Getaway for a Day :: One Tank Trip to the Beach
Looking for a summer beach getaway, but don’t have the time or money for a week in Destin or an extended weekend in Gulf Shores? Consider taking a day trip to the Mississippi Gulf coast. On one tank of gas and less than two hours in the car, you and your family can be enjoying the beach.
My husband had mentioned several times that he wanted to take a day trip to the beach. We packed up our beach chairs, ice chest and beach bag and set off on our road trip. We had a general idea of “Mississippi” and that we wouldn’t be going to Gulfport or beyond. We have our annual trip to The Oasis planned for later in the summer. Check out our experiences at the Oasis with kids and without.
Where to Go
We made a few stops along the way to our final beach stop. Our first stop was in Waveland, MS at the Waveland Lighthouse and “comfort station.” We initially stopped here because toddlers always need a toilet. Waveland offered the closest beach to Baton Rouge, and the lighthouse had clean public restrooms, picnic tables, and a dedicated parking lot. We decided to keep exploring but used this stop to take a restroom break and apply sunscreen.
Next up along the beach road was Bay St. Louis. Old Town Bay St. Louis was hopping on our drive. We decided not to stop; however, there were lots of eateries, antique shops and places to take in the view. To us, it seemed like a great place for an adults only stop, but this day we had 2 kids in tow.
We headed over the bridge and the bay to Pass Christian and decided to find a place to stop. There were clear views, sandy beaches and easy parking. Just pull off to the dedicated parking spots, head down the ramp/steps and setup your spot. Our ice chest had our lunch and snacks. We spent 4 fun filled hours on the beach. The kids had a blast! There was a chorus of “I love the beach,” “we had so much fun,” “when can we go back?” Sand castles were built, shells were found, feet were buried in the sand and splashed in the waves. The water was shallow and the kids were able to wade into the water with ease.
While the MS Gulf coast may not have the sugar white sand and emerald colored water of more popular Gulf Coast destinations, it does have soft sand for the kids to play in and water to keep you cool. More importantly, it gave us a chance to spend the day together as a family, make memories, and then sleep in our own beds that night all for the price of a tank of gas!
