Only a couple of weeks ago, myself and two other friends decided to take a girls weekend, which we try to do once a month at least, when husbands are working. Even though we only live about an hour and a half away from the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast, it often times gets overlooked for trips to other destinations even further away. This particular weekend was just a Friday night and Saturday, before heading back home on Saturday night.

Dining Bajou Style at the Blow Fly Inn

One thing about my group of friends is, we definitely enjoy our fair share of food. So, once we checked into the hotel in Gulfport, we decided to find some unique, but local food. One of our general rules while traveling is to never eat at a chain restaurant. We can eat that anytime, anywhere. We decided on the Blow Fly Inn located in Gulfport at the very end of Washington Street, on a river-like tributary from the Big Lake. I had first noticed it on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, then gradually, I heard many people talking about the food and overall experience.

Using our GPS, we found the restaurant in no time and since the sun was just starting to set on this humid evening, we decided to eat outside on the deck. I ordered the bayou chicken pasta and my two friends ordered the seafood platter and the friend oysters, respectively.

Having traveled all over the southeastern United States on business and tasting the food of each of my friends, I can definitely say the food at the Blow Fly Inn is overall one of the best I’ve ever had. Typically, when you’re traveling anywhere along the coast, you can expect most local restaurants to serve most seafood. This is the case here and they do it very well. However, an extensive list of appetizers, salads, and pastas, is also available.

Ship Island Excursion on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Following a continental breakfast at our hotel and packing a small cooler with sandwiches for lunch, as well as other snacks, we left to board a Ship Island Excursion ship for a half day trip. After boarding Captain Pete, we prepared ourselves for the 11 mile trip to the island by lathering up with sunscreen and putting our hats on to cut down on sun damage. I suggest reading up on the history of Ship Island before your excursion, because you will appreciate it much more. The island was named in 1699 by French explorers, then, during the War of 1812, 60 ships and nearly 10,000 British troops sought refuge here. The island also became a Prisoner of War Camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. These facts were just a few of the astonishing history of this island.

We spent the day on the island, sun bathing and hiking. Even though we didn’t do so on this trip, we are very interested in going back to do a little metal detecting. Fort Massachusetts calls Ship Island home and is very interesting to view on your own, or with a Park Ranger.

We returned to the shore around 3:30PM and even though we had lunch and snacks on the island, they were long gone and our stomachs were ordering us to find something else to eat. We were all hoping for something fast, yet filling, because we needed to get on the road home fairly quickly. One such place was suggested to us and even though it was in Pascagoula, we were assured it would be well worth the trip, some 30 minutes away. We were also told to try to stop by The Old Place. in Gautier if we were taking Highway 90 to our next destination.

Located just off Highway 90 on Oak Street in Gautier sits The Old Place. Being a history teacher, my interest was peaked immediately after laying eyes on the 150 year old structure, surrounded by 100 live, ancient oak trees. Even though the gates to the property weren’t open, it was well worth the stop to gaze upon the magnificent piece of property. I know weddings and other events are hosted here quite often and if you ever find yourself in the area, I would definitely suggest a visit.

Best Poboy in Mississippi

Only a few more minutes down the road and we arrived at Bozo’s Seafood and Grocery, a true hole in the wall eatery. Known for their seafood poboy’s and fresh seafood, we knew we were in the right place. I ordered the lump crab meat poboy and my two other friends ordered a small shrimp poboy each. Total, our mean was less than

$30. Completely unreal for the price because it was, across the board, the best poboy any of us had ever had.

Brandi taught high school for 5 years before emergency brain surgery sidelined her daily life and she began writing. Perry’s first novel was Wayward Justice . A Whisper on the Bayou was Perry’s second novel and in February 2013 was in the early production stages to become a motion picture through Out There Productions in Austin, Texas. She writes full-time from her home in Columbia, Mississippi.