WAVELAND, MS

Tuesday, January 15, 2019. I wasn’t expecting a lot from Mississippi. Not that I have anything against Mississippi, I just didn’t know that much about it. But I did know “The King”, Elvis was born there, so it couldn’t be too bad! It was worth a shot.

And I was not disappointed. Waveland turned out to be the kind of sleepy seaside beach town I was looking for. It sits along the Gulf coast and is home to Buccaneer State Park. Another secret hideaway spot for the notorious pirate Jean LaFitte! Or so they say….I decided to camp there for a night (which turned into two) so I could wake up early and do some exploring the next day.

I got to my campsite with about an hour and a half of sunlight left, which was fortunate for me because it took that long to set up my meager little tent. I won’t even mention the air mattress debacle. Let’s just say I haven’t camped out in a really long time so that night I slept in a partially assembled tent on a partially inflated mattress.

Sunrise the next morning was brisk. No, forget that, it was f#@king FREEZING!! I emerged from my tent, shivering uncontrollably, and sprinted to my car, while stubbing my frost bitten toe on a well hidden tree root along the way. OUCH!! I hopped the rest of the distance to my car, fired up the ignition, and spent the next 30 minutes thawing out. But don’t misunderstand me y’all, I was having the time of my life!!

Now I needed coffee. So I decided to drive into town and find a donut shop. Rather serendipitously, I found a little shop called Grammy’s in the neighboring town of Bay St. Louis. The coffee was weak but the bacon maple donut was out of this world! There was an elderly couple sitting at a table next to me. The husband was reading his morning paper while the misses filled out her crossword puzzle. You could tell this was their daily routine. It was pure Americana. So I struck up a conversation with them. We had a very pleasant exchange over coffee and at the end they suggested I drive out to the harbor and do some sightseeing.

I found Bay St. Louis/Waveland to be a charming little place. Not too well known by vacationers, it is quiet and relaxing. The harbor is well maintained and in the marina you’ll find leisure boats in nearly every slip. There’s a quarter mile stretch with a few shops, restaurants, and bars. But personally, I enjoyed the beach houses sitting all along the bay. A colorful, eclectic collection of various architectural styles. Too many to see in one day.

There are also some very nice fishing piers there. I spent a long afternoon on the Washington Street Pier in deep contemplation. I lost track of time and before I knew it, it was sunset.

My soul was quiet for now. The sounds of water fowl, the smell of the ocean, and the sea breeze. I was immersed in my environment…..