About This Trip
This was a road trip from Frisco, Texas to Gulf Shores, Alabama in late July 2022. We ate lunch at Crawdaddy's Kitchen in Louisiana on our way out and did stopovers in Mississippi both ways to break up the drive. (We also taught the kids to spell the state name M-I-crooked letter, crooked letter -I…). Our friends joined us in Gulf Shores.
Before you go, brush up on your civil war history (we watched North & South for the camp and late 80s early 90s nostalgia and listened to some history podcasts on the road). Colin reread Tom Sawyer (his favorite book) in anticipation of the trip too.
Stay
Jackson: On the way out we stayed at Hilton Suites in Jackson that was somewhat unmemorable but fine.
Gulf Shores: We stayed at a VRBO that was walking distance to the beach in a quiet neighborhood. It also had it's own pool (which was awesome) but the place was also a bit run down and the management company was clearly just phoning it in. I liked this area though and there were a lot of other nice houses nearby.
Vicksburg: Duff Green Mansion B&B highly recommend (see additional notes below).
Gulf Shores Beach Notes
Seaweed: When we were here, there was a ton of Sargassum (aka June grass) that permeated the water so much that it felt like you were swimming in weeds. The kids got over it and we made due but - ew. I would suggest booking a place that is cancelable if you can, and checking the seaweed/ sargassum levels before you go https://sargassummonitoring.com/. I know this type of problem can happen at any beach at any time of year, so it's just luck and timing.
Stings: So many stings - Again, I know you can get stung by things at any beach, but of our party of 8 - 4 (!) were stung, and some multiple times. We think it was a moon jellyfish or something lesser that feels more like a wasp sting that wears off after time.
We did three days on the beach with our canopy and beach sandwiches and sunscreen. Everyone had a good time despite the seaweed and stings.
We also visited Alligator Alley which was really hot, but the children loved it.
Food in Gulf Shores
We didn't dine out that much, but we did eat at Sea & Suds and enjoyed it; they can really handle a crowd. Not too much of a wait, good drinks, and they gave the kids Frisbees. Picnic Beach is a bar & grill that had a lot of excellent menu options; the kids got fried shirmp and chicken tenders and I had the poke bowl. They also had a lot of bar options and some swings on the patio for the kids. The place was a bit expensive though, so we didn't stay super long. We picked up a very good dinner one night from Crico's Pizza and Subs and swam in our pool.
Jackson, MS
Museum of Natural Science, Le Fluere's State Park, Children's Museum
This was an excellent stopover on the road (especially if you have nature loving children). There is a cool, giant, shaded children's playground; a very good science museum; a children's museum; and tons of hiking trails.
Vicksburg, MS
Vicksburg National Military Park and USS Cairo
We loved this! The driving tour consists of 15 major stops, as shown on the park’s brochure, done in two loops. You can also visit the USS Cairo Museum which displays a Union ironclad brought to the surface after 100 years at the bottom of the Yazoo River along with hundreds of artifacts. Also, take some time to visit the beautiful National Cemetery.
Vicksburg Riverfront Murals and Catfish Row Children's Art Park
The murals are an interesting way to see Vicksburg's history painted to a huge scale. The kids were a bit bored by this, but I thought they were cool; they went to play at catfish row art park beside the murals afterward (come dressed to splash if hot). If nothing else, this is nice view of the Mighty Mississippi.
Coca-Cola Museum (get a coke float)
Duff Green Mansion (spend the night)
The Duff Green Mansion has served as a home to a family, a Civil War hospital, a boys’ orphanage, a salvation army, and a Bed and Breakfast. It's haunted by ghosts and has been featured on Ghost Hunters. Every stay is complemented by a three-course seated breakfast, and they have a pool.
There is an excellent tour after breakfast that goes through Duff Green family story. Almost all of the furnishings are not original to the house, but that does allow you to actually sit down, eat at the dining table, and touch the items in the house which is unique for historic homes. We did not see or feel a ghost, sadly. My older son found 4 bullfrogs around the pool which made the whole trip for him. My picky child DID NOT want the breakfast, but he was so impressed by the mansion that he refrained from complaining and they did bring us a couple of plain sausages and biscuits for him. We really loved the charm of this place.
Food was excellent, and we got a seat by the windows. Our family ordered the gumbo, red fish, and shrimp and grits. Can't recommend this enough. Lovely views too.
Right next door to 10 South (if 10 South is too crowded, this is a good plan B for dinner, or just come here after). We got pizzas and some IPAs. And they have cute merch too.
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