Visit Mississippi: Gulfport Beach

While in Mississippi, we stayed near Gulfport, so of course we had to spend some time visiting the beach

We went during sunset, and the view at the port was just stunning.

We strolled the beach for a bit as well, which was surprisingly empty, with the exception of a few groups of people and a dog chasing birds.  

Speaking of birds, we saw many, including a few cranes.

It was really neat to walk the beach, seeing the little birdie footprints and the interesting designs in the sand made by the waves.  

The sky was quite pretty with pink and purple hues.  

It would've made for a nice dinner scene, but we had already eaten dinner.

Be sure to stop by Gulfport Beach for some pretty views!

 

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Visit Mississippi: Quakes Ice Creamery

Quakes Ice Creamery specializes in "quakes," or ice cream treats mixed with ingredients such as cookies, fruit, nuts, and more. 

Cake in a Cup

The Cake in a Cup Quake consisted of cake batter custard and brownie all mixed up, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Elvis Presley

The Elvis Presley consisted of dairy-free, no sugar added vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, and banana.

Salted Caramel

If you prefer just ice cream, you can get that too!

Other sweet treats Quakes offers include parfaits, floats, and snowballs.  

And if you are hungry for a little more, they even offer hot dogs, nachos, and pulled pork sandwiches.

Quakes Ice Creamery
1922 Bienville Blvd

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

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Visit Mississippi: Ward's

Ward's is a fast food chain in the South, and we picked up food from one of the locations as we drove from Mississippi to Louisiana.  

The menu is simple, with standard fast food fare. 

Hot Dog

Popcorn Chicken

Onion Rings

French Fries

Ward's Quarder

Big One with Chili & Cheese

Chocolate Chip Cookie (comes with the kids meal)

I had the Popcorn Chicken and Onion Rings, and they were tasty and filing.

Prices were very reasonable.

Try the Root Beer - it's housemade!

Click here for Ward's locations.

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Visit Mississippi: Shrimp Basket

We were hungry in Ocean Springs, and after Googling nearby restaurants with good ratings, we decided to eat at the Shrimp Basket.

They were serving brunch, so several of us ordered brunch items.  

Country Breakfast Bowl

The Country Breakfast Bowl was really a plate of sausage, tots, eggs, bacon, cheese, sausage gravy, and chicken (you could also choose shrimp instead of chicken).  It was a very hearty dish of my fave breakfast foods, and it was quite a generous serving!  There was plenty to share with my fam.

Catfish Basket

The Catfish Basket included breaded and lightly fried catfish, along with shrimp slaw, hushpuppies, corn fritter, and a side (pictured is fried okra).

Crab Burger in Paradise

Crab Burger in Paradise was a burger topped with a grilled crab cake.

Strawberries & Cream Waffles

Seafood Omelet

The Seafood Omelet was full of grilled shrimp, bell peppers, onions, and cheese, and topped with a crab and shrimp cream sauce.

We also ordered some Broiled Crawfish which was on the specials board.  After a few minutes, the manager came by and said they were out of crawfish because guests just couldn't get enough of them the night before.  He apologized and asked if we wanted anything else instead.  We said no, and he offered to give us a discount for the inconvenience, but we ended up with no discount, as there was an obvious lack of miscommunication between him and our server.  

Our server was very friendly, however.

Overall, the food was good, but nothing really stood out, as the dishes were ones we could find just about anywhere.  The prices were on the high side compared to similar places.  

Shrimp Basket

1108 Bienville Blvd

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

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Visit Mississippi: Gulf Islands National Seashore

We were on the way to get some lunch, when I saw a sign for the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which is a National Park that spans the coasts of Florida and Mississippi.

There are numerous entrances via each state, and we took the Davis Bayou Area entrance, which required no entrance fee.

The Davis Bayou Area offers an expansive area for picnicking, along with hiking trails, and a boardwalk to a fishing pier. 

We took a walk down the pier and could not see any fish because the water was cloudy, but we did see quite a few birds.

We did take a short hike along one of the trails to find a restroom (which was clean!), and then it started to rain (there was a warning for possible hail), so we cut the hike short.

We did see people walking their dogs or running along the paths, although it was not very busy at all. Perhaps it was the time of the year or the weather, but regardless, it was a nice visit, and it's just a bummer that it started to rain - it would've made for a nice family hike!

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Davis Bayou Area

3500 Park Rd

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

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Visit Mississippi: Biloxi

While in Mississippi, we drove through Biloxi.  This touristy town along the Gulf of Mexico has numerous casinos, but we found a few photo ops along the way.

We stopped at Biloxi Beach even though it was rainy and a storm was approaching (we could see the lightning out in the distance).  

It's always neat to experience beaches in other states, as they are always so different from the ones in Hawai`i.  

We then took a photo near the Biloxi Lighthouse, which was right across the beach.

After our photos of the lighthouse, we drove a bit down the main road to Sharkheads, an enormous souvenir shop that has lots of fun photo ops (we did stop in the store to buy a few souvenirs).

We also drove to Souvenir City not too far away, which had a huge Gator head that was great for photo ops as well.

There are many other attractions in Biloxi, but our time there was limited.  
 

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Visit Mississippi: Tony's Brick Oven Pizzeria

Pizza is always a good idea, and on our last night in Mississippi, we decided to eat at Tony's Brick Oven Pizzeria after I saw "Gumbo Pizza" on the menu.

Gumbo Pizza

BBQ Chicken

Meat Lovers

The BBQ Chicken was topped with blackened chicken, red and green bell peppers, onion, and cheese.  This was my favorite pizza of the three, with the Meat Lovers being second.  I was actually not a big fan of the Gumbo Pizza (even though I absolutely love gumbo in its original form).  The Gumbo pizza included shrimp, crab, sausage, tomatoes, okra, and cheeses.  

The Meat Lovers consisted of Capicolla, beef, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and prosciutto, along with house marinara and cheeses. 

I liked the crust on the pizzas - it had just enough chewiness.

House Salad with Chicken

I really enjoyed the House Salad, especially the chunks of blackened chicken.

Service was great, and the busy pizzeria was a great family-friendly spot for pizzas!   

Tony's Brick Oven Pizzeria
2417 14th St

Gulfport, MS 39501

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Visit Mississippi: Chillville Creamery

Chillville Creamery in Gulfport is a busy ice cream shop in Mississippi that also serves alcohol!  We adults didn't indulge in any alcohol though - just ice cream, along with the kiddos!

The ice cream is not housemade, but instead they feature Mayfield Dairy ice creams.

Smoky Mountain Fudge

I got Smoky Mountain Fudge, which was chocolaty and full of pieces of fudge and cookies.  It was so yummy!

Chocolate

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Peanut Butter Fudge

Moose Tracks

Chillville Creamery was a great stop for ice cream!

Chillville Creamery
1121 Cowan Rd Suite B

Gulfport, MS 39507

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Visit Mississippi: Shaggy's

Our first dinner during our recent vacation took place at Shaggy's Gulfport Beach in Mississippi.  At first, we were just going to order a few items so the family could share, but we couldn't resist ordering so many things!

Beach Balls

The Beach Balls were essentially fried balls of mashed potatoes, with cheese and bacon!

Peel-N-Eat Royal Reds

Royal Reds are a type of shrimp popular in the Gulf.

The Wedge

Captain's Seafood Platter for 2

The Captain's Seafood Platter for 2 was more like a platter for 6!  There was so much food!  The platter included catfish, shrimp, crab cakes, hush puppies, fries, and came with crab soup.

Crab Soup

The Crab Soup was amazing!

Blue Crab Dip

If we had ordered just the Captain's Seafood Platter, that would have been more than enough for our family of 5, but I'm glad we tried other things too.  The Blue Crab Dip was really good, and the Wedge Salad was generous - I really liked the balsamic drizzle.

The popular dish amongst our family was the Crab Soup which came with the Platter.  It came with just two cups, but I would definitely have ordered more if I knew how delish it was!

Service was excellent - the staff was so friendly, and it was a great first meal in Mississippi!

Tip: Call ahead to be waitlisted, the restaurant is very crowded!

Shaggy's Gulfport Beach
1724 E Beach Blvd

Gulfport, MS 39501

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