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Travel: While recovery from Katrina is ongoing, Biloxi has returned from its watery grave
BILOXI, Miss. - There's nothing quite like getting hit when you're down, but for Biloxi and its surrounding area, that's what happened.
Katrina's massive blow 10 years ago this summer left boats high in treetops, and many homes and businesses in splinters on the ground. It was followed by the Deep Horizon oil spill just five years later, leaving the pristine, pearl-white beaches blotched with tarballs as black as coal. It's a wonder the town survived. But it did.
When you travel U.S. 90, the main beach road, with its gleaming new hotels, rebuilt casinos and blue Gulf water reaching out forever, it's hard to believe anything was ever amiss.
After Katrina … by the numbers
Hurricane Katrina hit Biloxi hard in 2005 and its recovery is still ongoing. Before the hurricane hit, Biloxi had an annual budget of $3 to $5 million for improvements to its infrastructure. After Katrina, $355 million has and is being spent on rebuilding the town. The projects include:› 100 miles of streets› 1 million feet of water, sewer and storm drain lines› More than 70 wastewater pump stations› All the work is expected to be completed within the next three years.
"We've come through all of it standing tall," says Vincent Creel, public affairs manager for the City of Biloxi.
Visitors come to Biloxi for the beaches, the casinos and the food. It's tossup which is the favorite but, says Creel, the casinos are the "engine driving the train."
"But people fall in love with the world's longest manmade sand beach, our two dozen championship golf courses, the historic sites and museums, the deep sea and freshwater fishing, the great seafood, the affordability and, of course, the friendly residents.
"As far as the water quality, we're proud to say that our waters are tested - daily, in some cases - to ensure safety of our swimmers. When you come here, we provide that added sense of safety."
There's a lot to do around Biloxi, but here are several standouts.
' Ship Island - a winning triple play when it comes to enjoying the outdoors - a bird watcher's paradise, a historian's dream and a sun lover's center of worship. From red-winged blackbirds and Fort Massachusetts, a Civil War fort, to miles of near-empty beaches once you leave the area populated with chairs and umbrellas, the island offers something for most everyone.
Getting there is simple. Just buy a ticket and board a Ship Island Excursions boat. It's a 24-mile round trip where you'll meet people and most likely see dolphins frolicking in the ship's wake. The cost ranges from free for children under 3 to $12 children 3-10, $25 for military and seniors 62 and over, and $27 for everyone else. Check it out or buy tickets online at www.msshipisland.com. There's a snack bar with beverages - adult ones, too - and food aboard both the boat and on the island. Or bring your own cooler and spend an hour or the entire day.
' The Biloxi Visitors Center has been voted the best in the nation by TripAdvisor and for good reason. There's much more to the center than a place to pick up brochures about the city. There's a theater on the second floor where, seven days a week, a 48-minute show documents the horror Katrina brought to the area. "Katrina in Biloxi" shows at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You'll walk out in wonder. If you miss it, there's a briefer show, "We are Biloxi," shown every hour on the hour and in 15-minute intervals thereafter. Walk across the street and tour the lighthouse, circa 1848, from 9-9:30 a.m., weather permitting $2 ages 5-12 and $5 13 and up.
' The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art houses the ceramics of George Ohr, the self-proclaimed Mad Hatter of Biloxi who lived, worked and entertained from 1857 to 1918. The O'Keefe here is Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Keefe, who helped fund the museum in its early days in memory of his late wife.
Admission ranges from $5 to $10, but there is no charge to visit the gift shop with craft pieces from regional artists. Also of note: Through Labor Day, the museum features "Katrina + 10," a multimedia examination of the catastrophic destruction, recovery and progress on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina striking south Mississippi.
' Beauvoir, the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, is a must for Civil War enthusiasts. Tours include the historic, stately mansion overlooking the Mississippi Sound as well as the grounds that include a Confederate cemetery and Presidential Library with exhibits and events focused on the life of Davis. It was heavily damaged by Katrina, its 14-foot-wide front porch, which wrapped around the front and sides, was knocked completely down by the storm surge, bringing part of the roof with it. Hedges and trees around the house were destroyed or damaged and about 70 percent of the 55,000 items in the houses were lost. But the structure of Beauvoir has been totally restored since. For information, go to beauvoir.org.
' There's always some sort of festival or event going on, from the Biloxi Seafood Festival in September, fishing tournaments, boat races and Mardi Gras parades. Find out what's happening and when at gulfcoast.org/events.
Drive down Beach Boulevard (a.k.a. Highway 90) and you'll find the usual assortment of fast-food eateries, as well as several of the upper-crust chain restaurants in the casinos, including Ruth's Chris at Hard Rock Resort and Casino, Morton's Steakhouse in the Golden Nugget and Magnolia House by Kelly English at Harrah's. Dedicated foodies may recognize English's name due to recognition by Food and Wine as one of 2009's Best New Chefs.
Where to eat
But for a true taste of local flavors, your best bet is one of many locally owned restaurant. Here are a few of note:
' Set your GPS to 12404 John Lee Road and your hunger gauge to Taranto's where you'll find huge platters of fresh crawfish and plates of po'boys with shrimp, oysters or crawfish tumbling out of crisp bread coming out of the kitchen. With seafood plucked right from the Gulf, it's little wonder that folks go out of their way to find this family-owned restaurant in the rural neighborhood off the beaten path.
' Oysters Bienville, oysters Rockefeller, oysters Orleans, grilled oysters the name of this restaurant couldn't fit it better: Half Shell Oyster Bar, 125 Lameuse St., with a second Biloxi location right off the casino floor at Hard Rock. But there's more to this place than oysters, but one thing remains constant: Dedication to serving fresh seafood. Specialty of the house is Redfish Orleans, an amazing combination of blackened redfish topped with shrimp and crabmeat in a rich, spicy Cajun-inspired sauce.
' There's no need to dress up, just be sure to bring your party hat because every night's a party for all ages at Shaggy's Seafood, located directly on the beach at 1763 Beach Blvd. Gulf oysters and fresh shrimp right off the boat are favorites, but so are the the "Big Pork" sandwich, Shaggy's Cheeseburgers and the handcut ribeye. The menu is patchwork of flavor and fun.
' Not too many places along the boulevard serve breakfast, but if you're up early and looking for something beyond fast food, Snapper's at 1699 Beach Blvd. serves a good breakfast with a great view. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes or an omelet with crispy hash browns while overlooking the ocean. Later in the day and into the night, the restaurant serves up alligator sausages and cold beer or po' boys, fried crawfish tails and, yes, grilled snapper. Save room for a slice of homemade Key lime pie.
' No trip to Biloxi is complete without dinner at McElroy's, 695 Beach Blvd. Like many beach-side restaurants, it's built on stilts high off the ground, but even those didn't save it from Katrina's wrath. It, like so many structures, has been rebuilt, but the food remains the same: good and plenty of it. Suggestions: Gulf shrimp salad or crab cakes. For a taste of it all, get the seafood platter. There's a lot of fried on the menu, but keep in mind you can order most all of the seafood items blackened or broiled.
Spend the night
Like the restaurants, Biloxi has a slew of chain hotels, from Holiday Inns to Best Westerns. There also are several casino resorts. If you want a kitchen to cook your own seafood, bought directly from the boats in the harbor or at Quality Seafood or Desporte and Sons, check out all the rentals at vrbo.com. But there are two options that offer the unexpected:
' The White House is an historic, 76-room boutique hotel that is filled with Southern grace and charm. It recently underwent total renovation and now includes updated rooms, a new restaurant named Cora's in honor of hotel founder Cora White. It's a grand place in the center of all the action close to casinos, other restaurants and attractions. Check it out at whitehousebiloxi.com.
' Hayes Cottage has served as a guest house on the property of Beauvoir since 1852. Katrina destroyed the original structure, but it was rebuilt and looks just as it did before but with modern amenities. It offers accommodations for up to four people with a queen-sized bed and pull out couch. It also includes a full bath and kitchenette.
Renters also have access to the grounds of Beauvoir after hours. Bring a bottle of wine and sit in a rocking chair on the front porch of the magnificent manor house, toasting the sunset. Rates run about $200 per night. For information/reservations, email Kitsaa Stevens at kstevens.org or call 228-388-4400.