Ocean Springs, Mississippi got its start as a French colonial fort called Fort Maurepas way back in 1699. The fort was founded by the famed Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and was used to protect French interests in the area from Spanish encroachment. The city was incorporated in 1892 as Ocean Springs, named after the natural springs found in the area. Today, Ocean Springs is an enchanting coastal town with a thriving artists community. There is a lovely beach with a pier jutting out into the gulf for fishing or just relaxing with a good book. Downtown if bustling with shops, galleries, restaurants and bars and is a nice break from the nearby casino-centered towns. I really enjoyed my visit to this quaint seaside community shaded by ancient oak trees draped in Spanish moss. It was cool to see the Mardi Gras decorations up while I was there and I even got to see the town’s Mardi Gras parade during my visit. If you ever find yourself cruising the Mississippi Gulf Coast, be sure you take a minute to stop into Ocean Springs for a look. You might just find yourself sticking around longer than you had planned. I sure did. I hope you enjoy these photos from Mississippi’s City of Discovery.
Hey y’all, it’s time for another edition of This Week on the Road. It’s going to be a short one this week because I only really spent the first couple of days of the week on the road. Since Saturday I’ve been relaxing here in New Orleans, spending time with my friends and enjoying the Mardi Gras weekend. I did have a great few days along the coast to wind up my time in Mississippi though, and wanted to share what I got up to out there.
My week started in Pascagoula in the rain, but I quickly moved on to Ocean Springs. I really liked this quaint and quiet seaside town with its thriving artists community, pleasant bars, and good restaurants. It seemed like a vibrant and livable place. My first stop was a restaurant I’ve wanted to get to for a while: The Shed Barbecue and Blues Joint. The Shed is a South Mississippi Institution, and occupies a huge, ramshackle building just north of the interstate. The Shed is the kind of place that chains have been trying to emulate for a long time, but with little success. The place is full of old beer and traffic signs, mismatched furniture and dollar bills hanging from the ceiling. It’s the real deal though with great food, wonderful employees and an all around good feel to it. I went with the ShedHed Sampler which came with all seven of their smoked meats and three sides. For $26 I didn’t expect too much, but what came out was amazing. It was a tray piled high with food, enough to fill me up that night, and also for lunch and dinner the next day as well. It was a great meal and experience and I will definitely come back to The Shed in the future. After dinner, I went for some live music and a few beers at the Glory Bound Gyro Co. on Government Street. It was a little chilly, but not too cold to enjoy the outdoor seating area which had a beachy feel to it. I sat by the palm tree and enjoyed some acoustic music there, and later popped in for a quick beer at a place called The Juke Joint. I really liked this divey bar in a hundred year old house a mile or so from the main part of downtown as well.
