Dear Clare: Do you know any good places (within 5-8 hours driving distance) that would be good for a family trip with children? I would prefer something that is not a normal “tourist” attraction. ~ Leah
Dear Leah: I’ll give you three options in opposite directions, that way you can choose what suits your interests.
Visit New Braunfels & San Antonio Texas
If history, caves and watersports sound appealing, look west at New Braunfels. Skip the waterpark and go straight to the river for tubing or kayaking. Look at Texas State Tubes in San Marcos for a less crowded experience. The Natural Bridge Caverns are a popular attraction, but they’re worth it in my opinion and they offer aerial rope courses, zip-lining and a maze. If this sounds too pricy or crowded, look at the Cave Without a Name in nearby Boerne. If old ruins are your thing, hop over to San Antonio for a day. Walk or bike the Missions Trail which is 16 miles roundtrip and about 2.5 miles between each stop. If you can squeeze it in, stop at Hot Wells of Bexar County, a free walk through an abandoned resort hotel. Find lodging at Airbnb or Vrbo or stay at Holiday Lodge on Canyon Lake.
Mission Concepcion, San Antonio. Photo by LeVan Smith III on Unsplash
If hiking and the beautiful gardens are calling, look north to Arkansas. You can stay put in one area, like Hot Springs, or hit the hotspots with a road trip. If I had 6 days, this is what I would do. Start in Hot Springs to visit Hot Springs National Park and stretch your legs by hiking the trails directly behind the park. Make sure to go inside Fordyce Bathhouse. End the day at Garvan Woodland Gardens, which has something fun for all ages whether it be beautiful nature walks, a giant tree house or fairy houses. Stay at Gold-Inn Hot Springs or rent an Airbnb. We did this as a multi-generational trip and you can read about it at What I Learned on a Family Trip.
Garvan Gardens
Head north toward Dardanelle and take your pick of hiking at Petit Jean, Mt. Nebo or Mt. Magazine State Parks. Petit Jean and Magazine have affordable lodges (including yurts). Extend more nights here or keep on going to Bentonville. Stretch your legs at the free Devil’s Den State Park along the way. In Bentonville, visit Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, an architectural masterpiece with 4 miles of trails through 120 acres of forest. Not into art? Skip Bentonville and stay at Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca so you can hike or canoe the Buffalo River (my personal favorite). It’s an 8.5-hour drive home from Ponca, so consider reversing this trip if you prefer the long drive at the beginning.
Buffalo River, photo courtesy nps.gov
Visit Florida’s Emerald Coast
If this all sounds too hot or exhausting for family trips, look east to Florida’s Emerald Coast which stretches from Pensacola to Panama City. Look at quieter beaches at one of these state parks: Gulf Islands National Seashore, Grayton Beach, Henderson, Deer Lake or Topsail Hill Preserve. If you want real dunes, go with Deer Lake or Topsail Hill. If you want to truly escape, drive to Shell Island. This hidden gem near Panama City is a local favorite for those who can do without restroom facilities. For non-beach activities, look at Man in the Sea Museum or Air Force Armament Museum. You may also like trail riding with Western Pleasure Riding Stable, a great way to see wild Florida with some safe distance from snakes and gators. Your challenge with this trip is finding affordable lodging. Expect to pay around $250/night, unless you get lucky and find a campsite available at one of the state parks. This trip is best planned far in advance so you have more lodging options.
Photo by NATHAN MULLET on Unsplash
For quick family trips, visit Mississippi Coast
If looking for a quick beach getaway, look at the Mississippi coast. The water isn’t as pretty but the beaches at Pass Christian, Long Beach and Gulfport are pretty and have great boardwalks for biking or rollerblading. You can rent kayaks to add some adventure or visit the Mississippi Aquarium. Long Beach is my favorite beach and Ocean Springs has the best food scene, including the famous Tatonut (where people wait an hour in line for a donut). You can read more about this getaway at Why We Love the Mississippi Coast.
There are some good things that came out of 2020, and one of those was our discovery of the Mississippi coast. Having grown up in Louisiana, I’ll confess to having some pretty snobby opinions about our neighbor. Mississippi has always been the state we pass through to get to the Alabama or Florida beaches. But in 2020, when Eric and I were desperate to get away and needed something close, we booked an AirBnB in Long Beach and FELL IN LOVE. We loved it so much we went back again in 2020 and stayed in Gulfport for 4th of July. We repeated that same holiday trip in 2021. Yes, the water is brown like it is in Louisiana, but here’s why we love the Mississippi coast…
For starters, Gulfport is only a 4-hr drive from Lake Charles (assuming no traffic). Second, the beach that stretches from Pass Christian to Gulfport is one continuous offering of clean white sand with just enough smattering of dunes to make it interesting. Unless you’re near a condo or hotel, you’ll have the beach practically to yourself, and they all offer free parking, good public restrooms, and wide boardwalks. Third, walking or riding bikes through Pass Christian or Ocean Springs is a real treat. The streets are canopied with moss covered oaks and the homes are beautiful. Eric and I are more beach walkers than swimmers, so a quiet beach with great walking paths is more important to us than the quality of the water.
Have I enticed you yet? If so, here are my suggestions for a quick trip to the Mississippi coast…
WHERE TO STAY
Look for rentals on AirBnB or VRBO away from hotels and casinos. Anywhere between Pass Christian and the west side of Gulfport is a safe bet for quiet beaches. When looking at Gulfport try to avoid anything east of the Visitor’s Center, as it starts to get touristy past that point and the beach isn’t as nice. Ocean Springs is our favorite town on the Gulf and you absolutely MUST visit it even if you don’t stay there. We don’t like the beach in Ocean Springs because it’s too small and crowded, but we love the artistic hippie vibe of this town.
Gulfport is our top choice for 4th of July because they do a big fireworks display on the beach. We sit on the east side of Gulfport so we see Biloxi’s fireworks as well. Some of the best displays, however, come from the locals on the beach who really know what they’re doing.
locals on the beach display
Gulfport’s city display
If you’re going for the fireworks, rent something close enough to walk to the beach. It’s easy to park at these beaches, but you have to arrive early if you’re going for the fireworks and it’s a traffic nightmare when you leave.
WHERE TO EAT
Ocean Springs is the sweet spot for foodies, but if you like casual pizza joints or pub food then you can find something in any of the coastal towns. Here are our favorites:
Ocean Springs
You’ll know you’ve reached Tatonut Donut Shop when you see the long line of people wrapped around the block. I still haven’t had one yet because I’m not willing to wait in line for an hour, but next trip we’re waking up early and getting there when they open. These iconic donuts, made from potato flour, have been a family business since 1960. For a great history and photos of Tatonut, click HERE — you’ll understand why people wait in line after reading it.
The Greenhouse on Porter is exactly what it says — a greenhouse. Open for breakfast or lunch, this quirky space takes biscuits to a whole new level, plus they have pimiento cheese sandwiches which makes me a fan for life. If you go on the weekend, consider takeout because they’re popular and there’s really no place to wait.
Lunch on our balcony
Vestige is our choice for dinner. We love that vegetables get as much attention as the proteins and that they menu changes according to what’s locally available. If kumquat kosho paste and chantenay carrots gets you excited, this is your kind of place.
There are several great options for coffee, but we like The District Coffee Company. It has a great cozy beach vibe and good food options.
For a culinary experience, look at what Food Booze Hiccups is offering. They teach classes and host outdoor dining events in town and on the beach. We’ve tried to go but their events were always sold out. This is one to plan way ahead of time and book early.
The Saturday farmer’s market is small but the vendors are excellent. When we went in July, Fungi Bob and his daughter were selling lions mane mushrooms and homegrown root beer mixes. We were lucky enough to buy fresh pasta and bolognese sauce from Chef Danie, who when not running restaurants or selling at the fresh markets also teaches cooking classes. Both Bob and Danie were wonderful to visit with and full of advice for Eric.
OS Fresh Market buys
Health food markets don’t normally make the “where to eat” lists, but I must mention Five Seasons Whole Foods Market because they have such a good selection of hard-to-find items and the owner, Jan Walker, was such a delight to meet. Her face lit up when we told her she carried all the items we like and she filled our ears with her life story and passion for healthy foods. I want to return with my parents so they can meet Jan and reminisce about being “whole foods oriented” before it was trendy.
Gulfport
C.A. Sarducci’s Pizzeria has a good atmosphere and is located in downtown Gulfport next to Fishbone Alley, which is simply a mural covered alley connecting a bunch of fun restaurants and bars. This is a fun place for those who like to socialize. If you prefer brick oven pizza, Tony’s Brick Oven Pizzeria is only 3 blocks away.
Boozer’s Brew & a Cafe Too is a cozy place for breakfast or lunch in Gulfport. They have good salads and protein shakes for those trying to eat healthy.
Good Karma Cafe is another good choice for healthy eaters. This Gulfport cafe defines themselves as vegan cuisine with Indian/Malaysian fusion and their menu changes according to what’s in season.
WHAT TO DO
Besides long walks on the beach or bike riding through town, these are the “to do” items on our list for future trips:
Speaking of museums, the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi is a fun place and it’s only a $10 admission, as opposed to the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport which looks really cool but I’m not sure the $30 admission is worth it.
If I was doing a girls trip, I would add shopping in Ocean Springs. The boutique shops on Washington Avenue are excellent. For consignment shopping, try Back on the Rack or Anna’s Closet in Gulfport. And of course, there must be a bookstore stop and that would be Southern Bound Book Shop in Biloxi.
So there you have it, plenty of reasons to visit the Mississippi coast, especially if you prefer quiet beaches with southern architectural charm.
