A Visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Now that Nathan is able to have a car AND go off base AND wear civilian clothes on the weekends, we planned a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi to visit him. And take his car! And all his clothes! Of all the people in our family, Nathan is really the only one who has it in his nature to travel light: everything he owns can fit in his car, a Mitsubishi Lancer. The first weekend in February, Willis, Hannah, and I drove down on Friday—Hannah drove Nathan’s car quite a bit of the way—and basked in some warm Gulf weather. We drove back north through—and into—storms on Sunday.

Saturday was a great day to be together. We enjoyed walking out on the pier into the Gulf of Mexico, and we observed floats and bands preparing for a Mardi Gras Parade in Gulfport. We shopped at Wal-Mart and at Sam’s Club. Willis and Nathan went into a casino to have his money cashed out (not sure if that’s the right expression, but oh, well! A jar of nickels and a jar of dimes became $298.00 in dollar bills no matter what it’s called.) We ate lunch at Taco Bell—Nathan had not eaten at Taco Bell since November—and dinner at Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House. (Actually, it’s just plain wrong to speak about those two restaurants in the same sentence……sorry! The meal at Emeril’s was a delightful culinary experience; the “unique food masterpieces” were a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate.)

We were so glad to spend time with Nathan and see that he is content with his Air Force training.