A Week in Pass Christian, MS
Over spring break we paired up with the Ward family for a co-family vacation to Pass Christian, MS.
Early on Saturday morning we loaded up our cars and set off on our 10 hour drive from Northwest Arkansas. We pulled out of my driveway nearly an hour later than we had planned, but once we got going, we stayed on course and made good time with minimal stops. We arrived before dinner time and more importantly, in time to see the beautiful sunset on the beach.
We rented a bright blue beach house that was very accommodating to our families. It had 3 bedrooms, a well-stocked kitchen, two separate living areas, 3 bathrooms, and a utility room with a front loading washer and dryer. The house was built on pillars like many others in this easy to flood area. This space was designated for parking and offered several good places to hang a hammock. There was also a deck that wrapped around the house. It had two tables with plenty of seating and a couple of lounge chairs. The house had a huge yard with trees all around it and was located less than a quarter of a mile to the beach. It also came with bicycles and a beach cart which we made good use of throughout the week.
The morning after we arrived, we got up, ate breakfast, and then hit the beach. I LOVE mermaids, so of course I brought my homemade mermaid tail with me.
I know, I know… Hi, my name is Danielle, I am 33 y/o, and I want to be a mermaid.
The kids thought it was cool to so that made me feel a little less dorky.
Seriously though, those mermaid tails are awesome but expensive! To get a swimmable tail with a mono-fin included it’s like $120 to well over a thousand dollars online, so homemade was the only way to go for me! The rest of the group, being a little more realistic, brought some folding chairs, a small cooler, and relaxed listening to the waves, the birds, and giggling from the kids having a blast playing in the sand and surf. It was wonderful. Bradley on the other hand, was ready to explore rather than just chill on the beach so he started walking down toward the marina. He ended up walking approx. 9 or 10 miles IN FLIP FLOPS! hahahaha.
The rest of our time in Pass Christian (with two exceptions) was similar to our first day. We all hung out at our beach house, and checked out the local restaurants, shops, and beaches.
Bradley did lots of fishing and handed out some samples of his fishing lures. He makes his own custom fishing lures and they are pretty cool. You can find more info. about them via this link: Fishin’ Fools Custom Lures
We had 2 “field trips” while we were on vacation:
#1 We decided to take the 45min. trip to New Orleans, LA
I have been trying to visit this city for years. I have been fortunate enough to travel to 48 of 50 states now and experience a lot of different things but I knew this city would be a new experience for me. I am fascinated by it’s deep French roots, superstitions, religious traditions, celebrations, etc. I knew I didn’t have much time so I did the tourist thing and went directly to the French Quarter. After finding parking we all walked around checking out a few of the many unique shops. We stopped and listened to street music, I may have danced a little, we wandered our way to Cafe DuMonde and of course, ate beignets and drank their famous chicory flavored coffee.
We enjoyed the local artworks and took a few minutes to watch the Mississippi River stroll along it’s banks. On the way back to Pass Christian we met a native NOLA lady at a stoplight. We only had a minute to exchange words with her as the light was changing color but she was so fun and nice. I think it’s people like her that make New Orleans so special and we would have loved the opportunity to sit down and chat with her over lunch.
Here is a video clip of the street band:
#2 We decided to take the day and city/beach hop along the coast from our beach house to Navarre Beach, FL.
Our intention was to swim in the clear water (I brought goggles and my underwater camera). The beach in Pass Christian is nice but the water is a little murky in color. Typically the water at Navarre is clear and gorgeous but this time it had choppy waves and was just as murky as Pass Christian. We didn’t let that dampen our spirits. We combed the beach for shells, dug a huge hole in the sand and jumped over the waves as they rushed the shoreline. We all got a little pink from the sun but it was a great bonding time for our families.
The week went by fast and we all woke up Friday morning a little sad to load up the car to head home knowing that opportunities to co-vacation with friends are few and far between. I left the driveway of our beach house feeling closer to our friends and grateful for having had the opportunity to vacation with them. I am already looking forward to our next adventure and will be sure to include all of you by sharing it to YonderLost.
