Ocean Springs, MS Ultimate Travel Guide

My husband & I recently got to escape for a long weekend to the 62 miles along the Gulf of Mexico of Coastal Mississippi. Our…

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My husband & I recently got to escape for a long weekend to the 62 miles along the Gulf of Mexico of Coastal Mississippi. Our Coastal Mississippi getaway was filled with culinary delights, some of the most interesting museums & small town charm that I can’t wait for you to experience for yourself.

Where To Stay in Ocean Springs, Mississippi

The Roost Hotel Ocean Springs604 Porter Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Staying in a coastal town I feel like it’s best to go for a boutique hotel for the charm that just can’t be found in big chains. When we saw The Roost Hotel Ocean Springs, we couldn’t help but be charmed by the Ocean Springs boutique hotel with its mix of modern & classic style.

We stayed in the Heron Suite which had a full kitchen which was so nice for heating up leftovers we brought for a late night snack & making coffee in the mornings.

What to Do in Coastal Mississippi

Biloxi Shrimping Trip693 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

If you’re wondering if you should go on a 70 minute living marine cruise with Biloxi Shrimping Trip, short answer is YES! I learned so much but at the same time laughed so hard on our tour. The Captain pulled a fresh net to share what was in the water right at the moment, including puffer fish, a little too small shrimp, crabs & ribbon fish. This would be a great adventure to take the kids on or to go with just adults, it’s honestly a fun trip for all ages. Don’t forget your sunglasses though.

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art* – 386 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art designed by Frank Gehryin has an array of art in five separate buildings that are all one museum. Most of the buildings house pottery from The Mad Potter of Biloxi & represent the diverseness that is Coastal Mississippi through art.

Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum*115 E 1st St, Biloxi, MS 39530

Being immersed in the Coastal Mississippi towns that thrive off the seafood industry it was so interesting to be able to see how so much of it came to be with a huge array of exhibits on shrimping, oystering, recreational fishing, wetlands, managing marine resources, charter boats, marine blacksmithing, wooden boat building, net making, catboats/Biloxi skiff, a shrimp peeling machine and numerous historic photographs and objects. My favorite was the shrimp peeling machine, anything that directly deals with food is usually my favorite.

Downtown Ocean Springs

Downtown Ocean Springs in Mississippi is a must, we loved visiting the small shops & restaurants that lined this coastal downtown street. We opted to park at one end & walk from end to end to talk it all in. I loved meeting so many locals who were sitting with their friends laughing & talking to nearly every person who walked by. This small town feel was sure welcoming.

Walter Anderson Museum of Art* – 510 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Out of all the museums, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs was my FAVORITE. Much of his art was inspired by nature & the gigantic 3,000 sq ft mural that was commissioned for $1 in the Ocean Spring Community Center was overwhelming in its beauty. The jewel of the Walter Anderson Museum is the little room, this room was transported from his cottage to the museum location to share the beauty of the muraled room by the donation of his family.

And if you can get a guided tour, do so! It was such a treat to be guided through this gem of a museum.

Gulf Islands National Seashore3500 Park Rd, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

I’m always a sucker for a National park or seashore & the Gulf Islands National Seashore was a delight to drive through & explore. The wildlife was amazing, we saw a baby gator & a giant rabbit! It was such a peaceful drive & experience.

Downtown Bay St Louis via Hwy 90

On our last day in Mississippi, we decided to drive down HWY 90 until we got to Bay St Louis where we had a chance to explore some beaches & the cutest small town filled with shops & restaurants.

*All Places marked with ** are apart of the Gulf Coast Museum Pass

A pass that covers seven museums including The Biloxi Lighthouse and Visitors Center, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, The Walter Anderson Museum of Art, the Pascagoula River Audubon Center and the INFINITY Science Center for $35.

Where to Eat in Coastal Mississippi

Greenhouse on Porter Ave404 Porter Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

I feel like every time I take a trip there’s a place I just wish I could duplicate & put in my neighborhood. This time, this quaint biscuit & coffee joint would win that award. They have daily specials of both savory & sweet biscuits for breakfast with local coffees that are sure to please. Greenhouse on Porter Ave in Ocean Springs is always popping with events. If you’re taking a trip to Ocean Springs to make sure to visit their events page to see what will be on the calendar while you are there.

le bakery cafe biloxi

Le Bakery280 Oak St, Biloxi, MS 39530

Le Bakery in Biloxi is in a very unassuming building with THE best bread, I know.. we are talking about food & the food was delicious. I got the meatball which I pulled apart & dipped my french bread into, speaking of french bread..MY GOODNESS! I could have ordered a dozen of those & happily eaten them all myself.

Vestige 715 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

When you have a chance to have dinner at a restaurant with a James Beard Semifinalist Chef, you jump on it. And dinner didn’t disappoint with seasonal, ever-changing menus I bet you’d never get bored ordering here. They do have the current menu & pricing available on their website that you can check before going. I’d recommend making reservations for this small restraunt that fills up quickly.

French Kiss Pastries –  714 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

One morning when all I needed was a coffee & some sort of pastry we wandered into French Kiss Pastries for a morning bite. The cinnamon roll had my mouth watering & I quickly decided I didn’t want to share with my husband anymore. Sitting outside was great for people watching & listening to a local who was practicing his guitar.

White Pillars1696 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39531

White Pillars in Biloxi is a must! The menu is ever changing to keep with the farm to table fresh, I could easily rattle off what I had for dinner but it’s not on the menu anymore so it wouldn’t do you any good. But here’s the thing…EVERYTHING we had was SO. GOOD. I couldn’t help but think I wish I had one more evening to redo the whole evening in Coastal Mississippi since it was our last dinner of the trip. If they by chance have ramen with pork belly & shrimp on the menu when you go, GET IT!

One of the most surprising items for us to finish was the seafood tower, I thought everything sounded delicious..the husband isn’t interested in most seafood, well he DEVOURED nearly everything & couldn’t stop talking about how fresh it all was!

One thing I couldn’t help but notice was that there were no white linens as expected from such a glorious eating experience, that’s because the tables are all hand-crafted by Mark Perrot at Mississippi Farm Tables. The whole restaurant shines with Mississippi pride, from pottery/dishes crafted by a Mississippi artist to even the soaps that are used in the restrooms being locally made.

Menus & pricing are available on their website.

Thank you to Coastal Mississippi for kindly hosting this trip.

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