.png){kind=small}
My husband and I tied the knot on Leap Day in a very sweet and intimate ceremony. We, of course, planned a small honeymoon, but since I had a daughter from a previous marriage, we also wanted to go on a familymoon.
A familymoon is when a newlywed couple takes their children on a trip to celebrate the nuptials and cement their bond as a new unit. We also decided to take along my 10-year-old niece, who is my daughter’s best friend!
Our original plan was to spend five days in Atlanta, but my little one got strep throat the day before we were supposed to leave. However, we made lemonade and changed course. We hopped over to Biloxi, MS for three days and we still had a great time. Just a little over an hour away, Biloxi is a great destination for New Orleanian families.
Trip Prep
When taking a trip I like to have a plan, so I created an itinerary that included our meals and activities for each day. I planned our time so that we would visit an area attraction in the AM, eat lunch, then spend the afternoon lounging by the AirBnb pool until it was time for dinner. To save money (and to be healthier), we ate breakfast and dinner at the AirBnb, but had lunch out and about in Biloxi or Gulfport. I prepped a few meals, froze them, and put them in a cooler with lots of ice packs so they would survive the trip.
My hubby made sure we were all set technology-wise. He purchased new headsets for the girls to enjoy. Originally he bought a blue headset and a purple headset so they could easily identify which headset was theirs, but I asked him to please return those and get the same exact headsets. This way we could avoid an argument about who got which one. The girls personalized their headset cases to be able to tell them apart.
My daughter is also a little planner, and she helped set the vibes by creating a road trip playlist. She consulted her cousin/bff to ensure she also approved of the song selections, and we listened to the playlist on repeat over our three days away.
Day One
On the first day our morning activity was spending a few hours at the Salvation Army Kroc Center MS Gulf Coast. There is an amazing indoor water playground with a huge slide and splash area for babies and toddlers. You can purchase a membership that allows you to come and go freely, but they also offer two-hour sessions for nonmembers, with a 30-minute break between each session (and the staff will ask you to sit out of the water for that 30 minutes). At just $10 per person per session, it’s a great deal! You must book your session(s) ahead of time, and there are limited non-member slots available per session. Our family has now visited three times and it’s never been crowded, giving our girls almost exclusive access to the water slide.
For lunch, we stopped by Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar and Restaurant. The girls enjoyed the kid’s menu, hubby and I enjoyed the frozen drinks, and the view of the beach was nice and relaxing.
Day Two
We ate breakfast at the AirBnb before heading out on our morning excursion - the Mississippi Aquarium. It cost $108 for the four of us to enter and I think it was worth every penny.
The Mississippi Aquarium had beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces. The staff was incredibly friendly and enjoyed telling us about the animals. There was a scavenger hunt activity with fun stamping stations scattered throughout the aquarium. For $5 we were able to feed the sting rays in the touch pool. We spent a little under two hours there.
For lunch, we tried Woody's Roadside. The kids' menu was affordable with all $5 and $6 entrees, and there were a variety of options to choose from that included healthier choices for the adults.
Day Three
Before heading back to New Orleans, we wanted to stop in at the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center for Children. This children’s museum is intended for children 0-10, so our girls were at the end of the age range, but they still enjoyed themselves. It was $48 for the four of us to enter, but the museum will discount tickets to just $3 a piece for families who can show an EBT card. At the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, the girls particularly enjoyed the high climbing structure, the TV studio, and the energy and electricity exhibit.
Bear Camp Bayou was a special section for children 4 and under, and seemed to be a hit with families with very small children. We spent about 90 minutes on site before hitting the road back to New Orleans. We kept lunch simple and just grabbed Chick-Fil-A along the route home.
All-in-all, our little group had a great three-day / two-night stay in Biloxi and would happily return. The summer season is the perfect time for short road trips from New Orleans. Happy traveling, y’all!
Comentários