Mississippi, NOLA, Gulf Shores and seafood

We continued our travels into Mississippi and stopped for a few days in Waveland, MS. We stayed at Buccaneer SP. Seafood was the order of the day then and it was again this stop. . This is a park we've been to a couple times before. Our last time here was with our friends, Faye and Dave from The Wandering Camels. I enjoy crawfish as you have read but while in the area we had a craving for Royal Red Shrimp. Reds are found much further out in the Gulf and much deeper so they tend to be a little more expensive than Gulf Shrimp. The really great thing about them is they taste similar to lobster. Of course much smaller but still extremely tasty. Our first purchase was at The Blind Tiger restaurant in Bay St. Louis just down the road from the park. The Blind Tiger steams the Reds and you can order a pound with corn on the cob and potatoes. There is enough to share.

They put some seasoning on all the seafood and it really spices up the taste. Of course Glenda had her Diet Coke to go with it. And you know where she gets it.

Seafood was not the only thing we were looking forward to in Mississippi. The Gulf is right out the front of the park and they have a great walking/bike path along the shore. We enjoyed walking each day to get our steps in. The area was devastated several years ago by Hurricane Katrina but home along the gulf front are being rebuilt. These are home on stilts and worth between a half million to well over multimillion dollars.

We loved our beach time and had great weather while there. 

When we have been in this area of Mississippi we're also close to New Orleans, La. We never thought about stopping in NOLA because we thought it might be crowded, dirty, smelly or dangerous. 

Well this time we decided we're going to go and see what it really is like. Glenda did some research on what we might want to see and where we should go. We drove to the Basin Station Visitor Center and found easy parking for $20/day. We stopped at the Visitor Center for a map and some information and headed toward the French Quarter. 

As we started into the French Quarter we did get a  little whiff of urine however it was brief and we started to see the architecture of the area. We did come across a couple of homeless men on the sidewalk and we did happen to see a couple men share a needle. I'm sure this could be seen in a lot of other large cities in the country. We continued on and enjoyed seeing some buildings that we'd seen on TV or movies. Very unique. 

As we walked we came to Jackson Square where there were artists selling their paintings and crafts.

Through Glenda's research we were looking for Café du Monde. She read about the beignets which were brought to NOLA by the Acadians. Their a fired fritter sometimes filled with fruit. It's a square piece of dough deep fried and covered with powdered sugar. As you can see from the photo below(which still does not show how long the line really was) the line was long to get beignets and coffee.

As we hesitated in getting into the line we saw a sign for Monty's on the Square. A restaurant that had their version of a beignet which was a beignet fry. We went inside and got a table and ordered a late breakfast/early lunch. The beignet fry that they sell is fired dough in the shape of French fries. It's the same beignet only in strips not a square piece of dough.

Our meals with Beignet Fries

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We took our time eating and enjoyed watching people pass by the restaurant. 

After our fantastic meal we took a walk around the square and relished the history and architecture. 

St. Louis Cathedral

 This link will take you to a site with more information on Jackson Square  and the history.

Then as we walked through the French Quarter we came across a shoe store with these shoes at 20% off.

Statues abound through out the town

Came across these young boys playing the bucket drums....they were very good. And looking for donations. 

Glenda also found the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture so we walked our way to the museum and paid $12 each for view the many and varied costumes that have been worn in the Mardi Gras parades. We even put a couple masks on for fun. 

The costumes were so elaborate and colorful. It was worth the price of admission for sure. 

Then we decided to take a ride on a bus that routes you through different areas of NOLA to see homes and where cruise ships dock. 

Many different characters through out the town.

We were having a wonderful time and with all the walking and riding it was time for an early dinner before heading back home to the park. 

Glenda and again used her magic phone and checked reviews for restaurants around the French Quarter. We had our choice of 2-3 places but the one that got the best reviews was Acme Oyster House. They actually have a few restaurants in Louisiana and Alabama. 

We got to the restaurant and there was a line of about 15-20 people standing outside. This was 4 pm in the afternoon. We knew it had to be good. 

It didn't take long to get in and to our table. Our waiter was a young man that we enjoyed chatting with and was very attentive with good suggestions on what items to order. 

We had both raw and charbroiled oysters as appetizers. Both were delicious. Glenda then ordered a seafood platter and I tried the Gumbo. Great choices and filled so up perfectly. 

As we left the restaurant and started back to our car we came across a parade. This is a tradition in NOLA where couples getting married will hire bands and have the wedding party and wedding goers parade down the street in celebration.

Enjoy this video

We're so happy we made the decision to make the trip to NOLA and experience the town and culture. It was a fun filled exhausting day and well worth it. Something we needed to do. 

Our last night in Waveland we drove over to Pass Christian Harbor and ate at Shaggy's Harbor Grill. It's outdoor seating with a view of the marina and pier. The waiter was very pleasant and we had good conversation. More oysters and a variety of seafood. 

Another wonderful visit to Waveland, MS and Buccaneer SP. Now it's on to Gulf Shores, AL and our stop at Gulf SP. 

This is another stop we've made on our only about 3-4 years ago and just a couple years ago with Faye and Dave, you know, The Wandering Camels. Anyway, since we're on our way to GA for the graduation this is a perfect stop to get some more seafood and beach time. 

The beaches there are pure white and the surf is nice for some easy body surfing. We had a FHU pull through site on the canal loop We had a site on that loop once before. Nice breeze off the water and morning sun on the awning side. 

Each day we would walk the loops in the park and on the numerous boardwalks that have been built to accommodate additional access to areas of the park. The only disappointing part is this time of year there are tons of biting flies that annoy you as walk in certain areas. 

The park is very large with over 800 sites and many loops to walk or ride your bike through. 

They also have a large laundry which is very convenient. Yes, we did some laundry while there. 

Of course we still hadn't gotten all our seafood fix so we found a market a couple miles away and bought some Royal Reds and Scallops. They steam them in the market for you and we bought some corn and potatoes to go with. Everything was very yummy. 

The market also had gumbo and crawfish etouffee' so we bought some to eat over rice. We went back and bought more before we left the area so we could freeze for another time. 

Well we were also there to get our beach fix and we only had 2 days to get it before moving on to Georgia and the graduation. 

Gulf SP has it's own beach access parking lot so if you're staying at the park you don't need to pay for parking. 

We found a spot and walked across the boardwalk access to the beach and set up our umbrella and chairs and took in all the beach had to offer. 

Of course I had to get wet and see if I could ride a few waves. The surf was rolling pretty well with the on shore winds and tides that day. Waves were about 3-4 feet high. Glenda had to get a few shots of me in action. 

So much fun and exhausting. The waves really beat you up as you fight the current and pounding into the beach.

I love the desert but sometimes you have to change things up a bit.

This is a wonderful place to spend some time if you like beaches and white sand and still be in the USA. 

Got a new beach hat...I like it

What a great view

We got our beach time in even as abbreviated as it was but we made the most of it.  Our last evening before moving on to Georgia we stopped for dinner at a place that got good reviews and was right on the water. Unfortunately the food wasn't what we expected but the views were good. 

We did our best to enjoy the places we visited and get the most out of them. Very happy we decided to make the trip to NOLA and that experience. The seafood was awesome and looking forward to getting back again some day. 

We have a graduation to attend and it's time to go. Thanks for following along.