They treat you right on the Gulf Coast!

After Savannah we made our way to I-10 and headed west, hoping to find even warmer weather.  (Alas,  still in the 50s here...).   We stopped in Gulfport, MS, the legendary home of Boo Killebrew, to see the sights and eat some seafood.  Sallye (Boo's Mother) had offered us lodging and hot showers, unfortunately she was not in town for our visit, FORTUNATELY she is an amazingly generous woman and let us stay in her home anyway.  After a week of winter camping/sleeping in the car we felt like we checked into a suite at the Ritz -- this resulted in some much needed "veg-ing" the night of our arrival.

Sallye and Boo had given us both lists of things to see and do and places to eat at -- it was like a scavenger hunt!   We explored Gulfport and neighboring places (Ocean Springs) - took a long walk on the beach, hiked around the Gulf Island National Seashore and even had a failed attempt at hiking the Desoto National Forest (we couldn't find a central Visitor Center or any signs for trails, sigh).

Did we mention we planned to eat some seafood? Well, we sure did.

To avoid being repetitive, let me first say that everything we ate was delicious and across the board everywhere we went the people were super friendly.

Our first lunch was at the Blow Fly Inn.
Fried Pickles with Bayou Sauce and Shrimp Po' Boys!   That Bayou sauce was da bomb. We also had a great local beer - Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan (I really sound like a northerner when I try to say pecan (i.e. pEE - CAN) - I have been practicing to make it more relaxed and "drawled" (i.e. p-cahn))

The next day, before our hike, we had lunch at Lil' Rays - Gumbo and more Po' Boys - this time soft shell crab and catfish.  (we also HAD to sample the homemade Praline cheese cake, I mean, can you really pass that up?) I ask you, Northeast, where have Po' Boys been all my life?

That night we headed to Long Beach to have dinner at Darwell's Cafe.  We were a little confused by the menu when we walked in (we couldn't pronounce étouffée, let alone figure out what it was) so we told them we were northerners and they had to help us out - and they did.   We both opted for the Taste of Darwell's: Crawfish Étouffée, Shrimp Creole, french bread and a side.  Oh my, oh my.  THAT was a meal.  They also have live music, so we got to enjoy that as we ate.

Then it was off to the Beau Rivage Casino to try our luck at the slot machines.  We both won a little money - more than what we put in the slots!   Casinos are a sensory overload - I had never been to one before, and it was fun and bizarre place.

Driving around the coast you see the loss and destruction Katrina caused - vacant lots, downtown's still being rebuilt.  It's very sobering - gives you pause and makes you realize how temporary and fleeting things that seem so permanent really are.   That is what we chose to focus on for our installation.

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