks, whales and other large sea animals and eat the leftovers of whatever the larger animal is eating. I have a picture here of the Remora suctioned itself to one of the visitors’ arms.

This was a wonderful day trip!

We also went to Mississippi to the Margaritaville Resort, in Biloxi. From Mobile this was about a 45 min ride. We could not check in until 4pm so, we went to the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum.

The museum is named after George Ohr who was a potter and sculpture at the in the late1800’s early 1900’s. O’Keefe is not who I thought it was, the painter but Mr. O’Keefe loved Ohr’s work and made a museum in his honor.

George Ohr 1857-1918 The “Mad Potter of Biloxi”₁

Mr. O’Keefe died in 2016. Besides Ohr’s work there are other artists there and it rotates out. There is also a small cabin on the campus that talks about segregation and civil rights. The art gallery looks like the Bilbao Museum that is in Bilbao, Spain. It was only $10.00 dollars to enter- very well worth it. The museum was about a 10-minute ride from the Resort.

Ohr- O’Keefe Museum of Art

First, I would like to apologize because I do not have any pictures of the resort. I was too busty having fun and I left my phone in the room. Just click the hyper link below and you guys can check it out.

The Margaritaville Resort was so much fun! I really was in the mood for a lazy river…and they have one! They also had two pools, one with a swim up bar and two water slides. There is also a smaller kid section that I of course went through because they had buckets of water dumping everywhere. They also had a huge arcade! We spent quite a bit of time there playing every game you can imagine. To redeem your tickets was a store with all kinds of things.

There were a variety of different restaurants as well. I must give Michael, our bartender in the Arcade restaurant credit. He knew all his beers that were on tap and told me about the local brews that he had. I love tasting local beer wherever we go. The last thing I wanted to say was that everyone had an armband on. The armband got you in everywhere as well as unlocked your room door, so you did not have to bring keys with you. There was a safe in the room so you could just lock up your valuables and walk out the door with your gear for the pool or arcade, also with that arm band you could charge things to the room! I included a picture of this clock because there are no clocks anywhere outside of your room because You are supposed to be on vacation and not be worried about the time. 😉

Peace and Love,

Sara & Wes

1. (n.d.). George E. Ohr. Q Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Ohr

 After I visited Atlanta last week, I wanted to delve into more about Lake Lanier. It has a very interesting story. I have heard many things about the lake. Why some will not go near it and why others love it.

History- The lake is named after Sidney Lanier. He was in the Confederate army, a poet and musician and wrote a poem about the Chattahoochee River called, “Song of the Chattahoochee.” Now Mr. Lanier was from Macon Georgia. The Chattahoochee River is a very well-known river in Georgia. It runs from the Appalachian Mountains and terminates in Lake Seminole, at the Georgia-Florida border.

In the early 1950’s, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built Buford Dam for purposes that included flood control, power generation, and recreation. It is the primary source of water for Gwinnett County. Total cost to create the lake was about $45 million, including buying 50,000 acres at an average of $50 per acre, beginning in 1948. The government moved 250 families, 20 cemeteries, 15 businesses, and six churches to make room for the lake. Flooded areas included Lake Warner, Chattahoochee Park, and Looper Speedway.

Now what I would like to talk about is that the lake is haunted. There have been so many incidents, accidents, and drownings that this lake must be looked at from a different perspective. As I stated above, many were displaced and though it says that the bodies from the cemeteries were moved we cannot be 100% sure that all the bodies were actually moved.

1. Oscarville, Georgia is the name of the city that was submerged. It was at one time a thriving Black community. Oscarville’s Origins:

1. During the Reconstruction era in the late 1800s, Oscarville emerged as a vibrant Black community. It boasted skilled carpenters, blacksmiths, and bricklayers, with farming as its primary trade. While the rest of the state faced struggles, Oscarville experienced miraculous agricultural growth ¹.
2. The Tragic Turn of Events:
   • In 1912, tragedy struck when Mae Crow, a 19-year-old white woman, was found dead near Oscarville, presumably after being raped. The response was tragically predictable: blame fell upon the Black community.
   • Night riders, fueled by racism, terrorized Oscarville. They attacked the community, burning the church—the heart of the town—where people sought refuge. The destruction was devastating .
3. The Submersion of Oscarville:
   • In the late 1950s, the Buford Dam was constructed, leading to the formation of Lake Lanier. Oscarville, with its rich history, was submerged beneath the lake’s waters. The town’s legacy, its resilience, and the lives lost during the attack were swallowed by the rising waters 
4. Haunted Waters:
   • Some believe that Lake Lanier is haunted by the ghosts of the displaced people from Oscarville. Their stories linger beneath the surface, a testament to the painful past 

This tragic chapter in Georgia’s history reminds us of the importance of acknowledging and preserving the stories of communities like Oscarville, even when they lie hidden beneath the waters of progress.

Blood At The Root: A Racial Cleansing In America, by Patrick Phillips is a book about what happened to Mae Crow and Oscarville.

The lake brings many visitors every year and keeps the surrounding businesses thriving. Just having a boat on the lake generates income for the area. The lake is beautiful and though it has a tragic past it should be kept up for future generations.

I hope you have enjoyed this- it was fun doing the research.

Much love,

Sara & Wes

Resources:

(n.d.). Lake Sidney Lanier. Gwinnett. Retrieved March 17, 2024, from https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/aboutgwinnett/fastfacts/lakelanier

Lanier, S. (n.d.). The Song of the Chatahoochee. Poets.org. Retrieved March 17, 2024, from https://poets.org/poem/song-chattahoochee

1. Oscarville: The Black town underneath Lake Lanier | 11alive.com 

2. The Former Black Neighborhood of Oscarville, Ga. Is Now Lake Lanier 

3. Horror film ‘Lanier’ inspired by true haunting tale of displaced Black … 

4. Oscarville: The City Under Lake Lanier 

5. Relatives of Oscarville residents speak about Lake Lanier’s dark history 

6. Oscarville, The Town Submerged by Lake Lanier 

7. Forsyth 1912: The Truth About Lake Lanier and Oscarville 

The one thing about ATB that I love is that she is comfortable. So, trying to adjust her inside temperature for summer and especially winter is an ongoing job. First, though we have a window AC unit, it is only for AC. So that means we must have space heaters for the boat. We have two of them and we close off the galley(kitchen), to keep the heat inside the main cabin and our bedroom. Now I know I have spoken many times about our compost toilet, but it is not my favorite thing to take care of on the boat, but it serves us very well. Wes has finally produced a mixture of cat litter, dirt, wood chips, and lime so there is no smell. Though we have two bathrooms on the boat we only use one. The other is a regular boat toilet, and we could have the tank pumped out every month but that comes at a cost. So, for now we will just keep using the compost toilet. Wes is still working in Atlanta so we will leave ATB on the lake until he gets ready to move to Mobile permanently. I love going there and spending a few days on the lake, especially on O dock. It is quiet and our neighbors are great.

We all have dogs too. What is life without a dog or two?

Our Neighbor Jake

Our other neighbor, Axel

Life at the lake in the winter is extremely slow and quiet.

The restaurant, Pigtails, is closed for the winter and the only people you really see are the people who live on the lake full-time. Do I miss Atlanta, of course I do but there is something about living on the coast that does not compare. The ocean is a magical place unlike any other. I found a book in a box, since we are still living out of boxes here at Mom’s, called SWELL by Liz Clark. Captain Clark sails alone in the Pacific with her cat and has documented some of her voyages. A very good book. We have been reading about people who write about their adventures on the ocean. Quite a few people sailing also blog, have websites, You Tube or any other social media outlets. Captain Clark has a website as well. Not too much this month, and yes, I know I am behind on my entries.

Peace and Love,

Sara & Wes

 Good evening! I want to apologize for the long pause in writing a new post. Life gets in the way as we all know. Let me fill you in on what we have been up to.

1^st I have finally finished nursing school and have passed my boards!

2^nd We have moved to Mobile, Alabama.

3^rd. Since ATB is still on Lake Lanier and Wes travels back and forth for work in Atlanta, we have turned ATB into a floating apartment. I must admit it is very cozy. I will add photos of ATB next month.

4^th I have secured a nursing position at one of the local hospitals. I still have my respiratory license though and will never give it up and found a PRN RT job as well.

Wes has settled in on ATB, and she is looking good. We changed our room to the back bedroom because there is more room there than in the front of the boat. Though we have a shower on the boat, now it is not working so there is a shower/laundromat at our old dock which is about 5 minutes away from our new dock that we moved to.

 We also got cable/internet specifically for our boat. Brightlan specifically sets up internet services for marinas and campgrounds. Great idea! So now We can watch Prime, Netflix or regular cable on the boat to make it more home like.

Life in Mobile-

 We went beach fishing last week on Dauphin Island, and of course here is the link- https://www.townofdauphinisland.org/.

Wes finally caught a black drum. Or maybe it is a red fish!?!?! We cannot tell. But he named him Jacob and released him back into the ocean to live out his life. Jacob looked old and he had to weigh at least 50 pounds. Wes was sure that Martha, (Jacob’s wife), would be upset that he had a hole in his lip from the hook used to snatch him from the sea. It made Wes feel better that he released him and that we have it on record as the “big catch” of the day.

Dauphin Island is a great getaway. It is noticeably quiet with plentiful beaches. It is not overly commercialized so there are not scads of people everywhere. Even in the summer, it is not that crowded like other beach towns nearby. And of course, there is fishing! Watersports as well. One fact that I did not know is that migrating birds can be seen in the forest, dunes, and swamp of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary on the island.

We are finding our way around and enjoying the endless beaches here. It is much slower here, but I expected that from a beach town.

Peace and Love,

Sara & Wes

Wow this has been a year! ATB is back in the water!!! She had been out an entire year and now she is back in her slip on the lake. The engine and transmission are on board but are not hooked up. At least she has them. The engine is her original and will be all connected soon.

BRAVEHEART

I want to thank Braveheart for all his teak, electronics, and everything else we found on board that we can use on ATB. The owner, who lives in Michigan, only wanted a brass oil lamp so I sent that to him. We kept his propeller and his name that was on the back of him. We will always be grateful to him and wanted to honor him with hanging up and displaying his name on ATB.

We hope everyone has a great holiday and we will see you in the new year.

Sara & Wes

  As I have told you guys before- we go to Mobile, Alabama quite a bit. One place we visit while we are there is Cedar Point Pier. It was privately owned and now the county of Mobile has bought it and it is free to go and is open like before 24 hours a day. The store is gone but there are more bathrooms and more seating areas.

Update on ATB-

 Wes has finally finished painting the boat! She looks absolutely gorgeous, and I am sure she feels much better too!

Enjoy the Sunny Days!

Sara & Wes