A lot of people have written to say that they have been visiting Biloxi for years and are saddened by what has happened to our beautiful area. They wonder what there is to do if they come for a visit. Well, things are still a mess. Without discouraging everyone, things are slow to come back. Many businesses are gone, as are the restaurants along the beachfront. Those gone are Red Lobster, Ryan's Steakhouse, The Outback in Gulfport, The Olive Garden, McDonald's by Edgewater Mall, Bonefish, O'Charlies on the Beach, Landry's Seafood House, Wendy's by Edgewater Mall (as of Jan. 2007 it is being rebuilt), Cajun's Fried Chicken, Denny's, Alberti's (moved to Ocean Springs), Hooter's, Sonic, McDonald's by the Town Green, International House of Pancakes, the Waffle Houses (although one is being rebuilt close to Main Street), Ruby Tuesday's, Hunan's, and the Roadhouse Grill. The French Connection is now an art gallery.

Restaurants Open in Biloxi

On the Beach:

Biloxi is sorely lacking in good restaurants now. We usually go to Ocean Springs, which is getting all of the new restaurants. That means a long trip around on I-10 since the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge is down.

Mary Mahoney's nice restaurant is back, and is better than ever, but the cafe is not open yet. Of course, there are the restaurants at the casinos if you don't mind smelling like a smoke stack when you leave. Some are really bad, some are not cheap but decent, others are high priced but good. We tried the Memphis Q the first weekend it was open, and we could not hear each other talk because of the extremely loud music coming from Coast, a nightclub next door with no wall separating. If you are young and used to screaming noise (i.e., music???), you may not mind. Cigarette smoke was awful.
Burger Burger is back in downtown Biloxi. If there are others you know about, please let me know.
Basically, the restaurant forecast for Biloxi is pitiful.

Along Pass Road

Pass Road doesn't have any good restaurants; mostly fast food. There is McDonald's by Keesler Gate Seven, Mr. Greek, Taco Bell, Burger King, Backyard Burger, Steak-out (delivery), and McAllisters. We still have Yuki's plus another Japanese place on Eisenhower Drive, as well as King Buffet.

On the Highway

Out by the highway on Cedar Lake Road we have Kentucky Fried Chicken, Captain D's, and Sonic. Blessedly, we say in the paper that an Applebee's will be built there. If you go north on I-110 out of Biloxi into D'Iberville north of the highway, you will find an Outback Steakhouse with long waits, a coffee shop and Italian cafe combo, Chili's, Beef O'Gradeys (sports pub) and Ruby Tuesday's.

Fun Things

The Amusement Park is gone. Wet Willy's is gone. The souvenir places are gone. You cannot get a sea shell in Biloxi. Beauvoir Home and Museum are gone. They are planning on rebuilding eventually.

Unless you enjoying spending all of your time in the casinos that have reopened, there isn't a lot to do downtown; however, I am going to list some things that you can do. You may need to refer back to my main Biloxi page to get further information about some of the attractions.

I will list some things that are in other cities and not in Biloxi as it isn't too far a drive to go and
find some fun things to do. If in another city, I will list which one)

The Biloxi Shrimping Trip
Back in operation at Biloxi Small Craft Harbor (Hway. 90 and Main St.)
$12.00 and $8.00 www.gcww.com/sailfish

Ocean Strikz Bowling Alley
A and open on Pass Road just into Gulfport.
8960 1450 or islandstrikz.com
It is smokefree! Serves lunch, has an arcade.

Movie Theaters:
Grand Fourteen in D'Iberville is open
Cinemark is open at Crossroads in Gulfport
The IP Hotel and Casino has a movie theater

(The Biloxi Ten did not reopen after Katrina, and I really miss it. It wasn't too crowded. We won't go to The Grand Fourteen on a weekend because it is flooded with teenie-boopers whose parents have dropped them off and all they do is run around, make noise, and use their cell phones in the theater). The Silver Screen at Edgewater Village is also gone. So is the Hardy Court Cinema.

Biloxi Schooners
The Biloxi Schooners have a new home at a new pier on the beach across from the construction site for the new George Ohr Museum just west of the Grand Casino.. They have walk-on tours most days, and the trip is worth it.
$25.00 and $10.00 Phone 435-6320

Cat Island Adventures
Boat tours to Cat Island (in Long Beach)
228-223-1650

Gulf Islands Water Park
North of I-10 in Gulfport
Cost per day: $27.95 for adults, $19.95 under 42".
www.gulfislandswaterpark.com

Lynn Meadows Discovery Center (Gulfport)
Mississippi's only children's museum, now reopened
897-6039 or www.lmdc.org

North Star Sailing Charters & Academy
Point Cadet Marina - Cruises, daily trips by appointment during the week
617-8057

Ship Island Ferry (Gulfport)
msshipisland.com 864-1014
Daily during the summer; weekends in Spring and Fall
No amenities on the Island, but the fort is O.K. and the beaches still there on what's left of Ship Island.
It now has a five mile cut between East and West Ship Island. A good getaway from the mainland.

StennisSphere
Stennis Space Center has interactive exhibits, entertaining and educational displays that reflect the history and mission of NASA.
Tours begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Mississippi Visitor's Center close to the Louisiana state line. Free admission.
800-237-1821 www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/news

Art on the Coast

Katrina put a whammy on art on the Gulf Coast; however, artists are a resilient breed and while their creativity might have been dampened for a while, they (we) are very resilient and our creativity cannot be dashed for long. Nor can the love of art by those who live here, and the deep need in people to connect with the beauty and expression of art and photography cannot be dimmed.

Shortly after Katrina hit, on the first weekend of November, the Annual Peter Anderson Art Festival in Ocean Springs was held. Barely two months after Katrina, when people were still living in tents and camping out on their bare lawns that once held their homes and all of their worldly possessions, people flocked to the festival. The first day, rain poured off and on all day long. Vendors had to put up their tent walls. People with umbrellas came inside the tents and bought. They bought are to reconnect with their souls, for art is necessary for the soul.. It was their first chance to purchase something that meant something to them, to bring back some happiness, and to replace the art collections that they lost. They bought for themselves, and they bought for gifts for others. These people had no walls to put the art on. They just embraced it and held on to it as a symbol of hope that things would get better and that someday they would have a home again.
A month later, the same thing happened in Biloxi. Christmas in the City arts and crafts festival was held. People were truly grateful that those artists who still had work left were making it available.

Artists
The Gulf Coast is a haven for artists. Along the coastal towns, there are at least seven art associations. There is a considerable amount of artistic talent in the various mediums; some are represented in studios outside of the area and outside of Mississippi.
Many of the Gulf Coast artists lost everything. They lost all of their supplies, they lost their studios, and they lost their art that was stored in their studios and their homes. Many were not able to enter festivals and art shows for almost a year. Due to the generosity of people from all over the country, artists here have been given grants to rebuild studios, purchase equipment and supplies, and get back to work. Supplies have been donated by art organizations and suppliers like Cheap Joe's, and distributed to artists who lost theirs. Some artists lost their homes as well.
I know two sisters whose home was flooded who were lucky enough to be able to rent the tiny guest house of a local resident. They barely had room to turn around, much less create art, but they managed to create because the urge was too strong to just sit back and wait for more room. They are luck enough to be able to move into their gutted and rebuilt home next month, over a year after Katrina.
Another good friend's home was flooded so badly that the house was dangerous with floors buckled and covered with mold and muck. They salvaged little, and she lost all of her equipment, supplies and art. The only art she had left was a few pieces that she had moved to a friend's home prior to the storm that was earmarked for a one-woman show. She lived with others for months, and finally got the tiniest FEMA trailer that they had available. She jokes that she would prop her painting on the top of the stove (which was the only space available to paint) and bake cookies at the same time. Her urge to paint overcame the cramped quarters, and she was able to enter a weekend festival this past May.

Local Galleries
Many people who visit towns and communities love to see the local art galleries - I know I do. It is a good thing to do when on vacation. Below are some of the places around Biloxi you can visit.

What was lost:
In Biloxi, we lost the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum and Gallery above the Biloxi library, Moran's Art Studio and Gallery, the Martha Mabey Gallery in the Vieux Marché and a good bit of the new Ohr Museum under construction on the beach. In Gulfport, we lost
The Gathering Place and the Harrison County Library where an entire meeting room held the works of the Gulf Coast Art Association. All along the rest of the Coast, especially in Bay St. Louis, galleries were destroyed, leaving artists with no place to exhibit and sell their work.

What we have:
In Biloxi, we have a new gallery, the Andrew Jessup Gallery, on Pass Road. The Morans are moving their gallery to Ocean Springs to dry ground. Their studio and home was wiped away by the storm surge.
Mood, a new gift shop that carries art, is located near Porter Avenue on Howard Avenue.
The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum is mounting shows in other places such as the local community college's gallery and in the two libraries that have reopened. Art classes are again being taught around the Gulf Coast. In December 2006 they opened in a temporary location, the Glenn L. Swetman Home, which was deeded to the city upon his death. Visit their web site for information.
In fact, check the local newspapers for news about art shows and exhibits and festivals. When in doubt, ask. There are regular art festivals held throughout the year except for the hot summer months, and the coldest winter months.
In Ocean Springs, the Walter Anderson Museum is open and wasn't damaged. The Art House, a local artist co-op is open on Cash Alley, one street east from Washington Avenue. A total of 26 artists exhibit their work in various mediums.
Gina's, an antique store, carries a good variety of art. Mocha Moose, a coffee house, features artists. There are others in Ocean Springs, so it is worth a trip. Check with the Chamber of Commerce (located in the Depot) for directions and more information.

My Southern Creations photography is available at Mood, Gina's and the The Art House.

Art Shows, Exhibits and Festivals through the end of 2006
(Those I'm in are in Bold)

(Forgive me if I am ever out of date on this one, as there are always shows and exhibits coming up)

Ohr Rising - Gulf States Competition
Jeff Davis Campus - GCCC Art Gallery through Sept. 25, 2006

Memories of Point Cadet
Oct. 10 - Nov. 3 - Margaret Sherry Library and West Biloxi Library
Sponsored by the Ohr Museum

Biloxi Seafood Festival (some art)
September 26 & 27 - Biloxi Town Green

Diamondhead Arts and Crafts Festival
September 16 & 17 - Diamondhead, MS

Peter Anderson Festival
Ocean Springs - first weekend in November - a huge Festival!

Fall Around Downtown (It's a maybe for me)
Gulfport - October 14

Christmas in the City
Downtown Biloxi - Vieux Marche - December 2

Weather:

Links to More Biloxi pages:

If you are interested in seeing my photography, click here.

Biloxi Official Web Site

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
about Biloxi and the Gulf Coast.

Y'all come visit!