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by
Rachel L. Miller
Spanish
Moss, live oaks and fresh shrimp. Plastic chips sliding over green felt. Twenty-six
miles of wide white-sand beach. The tell-tale pinging of slot machines. Courteous
smiles, kind handshakes. Top-notch entertainment. Wide porches and mint juleps.
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| A
towering live oak at Beauvoir, the one-time home of Confederate President Jefferson
Davis.
Photo by Rachel L. Miller | It
might sound like descriptions of two completely different destinations, a calculated
contrast in environments. Las Vegas, perhaps, juxtaposed against Savannah. It
would make sense, right, since there's certainly not a place that offers both
laid-back Southern culture and world-class casino gaming? Ahhh,
yes, there is. The best of both worlds can be found along Mississippi's Gulf Coast,
anchored by the cities of Biloxi and Gulfport, a scant drive east from New Orleans.
Home to 12 casinos, the Keelser Air Force Base, a vast array of golf courses and
cultural attractions, the Mississippi Gulf Coast has a rich history intricately
tied to the waters near which it grew and now thrives. First inhabited by the
Biloxi Indians, then explored by the French in 1699, the area has gone from a
colonial French outpost to the seafood capital of the world to one of the country's
fastest growing vacation destinations. In fact, the 2001 Fodor's Hot Spot Survey
named Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an "up and coming" destination,
ranking just behind Orlando and Las Vegas. If
that accolade doesn't give you a sense of this area's importance and potential,
then consider this: Carnival Cruise Lines has temporarily moved its port for ship
Conquest to Gulfport from New Orleans on a trial basis. The switch means the 3,000
passengers sailing weekly to the western Caribbean will now get a chance to explore
the Mississippi Gulf Coast, welcome news to the area's tourism industry.
"The
Carnival Conquest adds another element to the inventory of destination amenities
Mississippi's Gulf Coast offers," said Stephen Richer, executive director
of Mississippi's Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Whether our
guests choose to enhance their visit with a western Caribbean cruise or a trip
to one of our renowned museums, casinos, golf courses, or other attractions, we
promise to provide an unforgettable well-balanced escape."
(CONTINUE...)
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