Nature Trail and the Pensacola area are wonderful places to call home! However, sometimes it is a treat to take a quick trip out of town for a meal or an overnight stay.

R’Reileigh’s Daybreak Cafe (yes, that is how it's spelled) in Lillian, Alabama, is a family-owned restaurant serving Southern Comfort food. A favorite morning treat is a huge homemade biscuit with jam or sausage gravy. If rustic is your style, enjoy barbecue at The Shed. This Blue’s Joint was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Drive on to Ocean Springs for a fun time to explore for a day trip or overnight. The #1 rated attraction is the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. Both the art and life story of Walter is most interesting! Shearwater Pottery, founded in 1928 by Peter Anderson, has been restored since Hurricane Katrina's damage and offers a variety of pottery for sale.

The historic downtown area of Ocean Springs is walkable and is filled with a variety of shops and restaurants. Some of my favorites include The Pink Rooster Fine Art, Buff Soap Company, Miner’s Toy Shop, J. Laurie Shoe Boutique and a branch of Pensacola’s Lee Tracy clothing boutique.

Madison de Lu is a popular restaurant offering outdoor seating on a patio by either a fireplace or huge cascading waterfall. For more upscale dining, we have enjoyed dinner at Phoenicia Gourmet. Pralines are made fresh daily at The Candy Cottage and the nearby Fudge Shack.
Ocean Springs offers a variety of lodging choices. Our favorite is The Inn of Ocean Springs, a boutique bed and breakfast boasting luxurious rooms in the heart of activity!

Biloxi is the next city to visit. We are all familiar with the gaming casinos but Biloxi offers other choices to enjoy. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art showcases the ceramics and art of George and Annette O’Keefe. The buildings and grounds are very modern in design and should not be confused with artist Georgia O’Keefe.

A Biloxi institution is the famous Mary Mahoney’s French Restaurant. Three generations of the family have served elegant meals and shared history with diners. The building, built in 1737, has had numerous uses including being a military hospital.

Still standing and surviving many storms and hurricanes is Beauvoir, the 1848 built home of Jefferson Davis. The home and gardens are open for tours and a history lesson.

Next door, the city of Gulfport ranks second only to the state capitol, Jackson, in its number of Mississippi residents. The Sports Complex, Mississippi Aquarium, model Train Museum, the Grand Bear Golf Club plus other sights make this area a popular destination.

Continuing West on Hwy. 90, you travel with Gulf views and fishing boats on the left and MUCH housing construction on the left.

Bay St. Louis is a charming coastal village offering some glimpses of the past and growing with New Orleans residents seeking a quiet retreat for new homes. An overnight stay at The Pearl Hotel and a seafood dinner were welcome after a busy day of travel.

Our last town to visit was Waveland. This area was named Ground Zero after being the center of Hurricane Katrina damage. The city continues to recover from storm damage and has opened a museum in a historic school listed on the National Trust.

To continue our journey to New Orleans was very tempting! However, a stay in that city deserved a trip of its own!