A day spent with a loved one along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi area allows two folks to focus entirely on one another, and experience the beauty, cuisine, and Southern elegance of the area together.
With sights and sounds best experienced holding someone special's hand, the Gulf Coast region is ripe with romantic locations that are perfection destinations for couples.
The following are great spots for couples to explore, feast, drink, and escape for the intimate outing they deserve.
Picnic Beneath the Friendship Oak
Located on the front lawn of the Southern Miss campus in Long Beach, the 60-foot Friendship Oak's trunk has a circumference of nearly 20 feet and has been spectator to over 500 years of human history.
There's no better spot to celebrate enduring love than beneath the Friendship Oak's massive canopy. There's even a platform where couples can perhaps even have a picnic.
The tree has survived numerous wars and natural disasters and stands as a strong symbol of strength, perseverance and continuity regardless of circumstance (including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita).
Dine at 200 North Beach Restaurant
Treat your date to a succulent romantic dinner in an establishment that recalls the best charms the Gulf Coast has to offer.
200 North Beach restaurant has upper-tier Gulf Coast offerings including fresh seafood and the finest at very reasonable prices, given the quality of the dishes. That's a plus, because it allows couples to dig into their immaculate desserts and diverse and extensive wine list.
The staff is friendly and professional and are happy to accent a sublime dining experience with meticulous service and impressive consideration. The establishment is housed in a 1903-built newspaper building that has since been renovated and given a distinct ambiance with a classic feel.
Canoe the Wolf River
It's strange that we can be "with" another person for years while rarely being just with them. Most of the time we're surrounded by distractions like family and kids, bumper-to-bumper traffic and piles of work we've been forced to bring home.
Wolf River Canoe & Kayak provides a perfect escape for couples, even if it's just for a few hours. Drifting lazily through the bending Wolf River, the two of you can talk, or just listen to the trickling rapids as the boat rocks slowly to-and-fro.
If you'd like an extended getaway, Wolf River Canoe & Kayak offers overnight camping trips as well. Watching the moon come up over the river with your special person makes for an unforgettable date night.
The 4-mile loop and one canoe costs $52 while the one-night overnight option is an affordable $74. If you choose to camp, make sure that you bring your own gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleep pad, pack, food and water).
Toast Your Time Together at Salute Italian Restaurant
It's a little sad that we need an excuse to get dressed up for one another, one of us in a suit and tie, the other in a dress. But it is important to look your best sometimes and to remember that you are indeed a couple. It's important to treat one another.
Whether in the quiet ambiance of a private room, the refined Wine Room, or enjoying a Mississippi sunset on the patio overlooking the beach, Salute Italian Restaurant is a Gulf Coast area staple for couples. Their food is great too, but their wine and cocktail menus are the real gems here, and of course the setting.
Whether you live in Gulfport or you're just staying nearby, make time to have a late-night date. Indulge yourselves a bit. Have a drink, take a stroll along the shore, and call a cab home. Most importantly, enjoy one another.
Simple Delights
Something about the smell of the water, the damp air, and a canopy of live oaks draped in Spanish moss makes the Gulf Coast area of Mississippi inherently romantic, but too often we forget just how much the area has to offer.
So make time for the one you love this spring. The Mississippi Gulf Coast has ample opportunities for couples to relish old memories while making new ones.
Jeffrey Ferraro is a travel enthusiast and expert. He is the Director of Marketing of Diamond Tours, the leading provider of charter group bus tours in the US and Canada, including popular multi city tours such as the New Orleans and Biloxi bus tour. Jeffrey loves uncovering lesser known travel destinations and sharing them with his customers.
