Photo by: Shutterstock/Rob Hainer
In the spring of 2015, I decided to take advantage of our family’s new home on the East Coast to explore the South. As I planned a three-week road trip, I knew that I wanted to spend some time on the beach in Alabama and make a stop in New Orleans. Looking at the map a bit more closely, I took note that the gulf coast of Mississippi lay smack in the middle of those two destinations. And, of course, I thought, “What’s there to see on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast?”
Surprisingly, I learned that southern Mississippi is a place where families can see ecological conservation at work; the Pascagoula River is the largest unaffected river flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Not so surprisingly, families can also experience the seafood industry firsthand from the moment the shrimping boat leaves the dock till that shrimp comes out on a restaurant plate at dinner. While it’s possible to drive Interstate 10 through southern Mississippi in just about an hour, families who drive on through will be missing out on learning about the natural side of America’s Gulf Coast.
The Pascagoula River
Photo by: Melissa Moore
The Pascagoula River is the largest free-flowing river in the continental United States. Only a small percentage of the wetlands and forests adjacent to the river have been developed, and there is no major shipping traffic on the river. The lack of dredging and commercial activity leaves plenty of diverse habitats for wildlife to flourish and consequently, over 325 bird species have been identified in the river’s watershed. Eco-tours of South Mississippi offers all types of tours of the Pascagoula River from all-inclusive two night swamp tours to a two-hour introductory tour of the bayou and swamp lands near the mouth of the river in Gautier.
Our two-hour tour included me, my two children ages five and six, and a group of three European tourists. Either Americans are not aware of what a rare treasure the Pascagoula River is or they are smart enough not to book a tour on a sweltering July morning. Either way, I am grateful that I was able to show my kids the conservation efforts and diverse wildlife on the Pascagoula River while we traveled along the Gulf Coast.
Photo by: Melissa Moore
The tour begins in the marshes just outside of Gautier before going under the Interstate 10 Bridge. In the South, these marshes with slow-moving water are called bayous. As our tour moved slowly through the bayou, we saw great blue herons flying over the water, ospreys in their nest, white ibises seated high in a cypress tree, and dozens of giant black grasshoppers commonly referred to as lubbers. Then after over an hour on the water, the boat slowly turned out of the bayou and into the swamp where we continued to see birds but also saw bald cypress trees hung with Spanish moss seemly growing right out of the water.
Did we see a gator on the tour? No, not really. The tour guide saw a large shy gator with whom he was familiar, but the gator swam down into the water before the guide was able to show him off to the group. However, we didn’t care; unlike other tours that we took during our Southern road trip, there was no baiting of animals on this tour. With Eco-tours of South Mississippi, visitors go out into a relatively unspoiled environment and simply see the animals in their own habitat.
Seafood and Shrimp
Photo by: Melissa Moore
When in Mississippi, eat shrimp, learn about shrimp, go out on a shrimping boat, and catch shrimp. The Biloxi waterfront is full of shrimping boats with their large nets often in view on the stern of the ship. Set aside near the McElroy’s Seafood Restaurant is a boat just for tourists. Biloxi Shrimping Trip takes visitors out on the water of the Mississippi Sound for a 75 minute tour educating everyone young and old about trawling for shrimp on the Gulf Coast. The nets are set out and the catch, including fish, crab and, of course, shrimp, is brought up for everyone on the boat to see. The crew is great with kids and goes out of their way to make the tour an educational, hands-on experience.
Once the kids have seen how the shrimp are caught, climb up the stairs for a casual dinner or lunch at McElroy’s Harbor House Seafood Restaurant with a view over the beach, harbor, and all of those shrimping boats. After learning all about shrimp, even my kids were willing to give the popcorn shrimp a try.
Maritime Museum
Photo by: Melissa Moore
Finally, with older children drive down the road to the beautifully rebuilt Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. If your kids still have any questions remaining about how the Gulf Coast seafood industry operates or its history, they can be answered at this museum. Inside is the sailboat Nydia, a wooden boat made in Biloxi around 1898; it sits on the first floor of the museum as a gorgeous centerpiece. If you’re interested in setting sail on a piece of Biloxi history, the museum sails two Biloxi oyster schooners, replicas of ships that sailed the area in the late 19th century. It is making an effort to make these sailings family-friendly by allowing kids to help with the raising and the lowering of the sails as well as other tasks about the ship.
History and Hurricane Katrina
My first visit to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast was in the summer of 2015, but it would be remiss not to mention the effect that Hurricane Katrina has had on this region even a decade later. Beauvoir, the retirement home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is located about 5 miles west of the Biloxi Harbor along the coast. The home remains open for tours despite being severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and is still one of the top tourist attractions in the region.
Every museum, tour, and historic attraction on this area of the Gulf Coast has a story to tell about Hurricane Katrina. From the large boat that we saw stranded aside the Pascagoula River to the pictures of Beauvoir before and after the disaster. It’s just as important for kids to learn about this recent history and its effect on the nature and people of the Gulf Coast as it is to learn about the ecosystems of the Pascagoula River or life of Jefferson Davis.
For more ideas of kid-friendly activities, restaurants and hotels in the area check out this Mississippi Gulf Coast with Kids Itinerary.
Discolure: The author was hosted by the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and provided a tour with Eco Tours of South Mississippi and entrance into the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum. All opinions are her own.
