Last summer, my husband Mart and I realized that we have family and friends whose houses are spaced out strategically along the coast of Mississippi and Alabama. All of these couples, at some point or another, have said, “Come see us.” And, perhaps to their surprise, we recently took them up on it. (They may not make that offer again—ha!)
In March, Mart and I hit the road. We stopped in Tuscaloosa, AL, for a kickoff lunch with friends. Then we headed for his childhood home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to stay with his sister and brother-in-law for a few days.
Our loved ones’ lake view. Whatever. ;)
While there, we zipped over to check out Laurel, MS, made famous by Ben and Erin Napier of the HGTV show, Hometown. (What a fun place! That will be a future post.)
Then we buzzed down to the coast for an overnight with another school friend and her husband before heading on to Alabama, and visits with friends in Spanish Fort and Fairhope.
It was an epic road trip—one of a kind—and we had a blast. In this post, I want to share a bit of the beauty we enjoyed in Mississippi.
High tide in Gulfport, MS.
After that family time in Hattiesburg, we headed south for 90 minutes to the Gulf coast at Gulfport and Biloxi. We walked on the beach, wiped off our sandy feet, and met our friends for lunch at Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant, where I had the best crab cakes I’ve ever eaten.
A delicious piece of history in Biloxi.
After lunch, they took us to their historic home in Moss Point. Built in the early 1900s by an Episcopal nun, it was intended to become a home for retired nuns. It includes a chapel with ornate stained glass windows, kneeling benches, and an altar.
The chapel part of the house
Our friends have lovingly restored the grounds and the house, filling it with antiques and art. Their home has so many gorgeous rooms and views it was hard to decide what beauty to share with you.
The back yard overlooking the river. The sunshine on that blue water almost made my eyes hurt.
Solarium with tiled fountain. I need to get me one of those!
We ate so well there. After Kim’s delicious dinner of homemade seafood gumbo and crusty bread, the next morning we shared a Mardi Gras King Cake, my first one. Then, we packed up the car, said goodbye to our friends at their one-of-a-kind home in Moss Point, and headed off into the sunny morning toward coastal Alabama, the next leg of the journey.
In Mississippi we also saw some quirky public art (read about that here), a warehouse filled with vintage pieces called the Lucky Rabbit, an African-American historic neighborhood and museum, and a town brought back to life by a young couple with big hearts and lots of energy. We also ate brunch and black bottom pie at the oldest restaurant in the state.
Beauty, history, family, friends, and food—all my favorite things. More about the epic road trip next time.
Have you ever been on a road trip like this? Do you have any travel plans this year? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear!
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