Gulf Coast Vibes – Pass Christian, Mississippi

For the past few years, our travel has focused on destinations that we can showcase to other travelers. After all, our blog was designed to spark ideas for others to enjoy for themselves. Once in a while we will break from the norm and take a little time for some rest and relaxation. Even during these rare moments, we are looking at the possibility of sharing it with all of you. We figure that if it’s something we enjoy, there may be some others that also want to seek the same results. The summer of 2021 offered us an opportunity to make our first visit to Mississippi and enjoy some Gulf Coast vibes. What we discovered is we can only sit still for so long, before we finally have to get back to exploring.

Making Waves

During the planning stage, I had made a list of various excursions we could make in the area surrounding Pass Christian, Mississippi. Our plans originally included a visit to Ship Island, which is home to Fort Massachusetts. Unfortunately, it was closed during our time in the Gulf Shores. Crystal agreed that we should replace it with time spent chilling on the beach.  The evening we arrived, we made time for a short beach walk. The calming sounds of the gentle waves lapping the shoreline helped us slow down our pace. We were looking forward to spending an entire day of relaxing. After dinner, we took a drive along Beach Boulevard to get the lay of the land. We made note of the various places that offer beach chairs for rent.

Sun & Sand

The following morning we practiced relaxing by sleeping in for a bit. After packing up our supplies for the day, we headed out for breakfast. Pass Christian sits at the western end of a long stretch of beach. About 20 miles to the east lies Biloxi and in between are a lot of shopping and dining options. In between these two points is a wonderful stretch of sandy beach. Periodically, we spotted groupings of beach chairs that offered some shade from the southern sun. The rental costs was reasonable, so we picked a spot that had access to nearby parking. This would be our base for a day of leisure.

Making Memories

Part of taking this break was also to acknowledge 40 years of married life. Like many, our travels have changed with time. During our younger years, we were focused on raising a family. Many of our trips revolved around visiting other family members during the holidays. When we did take a regular vacation, they were road trips. It was during those days that we honed our skill at cobbling together a multiple city itinerary.  Who would have thought it would serve us so well in later life.

Say Goodbye to 2021

In 2021, we experienced a return to the seashore. It had been five years since our last visit, which had been a cruise adventure with a pre-departure stay in Cocoa Beach, Florida. During that trip, we had wiled away hours walking along the shoreline. This trip felt different. We were in the midst of a pandemic, which had ground on the lives of everyone for over a year. The travel industry had taken it on the chin and we wanted to keep presenting a positive tone for those looking to escape the daily grind. Here in Mississippi, we were just wanting to let the waves wash away the cares for a bit. Our hope was that the Gulf Coast vibes would lift our spirits and renew our determination to paint a positive picture.

Gulf Coast Vibes

While our beach time was limited to one day, it worked wonders to lift our spirits. Just feeling the salt spray on our skin and hearing the gulls overhead helped us unwind. A good dose of Vitamin D was provided by the abundant sunshine and for a while we didn’t worry about the problems of the world around us. We knew that those concerns would still have to be faced, but for now we were unplugged. After all, it’s something we all need to do once in a while. Let go and just soak in some sunshine.