We are going to 30A July 8th, but may leave on the 6th and stay 2 nights along the way. It will be 4 of us including 9 and 11 year old boys. Want them to experience the "South" if possible. Thinking air boat/paddle boat tours, plantations, old towns, etc.?

My first thought was New Orleans, but it turns out Essence Fest is that weekend in New Orleans. How crowded will it be? Is French Quater a no go because of this? Still thought about staying away from downtown somewhere safely removed from shenanigans and still do a steam/paddle boat and/or airboat tour nearby? Is that smart? Anything else we should be looking at?

If not there, what are some other options? Any other cool old smaller towns on the Mississippi River? Seen Natchez, but is there enough to do at a place like that for 2 nights? Saw Ocean Springs or Fair Hope? Baton Rouge worth it? Thought about Oxford but that is too far north I think.

Any ideas/thoughts?

Mobile could be a good spot the 2nd day. Short drive from there to stop and scoop up groceries before checking at 30A.

If you don't want to do NOLA, you can at least take IH-12 north of Pontchartrain and stop in Mandeville or Slidell. Honey Island Swamp Tours in Slidell is a great tour operator and a lot of fun. Not airboats just regular boat but a fantastic tour. You'll see Gators and other wildlife. Palmetto's on the Bayou great for lunch and a very cool vibe too.

Just over the border into MS is the INFINITY Science Center. It's at the exit for the Stennis Space Center where they build the rockets for the Artemis missions.

Edit to Add: The drive on 90 from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi is a pretty one and fairly easy scenic drive that doesn't add too much time compared to just taking IH10. A few small beach towns along the way with shops, etc.

Great ideas! Exactly what I was looking for!

Any other ideas? Airboat vs normal boat? Always wanted to ride on an airboat but heard they are loud and may not be the best for nature watching?

Are there flooding issues on any of the main roads heading across to Florida? My wife mentioned something about that but haven't looked into it yet.

We used to stop and stay the night in Biloxi.

It was always fun to grab a room, dinner, and gambling at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Check out Covington/Abita Springs - Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery, Abita Springs Brewery (have craft soda tours for the kids as well) and a Cafe du Monde in Covington they can watch beignets get made. Pitcher Plant/carnivorous plant trail nearby.

Side note: Before kids, "quickest" road trip from Houston to Gulf Shores included a stop at Abita Brewery back when the tours were free or you just skip the tour and drink as much as you can in the tap room. Got in the backseat in Abita Springs to take a "nap" and woke up in the Mobile Tunnel. Good times.

amy where on Baton Rouge is fine…….just kidding

We did NOLA 2 weekends ago on the way to 30A. I would not suggest it unless you like listening to people sitting on motorcycles blasting music and constant smell of weed. Its been a while since I had been there but honestly it was gross and really not something for kids unless maybe you stay in a calmer part away from the quarter. We did have a good dinner though.

kwammer said:

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would 100% avoid NOLA on Essence Festival weekend

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truer words have never been spoken

cr06gis said:

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kwammer said:

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would 100% avoid NOLA on Essence Festival weekend

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truer words have never been spoken

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Ludacris, T.I. And Lil John all perform on night 2. What a banger!!

Fair Hope is nice, if you like a small town like Fredericksburg. Small shops, lots of dining. There's a Grand Hotel nearby with amenities.

I'm not sure I'd let that festival scare me away from Nola for a night. Mardi Gras week, maybe.

I doubt the festival goers would be crashing the WW2 museum, which is a great museum. I'd probably drive the French quarter and Bywater to show the kids and maybe walk Jackson square before 10 AM.

Maybe stay in Metairie or Mandeville. Check out Longue Vue house for a plantation style home. Have lunch or dinner somewhere overlooking Lake Ponchartrain.

We stay in Gulfport on the way. Took my kids to the dolphin place there a couple weeks ago.

I would stay in Biloxi the first night and I would just book a day earlier at your spot on the beach.

I would also take the Mobile Bay/Ft Morgan ferry just tor a break and something different.

FourAggies said:

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Fair Hope is nice, if you like a small town like Fredericksburg. Small shops, lots of dining. There's a Grand Hotel nearby with amenities.

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This! We decided to stay at the Grand Hotel in Fairhope. Have some friends there now and are loving it. Said it is about as "South" as you can get, which is what we were looking for. Plus we plan to do the Gulfquest and USS Alabama museums. Anything else a must do in that area?

From Fairhope to Rosemary Beach, is it worth it to take 281 south (In Avalon) to 98 to then hug the ocean? It is only 14 minutes longer going that way than staying on 10 to 331. Is the views worth it or would it be too stop and go and annoying?

I'd be surprised if it is only 14 minutes longer during the day, much less a weekend day. Getting thru Destin is almost always a mess traffic-wise.

Meaning...go I-10 to 331

My wife and her sisters have a family place on 30a. Her brother has a house in Point Clear in the subdivision across from the Grand Hotel. On the way to 30a fom Houston, we stop to see family in Mandeville or Point Clear. We generally don't take scenic routes,unless we're cruising 30a. I don't like the Fort Walton, Destin area traffic. If we fly, we go to Panama City (ECP).

In Point Clear we've played golf, used the Grand Hotel pool and dining. In Fairhope, my BIL usually makes the plans. There's a lot of small restaurants, art galleries, and it's nice to walk or drive through a small town that has old Southern architecture. Sorry I don't have much in specific recommendations, because I'm usually just a passenger in these trips. Hope y'all have a great trip!

We tried this the several summers we went to Gulf Shores. There's really not much worth doing between Houston and Mobile.

I would do the WW2 museum. We did this and ran out out time in the day and nobody complained. Kids were approx. 15,12, & 9 when we did it. Great museum and would go back if I had any reason to be in that area

If you go to the WW2 museum, Peche Seafood is about 2 blocks away and a great place to eat.

Our family makes the trip from Central Texas to the Florida Panhandle every year. We go to Destin, Panama City Beach, or somewhere in between.

We usually stay in Baton Rouge or the north side of the lake in the Covington/Slidell area. My kids love stopping in BR to see Mike the Tiger at LSU. It's free and is a large habitat right in the shadow of Tiger Stadium. No one in our clan went to LSU, but the other folks there are generally nice and friendly and it is an interesting place to stretch your legs.

The original Raising Cane's is not far from there as is Chimes which has excellent food and is a fun setting (especially the rooftop deck overlooking the entrance to the university).

One thing we always do is stop at Cafe du Monde for beignets. There is one in Covington and one in Mandeville. Those aren't as neat as the original location in the French Quarter but they are just as good beignet wise and not far off the interstate and easy to get in and out of. If you like beignets, there really is no equivalent anywhere else that i have found.

We were going to stop at the recently renovated Audabon aquarium in NOLA this year, but changed plans at the last minute. Maybe I will report back next year.

We've successfully managed to avoid the stuff in Biloxi... so far.

Thanks, but what stuff in Biloxi?

Just all the casinos and such.

We live in the area now, and I'd advise that you don't want to deal with Hwy 98 until you have to - especially this time of year. Additionally, as of a few months back, there was a considerable amount of construction on 98 between Gulf Breeze and Navarre and it was a real mess trying to get through that area (and that was in the winter......). Definitely stick with I-10 to 331.