Biloxi
and the
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Inquiring minds want to know:
What is there to do in Biloxi since Hurricane Katrina (in southern
colloquium) tore the Gulf Coast smack dab up?
After you read this page, to on to my new page:
"Biloxi Remains"
Hurricane Katrina and Our Recovery
Read about the Mississippi Renaissance Garden.
End of Katrina Information
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The Coliseum sustained a lot of damage right after a massive restoration project began. Much of it is now back in use. |
| our area is often called "The Southern Riviera". We are rich in heritage... long before the white man set foot on coastal land, the Biloxi Indians lived here. The Spanish, French,Slovak and Vietnamese cultures have melded with the Louisiana Cajuns, English and plain old Americans to create a unique area. Biloxi was discovered in 1699, and before that, for thousands of years it native Americans lived here. Biloxi is an Indian word meaning "first people". There are stories of arrowheads buried on the Coast, and pirate's gold buried in the waters close to Cat Island. Eight flags have flown over our shores (Coastal Mississippi) during our history, and these eight flags, although in controversy because of the Confederate Flag, have traditionally been displayed on the beach at the end of Debuys Street to represent the nations that have governed the Mississippi Gulf Coast since the first French colony. When 9/11 occurred, they were replaced with eight United States Flags. It is my opinion that the US Flags should remain rather than stir up more controversy about which is the correct Confederate Flag. French (1682), English (1763), Spanish (1779), Lone Star of the Republic of Florida (1810), American (1811), State of Mississippi's Magnolia Flag (1861 - 1894), Confederate (1881 - 1865), and the present Mississippi State Flag (1894 to the present) . To View the Flags, Click Here. |
| Biloxi was 300 Years Old in 1999, and celebrated a yearlong series of activities to commemorate its birthday. |
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Here are some of the shrimp boats waiting to be blessed at the annual Blessing of the Fleet that is held each year just before shrimping season opens. |
Shrimp boats at the Blessing of the Fleet 2001. © L. Nix
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| Shrimping
is very much part of our heritage. We are known for our fresh shrimp and oysters,
and in years past we had the biggest canneries of oysters and shrimp in the whole
world. At one time, we were the shrimping capital of the US We still do catch
an important amount of shrimp, and the locals love to have Shrimp Boils. Although
the casinos have taken over much of the front beach area that used to be home
to docks and canneries, Back Bay still supports the shrimping industry. In the
year 2000, millions of pounds of shrimp were netted. |
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Barq's Root Beer... First bottled in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adoph Barq, Sr., it is now the most popular and best-selling root beer in the country! Barq's
recently celebrated its Drink
Barq's - It's Great! And it's the only root beer the "natives" drink
<g>. |
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Biloxi has been my home for the past 30 years. It is situated along a 26-mile stretch of man-made beach (the longest man-made beach in the world), and the drive along the beach is always beautiful and relaxing, no matter what time of year. In spite of the fact that it gets awfully hot and humid in the summertime (can you say "sauna"?), it is a beautiful place to live. We have beaches with palm trees and sea oats; wooded areas full of live oak trees, magnolias, pine, pecan, dogwood, and cypress; swamps and bayous; rivers and bays; and five barrier islands on which to sail and frolic. The winters
are very mild, offering a few real cold spells that always kill tender vegetation,
but many days of shirtsleeve weather. The only bad thing about living here is the possibility of hurricanes, and we do have them every so many years. Sometimes they are bad, sometimes not so bad. Each year during hurricane season from June through October, residents must be prepared to evacuate in case a big one is approaching. This doesn't happen too often, but enough to make you respect the danger.
Golfing is a big pastime (and tourist attraction because of our many golfing packages)... a variety of excellent courses can be found on the Coast. The Nike Classic is held here. You can contact almost any hotel or motel to find out about golf packages. People who come to visit often end up moving or retiring here. I hear from people who vacation in Biloxi every year, sometimes year after year. We have Snowbirds who spend every winter here. Southerners are friendly, and the seafood and Cajun delicacies offer some of the best food you can put in your mouth. Although traveling Highway 90 is hectic now due to the casinos, it is still a laid-back place to live.
At this site, you will learn about some of the attractions you can see, and find out about some of the fun things that you can do while you are here. We not only have outdoor activities and adventures -- we have all kinds of educational and cultural events, also. We have an ice hockey team (the Sea Wolves); a professional football team (The Fire Dogs), a new soccer team (the Beach Kings); several tennis clubs, several art museums (including the George Ohr Museum (George was the Mad Potter), numerous little theater groups, art galleries and art exhibits, the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra; several branches of Gulf Coast Community College, two four-year colleges (William Carey and University of Southern Mississippi Long Beach), and a branch of Tulane University; casinos with Las Vegas-type entertainment; and special events such as the Bolshoi Ballet and Moscow Symphony Orchestra. And Festivals... we have them almost continuously up and down the Coast almost every season! Check the Chamber of Commerce and City of Biloxi web sites for lists of schedules. We have a coliseum located right next to the beach with famous artists performing regularly. Cher came here not once, but twice for her "Neverending (her words) Farewell Tour" The Beau Rivagé Casino, a first class resort, was home for about two years of the internationally known circus, Cirque du Soleil, with its "Alegria" production. It, along with the Grand Casino, usually have big name entertainers that runs for limited engagements. I've mentioned the Casinos -- you can learn about them through the "City of Biloxi - Playground of the South" link. I don't want to devote space on my site for casinos when you can find information elsewhere. We are the third largest gaming state in the country (some see this as good, other see it as not so good), and have some fairly large casinos, one of which rival those in Las Vegas. Coast nightlife has always jumped, but with the addition of casinos, we have famous entertainers on a regular basis. You are never lacking for something to do here in Biloxi.
The Arts While we may not be
as sophisticated as large metropolitan areas, we do support the arts. The Gulf
Coast Symphony Orchestra is excellent, and was selected over two other symphony
orchestras to play with Pavaratti when he performed here. Click back to my home page to read about the area in which I live -- it describes the Back Bay and the animals that are native to the area. . Then click to my Spanish Moss site to read about the beautiful Spanish Moss that grows on our trees.
The 26-mile Gulf Coast stretches from one city into another along the beach so that you hardly know you have left one town and gone into the next. If some of the attractions you are interested in are in another city, they are really very close. Traveling from east to west, you have Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis. Each of these towns has its own festivals, many of which are seafood-oriented. Just across the bridge east of Biloxi is Ocean Springs, a quaint, artistic community with it's own heritage, and just across the bay from Pass Christian is Bay Saint Louis, an artist colony also known for its antiques.
Ever wonder what the Gulf Coast looks like in Winter? Click on the photo above to fantasize... Spring
and Fall each bring mild weather. Lots of activities occur during these seasons.
Summer is pure de hot and humid (a Southern Colloquialism) ! Cruising the Coast is held in October on Biloxi Beach. It attracts thousands of classic cars from as far as California for a week-long parade of oldies along the Coast Highway, Hwy. 90 (one of the most dangerous highways in the country - just ask our insurance agencies). So, drive carefully, and if you are dawdling and gawking at the sights, stay in the right lane and let the locals zoom on by in the left. Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet is in May. July
brings us the big 4th of July Fireworks Display Towns
along the Coast have Oyster Festivals, Crab Festivals and Shrimp Festivals. Seafood
abounds in our local restaurants. Here, a sailboat is going at full sail heading from Biloxi to Ocean Springs, with Deer Island in the background. Each of the Coastal cities has a yacht club, and they often host big regattas. Several times a year our two old Biloxi schooner replicas enter races... The Glen L. Swetman and the Mike Sekul are a beautiful site to see! Biloxi
Schooner
Our sound (the shallow part of the Gulf of Mexico) is a playground for sailboats, wind surfers, wave runners, fishing, crabbing, schooner racing, deep sea fishing rodeos, and boat races. It is also a breeding ground for shrimp, oysters, and crabs. Mullet (our famous jumping fish) are considered a delicacy and are served up as "Biloxi Bacon". We don't have the beautiful, clear blue-green water that the Florida Panhandle has because of the barrier islands, but we still enjoy the beauty of the Gulf and enjoy the water. All we ask, if you use our beaches,
is to keep it clean, and if you see anyone else littering, ask them
to pick up their trash. There are decorated trash cans place along
the sand beach that were made by professional and amateur artists
each year in a "Paint the Can" contest .
Playful bottle-nosed dolphins may follow along as you motor or sail out to the islands. I even spotted one in the channel between the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor and Deer Island one year during the Blessing of the Fleet as it surfaced while following a boat. Christmas on the Coast There is nothing like a Southern Christmas! Our traditions encompass those of the French, Vietnamese, Cajuns, African Americans and the South, There probably isn't an area in the country that decorates as much as we do. It's a "Southern" thing. Houses are decorated with lights; lawn glow with thousands of ornaments, themes, and lighted reindeers abound. We have Christmas on the Water, and each town seems to have recently started having "Town Christmas". There is something to do from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas and until New Years. And the food! My, oh My! Don't try to go on a diet during the Holiday Season. Christmas In Biloxi Christmas on the Water is held on the first Saturday Night in December. It begins at the Broadwater Marina around 5:45, and slowly sails its way down past the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor where the reviewing stands and judges are located. The Friday night before the Town Christmas Tree is lighted, and the Town Green is set aglow with thousands of Christmas lights. Homes all along Highway 90 and the beach are decorated, many of which are ante-bellum homes. . In fact, many homes in Biloxi are decorated with beautiful lights all over town. When it comes to Christmas light displays on lawns, Biloxi is second to nowhere. People love to decorate their homes and lawns, and it is so much fun to drive around and see all of the decorations.
 About
Biloxi: City of Biloxi - Playground of the South
Museums and Art: George E. Ohr Art and Cultural Center: The Mad Potter
Attractions:
Accommodations: (Some of these may not still be available) Biloxi
Hotels Father
Ryan's House Bed & Breakfast Holiday
Inns and Noteworthy Links For Biloxi (Please don't ask me to recommend a hotel. I've only stayed in one, and it was very nice... the Isle of Capri on my honeymoon night before heading to Hawaii.)
News and Weather: Newspapers:
The Ocean Springs Record
Television:
Channel 11 on Cable
Weather:
Shopping Main Malls are: West Biloxi on
Highway 90 --Nearly 150 stores. On I-10 and Highway 49 South Crossroads Mall Highway 49 and I-10 North
Other Links that may interest you:
Links to More Biloxi pages: If you are interested in seeing my photography, click here. What's left in Biloxi after Katrina? Back to Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Click Here for more places to Visit... Click Here for good places to eat The history of flags that flew over Biloxi Biloxi and Gulf Coast regional recipes Click
Here for more information
Community Links:
To view my Magnolia Web Site, click on the magnolia button:
To see my pages about Spanish Moss, click here.
Y'all come visit! |
To My Home Page - "The Essence of Magnolias"
View my Southern Creations, Inc. Photography
| Biloxi is smack dab in
the middle of Magnolia Country. Everywhere you look you will find the beautiful,
magnificent Magnolia Grandiflora trees. If you are lucky enough to be here in
late April and May, you will have the experience of a lifetime viewing all of
the gorgeous blossoms. In September you will get to see the trees brimming with
stunning red seed pods.
Visit my magnolia pages to see lots of magnolia photographs . |
Page started June 4, 1998.
Page updated September 18, 2005
October 7, 2007
Latest 4/18/08.
