Western Gulf Coast Trip Report

 

I left after work on Thursday and drove almost to Gulfport, Mississippi.  After an early wake up, I arrived at the coast just after sunrise and captured a few nice shots. 

In Mississippi, there is zero surf on the mainland because it is blocked by barrier islands and the Mississippi Sound.  The sand is nice and white, but the water does not look too appealing.  It is even less so once you actually get in as it is brown and smells nasty too.   Fortunately, this state does have a beach with rideable waves and nice water too. You just have to take a 1-hour boat ride to Ship Island.  I had read that it rivals the beauty of the Emerald Coast in FLA/ALA but I would not go that far.  Surf was minimal but that was a risk that I was willing to take.  I’d rather have that happen than see the water closed to swimmers due to currents and high surf as has happened in FLA/ALA.  For the record, I’ve gone in on red flag days plenty of times and never felt unsafe.  I would not allow for young children however.  Still, I caught a few small waves on the board, which was enough to check off Mississippi and complete the Gulf states.  For the Atlantic, I only need Maine, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.  I’m glad I did this once, but I am unlikely to return.

I left Gulfport around 4 and arrived as planned in Houston around 10:00 that evening.  I had a drink at a local bar but did not meet any characters here.  The next morning, it was a walking tour of Buffalo Bayou Park with nice views of the city skyline. 

I got cleaned up then hit the road about an hour south to Galveston.  Here, the water was clearer than I remembered, and the surf was pretty decent too.  It rained for a few minutes, but I never left the water because there was no thunder or lightning.  Soon, the sun was back out.  I didn’t have too much time here because I had a full day ahead.  

Next stop was the NASA museum, which had some really cool exhibits.  I marveled at the technology available and the power of the human mind.  From there, it was a stop at the San Jacinto monument to Texas Independence from Mexico which featured an observation deck similar to the Washington monument and an interesting film about Texas history. 

I would leave here just before 5 PM and made it to Baton Rouge for the night after a quick stop at Lake Charles.  

Here, even though the bars were closed, I did meet a couple characters.  One was a drunk girl who flirted with me a bit.  She didn’t believe that my teeth are real and repeatedly asked how much I paid for them.  The next morning, I did a walking tour that included the Mississippi River, State Capitol and a Greenway park. 

My last destination before home was Dauphin Island, Alabama.  I was worried that the surf would be too rough because of the approaching hurricane but it was perfect.  Plenty of long rides to the shore.  Several head shots but no knock downs.  Just an hour or so east, Pensacola was closed.  Next time, Dauphin Island is a realistic option.  The beach is not nearly as nice but to me, the water being open is a lot more important.