Five Things To Do On Mississippi’s West Coast

The Choctaws first inhabited Hancock County because of its plentiful wild game in pristine pine savannahs and a bountiful sea. When French Canadian explorers arrived in 1699, the Indians welcomed them warmly.

French Canadian explorers Pierre le Moyne Iberrville and Jean Baptiste le Moyne Bienville sailed into the shallow Mississippi bay on April 12, 1699, claiming the territory for King Louis XIV of France. The area didn’t receive its name until Bienville returned on August 25, the feast day of St. Louis, and declared the area Bay St. Louis. Visitors have continued to come for more than 300 years and been greeted with the same exceptional hospitality extended by the Choctaws to the French.

As the territory changed hands from Indian to French, French to Spanish, back to French and then became the American territories, resources remained rich. Today's mixture of ethnicity is balanced by strong roots to the past.

Here are five things to do on Mississippi’s West Coast.

Old Town Bay St. Louis. Quaint bayside Old Town's tree-lined streets guide you to many small specialty shops, art galleries, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and lounges, ice cream parlors and coffeehouses. Visit the many historic sites and buildings within easy walking distance. Enjoy six building murals, a hospitality center and convenient benches under shade trees.

NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center. The center’s Rocket Propulsion Test Complex was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. NASA offers free tours of the largest rocket engine test complex and museum of space artifacts where you can see a moon rock, a real Space Shuttle Main Engine, and a 3-D Visualization Lab.

Kiln, Mississippi. Named for the charcoal kilns plentiful in the area at the time of the great lumber mills of Hancock County, Kiln is best known for Brett Favre, famed football quarterback who calls it his hometown. Wonderful restaurants, an equestrian arena, McLeod Park, and the award-winning Lazy Magnolia Brewery are worth the short drive to this country community, just north of Interstate 10.

Beachfront Walking and Bike Path, Bay St. Louis and Waveland.
Put on your walking shoes or wheel around town for a self-guided tour of our truly amazing history. Use the concrete paved walking, jogging, and bike path or stroll through town streets. Beautiful scenery is everywhere. Mississippi’s West Coast is unaffected by the recent oil spill. The beaches are open.

Golf. Mississippi’s West Coast is home to three first-class golf courses. The Bridges Golf Club is Mississippi's only Arnold Palmer Course and consistently rated one of the top-ranked courses in the county. This 18-hole masterpiece poses a challenge to golfers of all levels and is beautifully designed along the bay and marsh. Of special interest is its recognition as the first resort golf course in the world to obtain Audubon International’s Certified Silver Status, distinguishing the course’s environmentally friendly design. Golfers can also try Diamondhead, which boasts two 18-hole courses.

Have you visited Mississippi’s West Coast? Share your reviews and photos on Gozaic! Bay St. Louis- Hancock County is a Gozaic partner.

Photos top to bottom: 220 Main, a shop in Old Town; photo courtesy of Kathy Waugh and taken during Cruisin' the Coast, an annual classic car event in Bay St. Louis. NASA, courtesy of NASA John C. Stennis Space Center. Beach, courtesy of Kathy Waugh. Diamondhead Golf Course, courtesy of Diamondhead Golf Course.