My husband and I were discussing vacation destinations the other day. We NEED to go on a REAL vacation – and soon! Because we have a dog, five cats and a tank full of fish and snails, we can’t go too far. We’re in the process of selling our condo so we can move upstate to be closer to friends and family. Once we move we’ll be able to go on a vacation because we’ll have people around us to help care for our pets.
We were discussing where we’d like to go on our first real vacation in about 10+ years. My father, who loves to go to Vegas every year, told us that there are some really great casino vacation packages available. To be honest I’m not into the whole Vegas thing. I went there once when I was a teen. I wasn’t impressed. I know it’s changed a lot, and has become more “family friendly”, but it’s not my “cup of tea”. What I had in mind is one of those fun outdoor vacations where you go boating, hike and even camp out. I want something a bit more fun then just checking out museums and historical sites.
I’m also one who likes to go places that are not very “touristy”. We do want to go back to Disney World some day, and my husband has always wanted to visit Dallas, TX (he’s a Cowboys fan) and California. I would actually love to check out the Gulf Coast region. I have seen pictures of the area and it looks wonderful. I love the quiet beaches, entertaining night life and amazing cuisine.
I was checking out the various vacation deals at the Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast website (www.VisitMSCoast.org). Mississippi is not a destination people talk about often, that is why I like it. I want to steer clear of touristy things and just enjoy myself. I don’t want to wait on long lines and deal with huge crowds. For me a vacation is meant to be a relaxing time, not waiting online forever to ride a ride at an amusement park.
Mississippi has a lot to offer, especially for families. My kids would go crazy for the water parks. They LOVE water parks.
My husband has never been on a boat before, and my husband and children have never gone fishing either. I would love to take a deep sea fishing excursion. I think that would be a lot of fun.
Although it’s already passed, they had a Biloxi Seafood Festival in Biloxi, Mississippi. OH I LOVE SEAFOOD! I would love to check out a seafood festival. I’m drooling just thinking about it. They love food in Mississippi, especially seafood since it’s so abundant there in the Gulf Coast.
I’m totally into nature and wildlife. I was excited to see that they have so many different excursions you can take where you can see wildlife up close in it’s natural habitat. Places like Davis Bayou Birding and Wildlife Viewing Area, Eco-Tours of South Mississippi and McCoy’s River and Marsh Tours sound like a lot of fun. Plus they are a learning experience because you’ll get to know more about the natural wildlife that resides in Mississippi. Although I don’t know if I want to get too up close and personal with an alligator. LOL! They do have Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tour available. Humm… maybe I’ll pass on that one. Ha Ha. Actually I would be interested in seeing the Alligators up close, but from a safe distance of course.
Mississippi has miles upon miles of beaches. There are plenty of places you can go to rent jet skis, boats or just relax on the beach. We live in New York so we don’t get to go to beaches too often. The only beach my family has ever been to has been on the Jersey shore. I think it would be a nice change of pace to explore other beaches.
On October 6, 2012 they are having a Wavefest on the beach held at Waveland, MS. There will be plenty of great music, delicious foods, costume contests, crafts and more.
If you are into golf (we’re not but I know a lot of people are) Mississippi has more golf courses then I can count! I saw pictures of a few of them and they are beautiful. You could easily spend your entire vacation golfing at a different course each day. They have courses that were designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
As I mentioned earlier I’m not into casinos, but if that is your thing, Mississippi has those too.
My kids are not into visiting historical sites. I am, depending on what it is. They have a historic walking and bike tour that sounds like fun. I especially love the idea of biking. Even if the kids are not into the historical sites or learning about history, I think they would have a blast riding bikes around town. Plus it’s exercise so it’s a win-win situation. 🙂
If you love shopping – wow – Mississippi has a lot of it. From quaint little “mom and pop” stores to big time discount outlets.
Check out this brief video that shows you some of the great things you can do in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. As soon as the commentator said “bonfire on the beach at sunset” I was sold. Oh! I would LOVE to do something like that with my family!
If you are reading this via e-mail you can see the video here, http://bit.ly/S5iPi3. There are also more videos on the VisitMSCoast.org website.
If you would like to learn more about visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast you can also check out their official Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/VisitMSCoast). There you will find up to date information on events and area attractions as well as hear what others have to say.
You can also find out more on the official Twitter page (@VisitMSCoast).
Have you ever visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast region before? If so, I would LOVE to hear about your experiences and if there are any places you feel are a “must see” when you vacation there. I’m especially interested in outdoor and natural activities.
Kimberly