Friday, March 29, 2013

TOO COLD FOR THE BEACH, GO FOR A DRIVE

Tuesday, March 26 – With cool temperatures persisting, we by-passed the beach and took a ride to Biloxi, Mississippi, this afternoon. We took the beach highway (90 & 110) along the coast enjoying the beautiful view.

house by beach

house by beach

It's amazing to see remaining effects of Hurricane Katrina (It hit in 2005.) in the area. There are many vacant lots, most for sale, and trees still struggling to survive.

In most cases, it appears the local economy is booming as a result of Katrina. New buildings everywhere. Road construction, beach renovation, new stores and retail establishments are evident all through the area. It seems that if you were insured, or able to get a government grant, you could rebuild bigger and better. It's the uninsured or underinsured homeowner that has their lots for sale. Now maybe they'll be rewarded with a cash bonanza once the land sells!

rebuilding

New docks everywhere.
new docks

boats

As we drove the beach road, we noticed that spring break wasn't happening in this area. Could be due to the very cool air.

beach

We stopped at two lighthouses. The first was at the marina in Bay St. Louis. This is a beautiful marina that has been re-built and expanded since Katrina. Looks like a great spot for community events like concerts or craft shows. The sidewalks along the pier would make for a nice walk on a summer evening.

park

ship island sign

With the only deep-water harbor between Mobile Bay and the Mississippi River, Ship Island was used by early explorers as a base for further explorations along the Gulf Coast.

Ship Island Lighthouse and our truck.
DSC04229

The next lighthouse is the famous Biloxi Lighthouse. Obviously, it survived Hurricane Katrina and several others since it was built in 1848. You can take tours of the lighthouse and even climb the 57 steps to the top – for a fee.

biloxi lighthouse

biloxi lighthouse

A very historic event took place right across the street from the lighthouse.

civil rights wade in

wade in

We then returned to the campground and enjoyed sitting out in the sun – not in our bathing suits though. We did venture to the beach to enjoy the sand and watch the waves wash in. Soon the cool wind forced us back to the wind-block the RV provided.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!