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Those of us who choose to live in South Mississippi love it. We wouldn’t want to live anywhere else on earth. For years, our charm and beauty were a well-kept secret except for the regular vacationers who knew what we had to offer and returned year after year. They came to enjoy our beaches, our sailing and boating experiences, our saltwater fishing, our water parks, our golf courses, our night spots, our relaxed and unhurried lifestyle and our wonderful seafood restaurants whose food rivals that of any five star restaurant. When gaming came to the area in the 90’s, casinos brought people in from all over the country to work. They attracted visitors to a new type of entertainment - those who enjoy gambling and the fine restaurants and entertainment casinos have to offer. Word of what we have to offer as spread even further, and now the Gulf Coast has grown into a somewhat more sophisticated place to visit. Visitors who come to the Coast tend to come back again and again. Natives who have had to leave for career moves and other reasons remain nostalgic and long to return one day. Vacationers and snowbirds come back to live and become a part of our relaxed lifestyle. Quite a number of the people who come to help with Katrina recovery and rebuilding have chosen to stay, preferring our area to where they came from. This proves that we still have something magic that draws people here. The common theme that permeates their reason for wanting to stay is the generous hospitality of people who lost everything, the gratitude they expressed for the help received, and their indomitable spirit to overcome extreme loss. It all boils down to our people… they are the heart and soul of the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina knocked us for a wallop. We lost many of our historical landmarks and antebellum homes that gave us our unique charm. But while our landscape may have changed, our people haven’t. Our spirit remains, along with the basic qualities that made our people so loyal to the Gulf Coast. Our people are the ones who are making it possible to come back stronger and better. Our outward appearance may be changing, but the respect for our heritage will assure us that we will still retain our unique qualities. Instead of one story homes, our coastal landscape will be dotted with new multistoried buildings and condos. Beachfront homes and businesses will be raised on pilings or rebuilt on higher mounds of earth, but our coastal style of architecture will prevail. We will retain our basic charm because of our people who love the Coast and want to keep their heritage and their customs alive. Locals and visitors alike still have numerous entertainment and tourist offerings, some the same and some new. Our attractions are too numerous to name. Our barrier islands offer fishing and camping, and our Biloxi schooners provide the experience of going back in time when we sail on them. Swamp tours are offered in Moss Point. Deep sea fishing rodeos and Cruisin the Coast draw people from all over the world. Signature golf courses make us a golfing destination. We have the Harley Memorial Day Blowout and drag racing. Our coliseum and casinos bring in top name entertainment. Local festivals throughout the year attract people to our arts, crafts, entertainment and music. We have the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and the new water park for children. Stennis Space Center, an important part of our space program, offers educational tours and exhibits. We have a fine symphony orchestra, ballet performances, art galleries and museums, art association in each community, and every coastal town has at least one little theater group. Night life is abundant, and our restaurants are coming back. We have even more to look forward to. World renowned architect Frank Gehry has designed our Ohr-O’Keefe Museum that is under construction on Highway 90 across from the Biloxi Schooner Pier. When it opens, we will have the chance to let visitors from all over the world experience our Gulf Coast charm. Once our piers and boardwalk are completed, our beaches will again provide a myriad of activities for sun lovers. In
short, there is something for everyone. We are rebuilding, and
we are recovering. Our profile is changing, but our heart will
remain the same. The people who live here and love their lives
will make sure that the Gulf Coast charm will be here for all to
experience. |
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