Biloxi

You know those historic cities that sound so romantic or nostalgic: Savannah, Birmingham, Biloxi? They largely hold significance because of an era in time or a film (Gone with the Wind, Biloxi Blues) that took place there. The bottom line is these are Southern cities with a lot of history. I realize I'm just some social geography buff, but since moving here I had been dying to go to Biloxi, Mississippi. I had never even been to MS so that was an adventure all by itself. My friend Adrienne from the Bay came to visit and we set off one Saturday afternoon to Biloxi. The drive is a little over an hour from NOLA. We got there late in the afternoon, but we were a little underwhelmed. This area had also been devasted by Katrina and had little to no action. As we drove down the beach front avenue looking for a boardwalk or restaurants, all we found was a big, tacky, pink casino. Most buildings looked torn apart by the storm or entirely vacant--a little depressing.

We didn't have anything to explore except nature itself so we ventured onto the beach area. Once we hit the sand we knew this was a special place. Ok, ok not like Sosua, Dominican Republic special, but Biloxi special. The white sand was super fine (like Jessica Alba, j/k) and seemed to melt beneath our feet. We laid out under umbrellas on lounge chairs for a bit. The late-afternoon weather was ideal with a light breeze and plenty of sun. The Gulf water was really warm and shallow, but we didn't get in. Little jelly fish carcases(below) washed up on the shore and we found a juicy one to play with. We spent the last moments there playing in the sand, making sand designs, and perfecting our cartwheels for nearby toddlers who were with their families. The best things in life really are free!