Our Chevrolet Trailblazer was cursed.
The relationship didn’t start well when we realized 10 miles out of Tampa that the CD player didn’t work. The fact it didn’t have keyless entry was a nuisance.
But the deal breaker came this morning when photographer Kathy Moore realized the rear hatch wouldn’t lock.
This insight came, of course, after we left $4,000 worth of gear in the truck overnight, essentially unprotected.

I explained the situation to the nice people at Avis in Mobile, Ala., and they immediately set aside the last large vehicle they had left: a Chrysler minivan.
I joked with the woman at Avis that I’d try to find a family to ride with us for the rest of the journey.
She didn’t laugh.
“We’ll be there in 30 minutes,” I said in a deadpan tone.
We arrived at the Mobile airport and emptied the hapless SUV on a sidewalk and I went to get the minivan.
“Did you find a family?” the woman at the Avis desk asked.
I liked her immediately.
Minutes later, we were back in action.
Working CD player? Check.
Keyless entry? Check.
Locking hatch? Check.
Who new you could find salvation in a minivan?

From there we went to Dauphin Island, which teetered on the bizarre.
Among the ruin are several brand new apartment or condominium developments underway, standing right next to storm-ravaged homes still steeply raked on their stilts, as if the storm had hit overnight. Many of the homes were without walls or entire roofs. It was like someone had freeze-framed the lives of the occupants before the storm.
The main drag has been plowed clear of blizzard-like piles of sand from the storm, but huge chunks of road are still missing, filled in with sand and other debris.

Video from Dauphin Island

Power and water haven’t been restored to most of the western half of the island, and many of the homes look like they might never be habitable again.
It could be a long time before Dauphin Island is back to normal.
At this moment, we are dining at a little seafood restaurant just off the island.
A sign outside reads: “We’re here, why aren’t you….”

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If there is one nice thing about hurricanes it is that they usually hit in the steamiest times of the year.
Shorts and T-shirts are about all that’s required.
Mobile is cold today, in the low 40s according to forecasters.
No summer clothing on this trip. Heavy jackets and fleece are a must.
We are off to Dauphin Island and Long Beach.

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Hurricane Katrina corrupted my image of the area around Mobile, Ala.
Four months ago trucks stuffed with equipment and supplies clogged the dark, local highways as they made their way to rescue and recovery efforts.
Many trucks roared along at 80 mph and 90 mph knowing that local law enforcement was either tied up with bigger problems or simply didn’t care about the super-legal speeds.
Things appear more or less back to normal now – at least on the surface, in the dark, as we breezed into town.
Traffic is back to a humdrum stream of sedans, minivans and SUVs.
Power is fully restored and debris appears to be cleared.
Restaurants are again filled with people who are back to chatting about daily life, family and upcoming Christmas obligations.
Service stations are pumping gas again. Radio stations are back to their usual play lists, touting half-price specials at local bars, rather than listing locations for water, ice and other post-hurricane supplies.
On a dark cool night in December, it was odd not to see endless convoys streaming west.
We’ll see how it looks in the daylight, when we head to Dauphin Island and then to Long Beach, Miss.

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We are close to heading out. Avis tried to pawn off a two-wheel-drive Jeep for our trip, but I coaxed them into giving us a four-wheel-drive Chevrolet Trailblazer.
I feel like a criminal when I go to the Avis counter these days, considering the rough shape we’ve returned some of our other hurricane-soaked trucks. I almost took the Jeep out of guilt, like they were trying to tell me something: “No off-roading for you!” But I like to push things, so I took a big gulp and said “The Jeep is nice, but....”
Ten minutes later, I was sitting in the Chevrolet poking at the 4WD switch, ready for the Gulf Coast.
We are now loaded with computers, cameras, a video recorder, audio gear, a few clothes, a Mardi Gras mask (thanks, Don) and an assortment of New Orleans music to get us in the mood.
Will write more from the road.

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Don’t worry about me.
Many people probably wouldn’t want to miss the holidays with family to spend more than two weeks in the most storm-ravaged corners of the Gulf Coast.
But I do. The thought of spending the holidays gathering stories in New Orleans is better than any gift I know.
Photographer Kathy Moore and I will leave sometime around noon today with plans to make it to Mississippi by nightfall.
In coming days, we expect to get back in touch with some of the people we met along Hurricane Katrina’s path nearly four months ago. We’ve already contacted some, and will look for others. We will go back to places that moved us before, and venture into New Orleans to see how the fractured community is responding after the storm. We want to find stories that challenge the way people look at Katrina and its aftermath.
Join our adventure in the Tampa Tribune, on TBO and on WFLA-TV News Channel 8.

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