Fleeing Biloxi
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We rolled into Biloxi in the afternoon and set up at Davis Bayou Campground, part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. After a long stretch on the road, we dropped the camper and immediately shifted priorities to something important: a good meal.
Davis Bayou Campsite
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Dinner was at Bacchus on the Bayou, and it was exactly what we needed. I ordered a shrimp platter for $12.50, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I paid that little for fresh, tasty seafood. It felt like one of those rare road wins and a great way to kick off our time in Biloxi.
The next morning, on our way out of the campground, we stopped by the Gulf Islands National Seashore Davis Bayou Visitor Center. We chatted with the Park Ranger there, and he mentioned he was leading a guided kayak tour that evening. Officially, registration was already closed online, but he said he certainly wasn’t going to stop two kayakers from paddling along with the group. We told him we’d see him later that evening as tag alongs.
With kayaking plans in place, we headed into town for laundry day and some wandering. We checked out the Biloxi Visitors Center, which is hands down one of the fanciest visitor centers I’ve ever seen. It looks like an antebellum mansion, even though it was only built in 2011. From there, we walked around the lighthouse and the small beach nearby, enjoying a calm, easy afternoon.
That calm didn’t last long.
I got a call from my mom asking if I knew about the incoming weather. I didn’t. A quick look at the forecast made things clear fast: severe storms were moving in, with tornadoes expected. There was a narrow window to get out safely, and we weren’t about to ignore it.
So much for kayaking.
We rushed back to camp, packed up, and got out of Biloxi ahead of the storm. On the way, we stopped at an unassuming little spot called Vera’s Seafood, where we found some seriously good crawfish. If plans were going to change, at least dinner could still deliver.
We kept driving until about 9 p.m., finally calling it a night at a Cracker Barrel parking lot in Lafayette, Louisiana. Not the Biloxi stay we’d planned, but sometimes the road — and the weather — make the decisions for you.
The next morning, on our way out of the campground, we stopped by the Gulf Islands National Seashore Davis Bayou Visitor Center. We chatted with the Park Ranger there, and he mentioned he was leading a guided kayak tour that evening. Officially, registration was already closed online, but he said he certainly wasn’t going to stop two kayakers from paddling along with the group. We told him we’d see him later that evening as tag alongs.
With kayaking plans in place, we headed into town for laundry day and some wandering. We checked out the Biloxi Visitors Center, which is hands down one of the fanciest visitor centers I’ve ever seen. It looks like an antebellum mansion, even though it was only built in 2011. From there, we walked around the lighthouse and the small beach nearby, enjoying a calm, easy afternoon.
That calm didn’t last long.
I got a call from my mom asking if I knew about the incoming weather. I didn’t. A quick look at the forecast made things clear fast: severe storms were moving in, with tornadoes expected. There was a narrow window to get out safely, and we weren’t about to ignore it.
So much for kayaking.
We rushed back to camp, packed up, and got out of Biloxi ahead of the storm. On the way, we stopped at an unassuming little spot called Vera’s Seafood, where we found some seriously good crawfish. If plans were going to change, at least dinner could still deliver.
We kept driving until about 9 p.m., finally calling it a night at a Cracker Barrel parking lot in Lafayette, Louisiana. Not the Biloxi stay we’d planned, but sometimes the road — and the weather — make the decisions for you.