Beach Babe
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| Summer whispers in evening beach walks. |
Enter the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We have family down there, and they're awesome. Plus, it's fantastic to escape for a bit and walk the beach, sun out by the pool, eat tons of shrimp and otherwise take a load off.
The planets aligned this past week, and off we went. I found us a spacious two-bedroom condo near the water, packed up our stuff, loaded my little fam into the car, and hit the road for a few days of lazy.
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| Fontainebleu Nature Trail |
We booked a unit at Legacy Villas in Gulfport, which is a great location. You're across the street from the beach, the condos are roomy (and located in two-story buildings), and the development has two pools (which keeps crowding down). We even had a one-car garage for parking. We arrived in the area at around 4 p.m., found our unit, unpacked, and settled in.
An hour or two later, we were meeting up with family at Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant, where I had some much-needed libations (The Flamingo Punch is delish!) and a plate of grilled fish. (We also really liked their avocado fritas appetizer. Great for sharing!)
After a very filling dinner, we had a lovely evening walk on the beach as the sun slipped low in the sky. The great thing about the Mississippi Gulf Coast is that it's a bit sleepy. The barrier islands that protect the coast also hold a bit more silt on the coast and keep the waves from being large once they reach the shore. In turn, most vacationers go to the Alabama, Florida, or Texas beaches, where the water is bluer and the waves are larger. So, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is rarely crowded. You can almost always find solitude there, particularly if you know where to look. (Great for social distancing.)
Day 2 - Friday
The next morning, I rose early, as I wanted to hit the trail before the temperatures got too hot. I pointed my navigation system to Fontainebleu Nature Trail in Ocean Springs, which, according to my AllTrails app, is one of the most popular and best-maintained trails in the area. It's easy to find, and there's a small amount of parking and an information board at the trailhead.
There are now two loops you can hike from this trailhead - a red one and a green one. They overlap to some extent, so by taking the largest loop available, you can lengthen your hike and see more of the area. (Still, though, you're coming in at about 2 miles.) The trail takes you through some pine flatwoods, some boggy/swampy areas, and past the nesting areas of sandhill cranes (an endangered species). You'll also see some pretty Gulf Coast prairie (and the attendant wildflowers) and wind past the Davis Bayou Salt Marsh.
| Just a girl and her bayou. |
As I was up pretty early, temperatures were still pleasant for my hike, and I shared the trail only with turtles and birds. If you take this hike (or any hike in Mississippi during the warmer months), don't forget the bug spray!
Afterwards, I buzzed back to the condo for eggs and fruit with the fam. Then, we suited up and spent the rest of the afternoon at the development's larger pool in the back of the property. There were plenty of deck chairs, some shaded seating, playing fountains, a hot tub, etc. The perfect place to enjoy a few relaxing summer hours.
Afterwards, we grabbed some takeout, then I took a glorious nap and read my novel. We grazed on this and that at the condo (We'd brought a packed cooler with snacks and breakfast foods.), then turned in early.
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| Pool time with these two jokers! |
The next morning was an early one, again, as I had my sights set on Gulf Islands National Seashore. This national park stretches from Mississippi to Florida, and encompasses both some of Mississippi's barrier islands as well as some bayou areas on the shore. I went back to the Davis Bayou area, where they have a host of convenient picnic tables on the seashore (along with a beautiful fishing pier), then several short trails through the woods and the bayou.
You can hike the Davis Bayou Trail from the parking area, then slip onto a park road for a bit until you see the Nature's Loop Trail, which will take you over boardwalks and provide some bayou observation decks. I saw sweet little bunnies and HUGE lubber grasshoppers on this hike. Though I did encounter quite a few bike riders in the park, there weren't any other hikers that I could see, which made the hiking trails quiet and serene. Just like my hike at nearby Fontainebleu Trail, bug spray is a must-have. As you can hike a bit further here, water's not a bad idea, either. (I put ice in mine so that by the time I'm drinking it on the trail, it's still nice and cold.)
The next time I visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I *might* find a commercial boat operator to take me out to some of the barrier islands that help make up this national park. I've been to Ship Island before, but none of the others. Would be great for a day hike and/or beach trip. (I bet camping out there is AWESOME.)
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| The fishing pier at Gulf Island National Seashore |
On the way back from my hike, I stopped at one of our favorite places on the coast - Le Bakery. This tiny little shop cranks out delicious bread and breakfast goodies. I grabbed a huge baguette and a big box of a dozen breakfast turnovers of various flavors - peach, cherry, strawberry, lemon, pina colada, chocolate cream, almond coconut cream, and on and on and on. Upon arrival back at the condo, I was greeted enthusiastically with coffee and fruit, and I provided the pastries to a very grateful audience.
That afternoon, the whole family came over to the condo, and we ate shrimp boil and steamed crabs! So fun (and delicious)! I'm not very good at cracking crabs, but luckily some of my other family members ARE, and they kept me happily supplied with tasty morsels. In return, I minded the shrimp boiling pots and dished up everything when it was ready. Delish!
After a nap, we hit the pool again for swimming and sunning, then finished the night with a moonlit walk on the beach. (The sky was glorious, and everything was so soft - the wind, the water, the sand, the moonlight. Like something out of a story.)
Day 4 - Sunday
The next morning, we slept in! We finished up the pastries for breakfast and proceeded to have the laziest day ever - napping, reading, playing video games, watching movies.
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| Good night, Moon . . . |
The rest of the family came over late in the afternoon, and we set about making an early dinner. We sautéed some garlic and green onions in butter, then added the leftover chopped shrimp and some alfredo sauce. Then we boiled pasta and made a salad. Soooo good.
After such a heavy, late lunch, we took a nap and lazed for a bit before taking a long walk on the beach to talk and connect. We had a little bit of cloud cover, so it wasn't too hot, and we just walked and walked and walked, the waves kissing our toes. We found all sorts of shells - some inhabited, some not. We collected them and took a few photographs, then returned them to the tide.
Later, we seriously considered going out for ice cream for supper, but we were already so full and content and happy that we could barely move, so we bagged the idea.
(In all fairness, we *were* a little industrious on this day, tidying up the condo and doing a bit of laundry in preparation for our departure. But mostly, this was just a great, doing-nothing day.)
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| Beach babes! |
Day 5 - Monday
We slept in again, cleaned up a bit more, and finished packing. Then, we popped out for a delicious, filling breakfast at Brick and Spoon. We'd first eaten at this franchise on a trip to Alabama, and we were delighted to find it practically within walking distance of our condo on this trip! Temperatures were still pleasant, so we dined outside. Coffee, eggs, biscuits, bacon, and a fruit bowl powered us up for the rest of the day. Service was really great here, too.
We had a beautiful day for driving, and we absolutely couldn't pass up a stop at Donna's #6, where we found peaches, red-ripe tomatoes, plums, watermelons, and farm-fresh eggs. I would have gotten my customary ice cream cone, but I was still so stuffed from breakfast that I wasn't hungry!
Within half an hour, we were pulling into our own driveway!
I'm so thankful that this quick little trip came together at the last minute. Timing (and weather) just fell into place for us, and it was wonderful to get away for a few days and feel the sand between our toes. I love the ocean so.
