Spend some time exploring these towns along the coast of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida that offer outdoor fun and great food.
By Abigail Epperson, F488212
February 2021
Jason Epperson displays part of the catch on the Biloxi Shrimping Trip.
Sugar sand, blue skies, a cool breeze, and the Gulf of Mexico stretching out as far as the eye can see. This is the beauty of the Gulf Coast shoreline, and if you find yourself heading to FMCA’s “Another Day In Perrydise” convention in March, then I can’t recommend enough adding on a little time to visit the Gulf. In the four years I’ve been full-time RVing with my husband and our three kids, the Gulf Coast remains a place we try to return to as often as possible, and considering it’s a big, beautiful country out there, that’s saying a lot.
The Gulf Coast — where the Southern states meet the Gulf of Mexico — includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, also known as the Gulf States. Keeping the Perry convention in mind, I’d like to point you toward the treasures of the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida Panhandle shorelines.
Biloxi, Mississippi
A stop in the Biloxi area is an absolute must, and there is only one campground we ever want to call home when we visit: Davis Bayou Campground, part of the National Park Service’s Gulf Islands National Seashore. Located in Ocean Springs, only a short distance from Biloxi, Davis Bayou is a no-frills campground, just how I like my federal campgrounds. It’s big-rig friendly (we camped there twice in a 38-foot converted school bus), and it offers water and electric hookups at each site, clean showers, and a community dump station. More importantly, you can explore the boardwalk trails, where miles of marsh transition to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi was designed by famed architect Frank Gehry.
Davis Bayou is the perfect jumping-off point for exploring the surrounding area, and some of our favorites include a day excursion to Ship Island and an outing to the Biloxi Lighthouse and the adjacent Biloxi Visitors Center. Or take a ride out with the Biloxi Shrimping Trip and learn just how important shrimping is to the local community.
For a budget-friendly option, check out the Coastal Mississippi Attraction Pass. For $45 a person, the pass gives you access to numerous attractions in Biloxi and the surrounding areas. They include the lighthouse, as well as the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, which was designed by famed architect Frank Gehry and boasts local art alongside a huge collection from its namesake, Mississippi master potter George Ohr. The museum is a Smithsonian affiliate.
Katrina Pieces at TatoNut Donut Shop in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
If it’s a delicious meal you are hoping to find, look no further than White Pillars, a place where we enjoyed one of the best meals we have ever had. While Pillars is a bit pricey, but it is absolutely worth it, and the location and views can’t be beaten. I recommend the bone marrow and steak burger, the shrimp and grits, and the deliciously decadent derby pie.
If you’re looking for something quick, but just as delicious, make sure to check out The TatoNut Donut Shop and go right for the Katrina Pieces. It’s a doughnut born in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and made up of the irregular edges of dough that typically are discarded. It’s been copied across the country, but this is the original. Let me tell you, it is one of the best doughnuts I’ve ever had, and when paired with a cup of chicory coffee, well, I can’t think of a better start to the morning.
Whether it’s the beginning, middle, or end of your Gulf Coast journey, Biloxi, the town I called home for just a few childhood years, is well worth a visit.
The Eppersons head out for a family bike ride in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Gulf Shores And Orange Beach, Alabama
A beach town in every sense of the word, Gulf Shores, Alabama, is one of those destinations where you don’t have to go far to do a lot. At the heart of it all is Gulf State Park, located only a mile and a half from the beach. Featuring full hookups, an on-site laundry facility, a swimming pool, hiking and biking trails, a playground, a volleyball court, and so much more, this state park includes more than 490 paved campsites and is one of the best state parks we have ever stayed at.
Outside of the state park, Gulf Shores and its neighbor Orange Beach are all about the outdoors. Rent a bike from Beach Bike Rentals and take off on the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail. This was the first time our family had ever done a family bike ride together, and the trails are perfect for the casual rider or for the enthusiast. It’s the perfect way to catch a Gulf sunset.
Ethan Epperson takes the helm during the Cetacean Cruises “Sunset and Dolphin Nature Cruise.”
If you want to head out on the water, rental jet skis from Flora-Bama Marina and Watersports are the way to go. It’s operated by a great group of people, who helped make this novice jet skier feel right at home zipping around on the water. An absolute must-do is a cruise with Cetacean Cruises. Their “Sunset and Dolphin Nature Cruise” is the perfect way to finish out your time in the area. To be out on the Gulf as the sun sets is truly magical, and something my boys still talk about two years later.
The Gulf, in Orange Beach, Alabama, is a casual beachfront eatery featuring seafood and other fresh, local cuisine.
But it’s not just outdoor activities the area is known for; its food scene rivals that of any other Gulf Coast town we’ve visited. Grab dinner at the beachfront restaurant titled simply “The Gulf,” and enjoy outdoor seaside dining with a rotating menu of some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste. I highly recommend the blackened mahi-mahi tacos and a coconut mojito. For family fun, Lucy Buffett’s LuLu’s in Gulf Shores is perfect, and if you can snag a table along the canal, you can watch boats roll up and dock as hungry boaters jump out for a bite to eat. For breakfast, you can’t beat Tacky Jack’s in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The mimosas at Tacky Jack’s make for an excellent start to your lazy brunch adventure.
If you’re looking for the feeling of an island escape without leaving the lower 48, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, are your kind of towns.
Pensacola, Florida
The Pensacola Lighthouse challenges visitors to climb its 177 steps.
The Pensacola, Florida, area holds a very special place in my family’s heart. It was here that we Midwesterners, new to full-time RVing, really felt like we had left the landscape we’d grown up with and entered a whole new world. To swim in the sea in March and April? That’s unheard of to us Chicagoans. We are lucky if we are wearing only two layers in April.
When it comes to camping in the area, there is just one place we will ever stay and that is Fort Pickens Campground, part of the Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore. Out on Santa Rosa Island, Fort Pickens is another no-frills federal campground with water and electric hookups at each site, as well as a community dump station. You can take the mile-and-a-half walk from the campground to the only Southern fort held by the Union during the Civil War. If you were to ask my kids what their favorite U.S. national park site is, Fort Pickens would rate very high, if not the highest. There is something incredibly special about this place, and being able to stay on-site only adds to the magic. The coastal fort was built in the early 1800s, but fortifications from many different eras can be found here.
Naval Air Station Pensacola houses the Naval Aviation Museum.
Pensacola Bay sheltered America’s first navy until air combat became prevalent. The Navy base, Naval Air Station Pensacola, is right across the bay from Fort Pickens and is home to the Naval Aviation Museum, one of the best museums in the country. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a rehearsal of the famous Blue Angels, who have their base there. This hands-on museum features more than 4,000 artifacts and 150 vintage aircraft, including the cockpit of an old Blue Angels plane you can climb right into. It provides an entire day of exploring, and it’s entirely free.
The Blue Angels make practice flights near the Navy base.
From there, make time to visit the nearby Pensacola Lighthouse and climb the 177 steps to the top. The steps are not for the faint of heart, and I only made it to the first landing before turning around. My husband made it all the way up and took in a pretty amazing view.
Of course, Pensacola’s food scene won’t be outdone by Biloxi or Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. For a fantastic outdoor dinner, complete with outdoor games, check out Red Fish Blue Fish. Have pizza on the boardwalk at Papa’s Pizza and try to grab an outdoor table by the window. If you do, you’ll be treated to chefs flinging your pizza dough high in the air before turning it into a delicious pie. If you’re looking for local brews, you can’t go wrong with Big Top Brewing Company.
Red Fish Blue Fish restaurant in Pensacola features outdoor dining and fun.
The Pensacola area truly is a special place, and while it can feel like a big tourist trap during peak season, staying on the island at the Fort Pickens campground balances it all out and offers a chance to connect with nature and some of the prettiest sugar-sand beaches you’ll ever bury your toes in.
A journey along the Gulf offers a peek into a life that is influenced by the water crashing along its beaches. As you make your way to or from Perry, Georgia, I can’t encourage you enough to head for the coast and enjoy everything these Gulf Coast towns have to offer. You won’t regret it.
Editor’s Note: When planning a trip, be sure to check for closings related to damage from recent storms and for restrictions that might be in place because of COVID-19.
Biloxi Resources
Davis Bayou Campground
(Gulf Islands National Seashore)
www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm
(850) 934-2600
Biloxi Lighthouse and Visitors Center
www.biloxi.ms.us/visitor-info/museums/visitors-center/
(228) 374-3105
Biloxi Shrimping Trip
https://www.biloxishrimpingtrip.com/
(228) 392-8645
Mississippi Coastal Attraction Pass
https://www.gulfcoast.org/plan/deals/attraction-pass/
(228) 896-6699
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Of Art
www.georgeohr.org
(228) 374-5547
White Pillars
www.biloxiwhitepillars.com
(228) 207-0885
The TatoNut Donut Shop
(Ocean Spring, Mississippi)
(228) 872-2076
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Resources
Gulf State Park Campground
www.alapark.com/parks/gulf-state-park
(251) 948-7275 ext. 1
Beach Bike Rentals
www.beachbikerentalsorangebeach.com
(251) 968-1770
Flora-Bama Marine and Water Sports
www.fishflorabama.com
(251) 980-5222
Cetacean Cruises
www.cetaceancruises.com
(251) 550-8000
The Gulf
www.thegulf.com
(251) 424-1800
Lucy Buffett’s LuLu’s
www.lulubuffett.com
(251) 967-5858
Tacky Jack’s Orange Beach
www.tackyjacks.com
(251) 981-4144
Tacky Jack’s Gulf Shores
(251) 948-8881
Pensacola Resources
Fort Pickens Campground
(Gulf Islands National Seashore)
www.nps.gov/guis/index.htm
(850) 934-2600
National Naval Aviation Museum
(Located at Naval Air Station Pensacola)
www.navalaviationmuseum.org
(850) 452-2894
(850) 452-3296
Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
(Located at Naval Air Station Pensacola)
www.pensacolalighthouse.org
(850) 393-1561
Red Fish Blue Fish
www.redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com
(850) 677-8899
Papa’s Pizza
www.papaspizza.com
(850) 934-1198
Big Top Brewing Company
www.bigtopbrewing.com
(850) 466-2072