Coming down to the gulf coast- advise us! (Gulfport, Biloxi: best town, renters)

[MS Intrigued]

We have tickets are will be arriving in Gulfport next month. I've been looking at this area for a while now and finally making a visit to see if this is where we want to move to or not. Although not moving for 1 1/2 - 2 years, it's time to get a feel or start looking elsewhere.

Where can we go for fun with kids while there? I am thinking of Lynn Meadows and wondered about Stennis?

But where can we go for a real flavor of the coast and not amusement places?

Are the shrimp excusions kind of fun?

How about the Lighthouse to see or a train tour?

Would like to look around Long Beach as that is where I think we would move due to school ratings and their overall size. Also, crime there seems to be minimal. Is there anything there to drive over and look at?

Do you have a Flea Market (not Farmer's Market) any where on the coast?

Does Pass Christian or Bay St Louis have anything to go and see? How about the church in BSL? Is that nice to see?

Please offer any suggestions that a family might like in a weeks visit (staying in Biloxi) and/or any thoughts of maybe living in Long Beach later.

Thanks.

[Southern man]

For sure cross the bridge from Biloxi to Ocean Springs. Its the best town on the coast.

[MS Intrigued]

I was thinking about going to The Shed in Ocean Springs for dinner one time. Is it good? I wasn't sure if there was anything to do. We do like walking around.

[jhadorn]

Your first stop should be the Biloxi Visitors Center at 1050 Beach Blvd. in Biloxi. They can direct you to the things you are most interested in for the entire coast, and you can pick up brochures. I will list a few places you may want to visit below, but I can't think of them all.

You may want to visit this site:

Mississippi Gulf Coast Official Website - Hotels, Restaurants, Beaches, Casinos - Vacation Information for Gulfport, Biloxi Region and More


Stennis Space Center just opened the Infinity Science Center. It appears they took exhibits from the old center they had to the new Science Center, as well as created new exhibits. Might be worth checking out.

http://www.infinitysciencecenter.org/


Marine Life Oceanarium was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina, but a new Center for Marine Education and Research is open. It is difficult to find if you have never been but is located at 10801 Dolphin Lane in Gulfport.

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies


Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, one of the top 50 children's museums in the United States is located at 246 Dolan Ave in Gulfport.

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center


There is an Alligator Ranch near Moss Point on Highway 90 that offers airboat swamp tours.

The Gator Ranch

There are lots of good seafood restaurants (and restaurants of all kinds) on the coast too. Mikey's on the Bayou is pretty good.

You can buy fresh seafood on the pier at Biloxi, at various seafood shops, or from vendors along Highway 90. It's been years ago, but we used to fish for crab off the pier using a pole, bait fish and a net. Drop the hook with bait fish to the bottom, let a crab grab it and slowly pull up until the crab is near the top of the water, then put the net underneath. The crab will notice he is about to come out of the water and let go, but when he does he will fall into the net.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by MS Intrigued

I was thinking about going to The Shed in Ocean Springs for dinner one time. Is it good? I wasn't sure if there was anything to do. We do like walking around.

The Shed is good. Very sweet pulled pork. However, it burned down earlier this year, but I think it has reopened.

[MS Intrigued]

Thank you. I'm going to put together a list of all these places mentioned. I would like to see from Ocean Springs to Bay St. Louis. Somehow each town seems to have its own charm.

So now how about living on the coast? Going to see and find out what I think but I want to know how someone who's been there for a while feels. Can you get a rental house in a good safe neighborhood (Long Beach) for $800-950 and afford to have renters insurance?

I'm hoping to see some of the carved trees along Beach Blvd. Can you get out and take pics with them?

[BradfromNO]

Originally Posted by jhadorn

The crab will notice he is about to come out of the water and let go, but when he does he will fall into the net.

YEP, cause he damn sure ain't lettin go til he DOES get out of the water.
Of course, some of the larger ones see people shapes and nets and let go
early. Crabbin is FUN!

I have never thought of the coast as a real tourist mecca, but I guess living
near there for so much of my life, I just don't see it from the right perspective.
Follow those links, pick up brochures at the visitor's center, you should be able
to have fun. Beaches there are not like the beaches further east, in fact they
are a little on the nasty side. All the sand is dredged from the bottom farther
out and pumped onto the beach. The water is not emerald green, but grey-green.
The sun is the same (in a relative way, but you're older.) The food is better on
the MS coast than on the Florida coast I have found, though. If you want to have
fun, you will.

The Beach Blvd has plenty of pull-off areas, so you should be able to get out and take
pics with the tree-carvings no sweat. The speed limit is low, so it might even be safe.
Biloxi and Gulfport are the "seediest" since the gambling and fishing and longshoring and the
airbase is so dominant. That sounds derogatory, but I do not mean it that way per se.

When you spread down the coast, you get to more of the areas where people live and
see the result of living there and loving it long enough to be able to make something of your
life and buy and maintain nicer property. It's easier to maintain the look since there is much
less industry and traffic. They have put down roots and kept their money on
the coast. There is less work to do there, it's all more to the east. People do live and have
nice homes in Biloxi and Gulfport, but there is so much tourism and industry that it get's a
little messy. Nice people on the coast, though, that's for sure. THEY REALLY got up on
their feet after the storm and did what they had to do.

[p-squared]

Originally Posted by Southern man

The Shed is good. Very sweet pulled pork. However, it burned down earlier this year, but I think it has reopened.

The Shed has reopened. Can't say I agree with the "good" assessment. I wasn't impressed when I went there pre-fire, considering their reputation. Of course, I've been in several BBQ competitions so perhaps my perspective is a little different than the average Joe.

[MS Intrigued]

Okay BradfromNO I'll remember that Biloxi and Gulfport are more tourist and perhaps "seedy" than the other towns. They seemed to have more places to stay and things to do. MS seemed to be slower paced and more relaxing depending on your choice of activities yet still a few things to see and do. I definitely want to see Long Beach, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis. Do you have an opinion on them?

p-squared - would you say Darwell's Cafe, Pirates Cove in Pass Christian or BB's Po Boys in Ocean Springs are better?

[p-squared]

Originally Posted by MS Intrigued

Okay BradfromNO I'll remember that Biloxi and Gulfport are more tourist and perhaps "seedy" than the other towns. They seemed to have more places to stay and things to do. MS seemed to be slower paced and more relaxing depending on your choice of activities yet still a few things to see and do. I definitely want to see Long Beach, Pass Christian and Bay St Louis. Do you have an opinion on them?

p-squared - would you say Darwell's Cafe, Pirates Cove in Pass Christian or BB's Po Boys in Ocean Springs are better?

I can't comment, having not eaten at any of them.