Being a teacher, I get the pleasure of staying home with the boys all summer long. We spent most of June home and by the time July had got here, we had the vacation itch. We had a week long family vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama planned and were going to head there on Sunday but we just couldn’t wait any longer. We decided to begin our vacation early on Thursday with a trip to Centennial Plaza. Centennial Plaza in Gulfport, Mississippi had been on our list of places to visit for a while. Mostly, because it’s a quick drive for us and the boys love the water. We booked super last minute (like the day before we left) so the Oasis (which is the hotel with rooms that sleep 4 or more) was sold out. We were able to find a king room at the Centennial (another hotel on the property) and just bring an air mattress for the kids.
Do you see those faces? Those are the faces of two boys who had just been introduced to snackle boxes. I bought two tackle boxes from Walmart and filled them with all of their favorite snacks for the road trip. They had never been so quiet and entertained in the car before!
When we got there we decided to take a walk around the grounds. They have two hotels, a water park, a few restaurants, beautiful old trees, and a few buildings that they have not turned into anything yet! Centennial Plaza was originally constructed to celebrate Mississippi’s centennial, but that never happened due to World War 1. It was then a Navy training facility, a veteran’s hospital, and now a resort!
After our walk we headed to dinner at The Blue Marlin, which is one of the restaurants on the property. We were able to eat on the porch where we had a clear view of the ocean. The restaurant was surprisingly empty. We were maybe one of 5 families dining there. The food was nothing spectacular but the drinks were fancy and fruity, just how I like them. I got one called the Deck Wrecker, which could be very dangerous if you drink it too fast. Despite the food being just okay, I’d go back to have a drink and sit on that porch. I’m all about the atmosphere, ambiance, and experience.
We ended the evening with a walk on the beach. Why did I think my kids could just walk on the beach? They ended up soaking wet in a matter of 15 minutes. We let them play for a bit before walking back to our hotel room for the night. The boys were excited to play at the waterpark the next day.
We had breakfast in the window sill, because who doesn’t do that? Also because they had been asking to go to the water park since 6:30am and they had to “watch” to see when it opened. Once it opened, the boys were in hog heaven. They ran around the kids play area like they owned it but once they found the big water slides that was all they wanted to do. We let them run wild and we followed behind, until lunchtime. I could see the little one slowing down and that he needed a break from the heat and sun so we changed out of our suits and headed into Biloxi to find some lunch. I’m not sure how but I was able to snag reservations for The Sugar Factory in The Hard Rock on open table while we were in the car. I knew the kids would get a kick out of the fancy drinks and colorful food. While those burgers were pretty, we won’t be back. After lunch, as per dad’s request, we had to find a brewery to visit so off to Chandeleur Brewing we went. The kids were able to play games, we sampled a few things, then we finished off the day back at the waterpark.
The next day we headed out to the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. It was such a cute children’s museum. The boys enjoyed the outdoor attractions like the little town and the treehouses. Then we went inside for some dramatic play. We had such a good time watching them pretend to be cashiers, veterinarians, and ice cream shop workers. If we are ever back in Gulfport, I’d like to go back for another visit!
The boys started getting hungry around noon so we headed into Ocean Springs. A visit to Ocean Springs has been on my bucket list since I helped a friend plan a trip there a year prior. It is the CUTEST coastal town. I mean, we pretty much decided that if /when we ever buy a vacation home it should be there. We walked the streets, did not do as much shopping as a I would have liked (because, boys) and checked out a few breweries, of course. Craft Advisory Brewing and Bistro is where we chose to have lunch followed by a walk to Lost Spring Brewing Company. If you had to choose between the two, Lost Spring is our recommendation! We love the atmosphere of breweries. They are so laid back, have games for us to play, and always have some type of special treat for the kids. My kids have had more fancy homemade root beer than I care to admit.
We went back to the beach following our afternoon in Ocean Springs but this time we brought swimsuits. The kids ran and splashed and wore themselves plum out. This little taste of the beach only made us want more. Lucky for us, we were headed to Orange Beach the next morning!
Ocean Springs definitely was the highlight of this trip, for me anyway. Now, I’m trying to figure out how to go back without the kids!
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