Gulf breezes: discover the coastal playgrounds of Mississippi and Alabama

TO ESCAPE THE SUMMER CITY heat and yellow fever epidemics in the 1800s, New Orleanians and Mobilians flocked to the breezy Gulf Coast. Today they're still coming to the shores of Mississippi and Alabama, along with vacationers from everywhere in the USA.

Thirteen casinos (and more to come) with their high-rise hotels have transformed Mississippi's Gulf Coast into a year-round Las Vegas of the South. Aside from round-the-clock gaming and fresh seafood served at mega-buffets, several casinos are destinations in themselves. The Beau Rivage in Biloxi, for example, pampers guests with spa treatments, a boutique shopping mall, and star entertainment. Work progresses on the Beau Rivage's Fallen Oak golf course, built amid pecan orchards and live oaks adjacent to the DeSoto National Forest. When finished, it will join more than 20 courses along the Mississippi coast.

The sidewalks of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian, east of Biloxi, invite strolling past classic Gulf cottages, galleries, and restaurants where everyone seems to know everyone. This smalltown neighborliness extends to Long Beach, where an enormous live oak was only a sapling when Columbus discovered America. Legend says that those who stand beneath the shade of the Friendship Oak (its branches spread over 151 feet) will remain friends for life. Near Bay St. Louis, the John C. Stennis Space Center offers free tours. Shuttle vans depart from the Mississippi Welcome Center at I-10 near Louisiana's state line.

Nesting seabirds shelter amid dunes along Mississippi's 26-mile-long, manmade beach. Kiosks rent beach buggies, umbrellas, chairs, and Hobie-cat sailboats. In Gulfport a new community sail training school is being built next to the Ship Island ferry. The school is part of the Mississippi Sound Historical Museum, which opened last year.

Gulfport's Lynn Meadows Discovery Center--three stories of educational challenges and activities--is a hit with hyperactive youngsters. Another family favorite is the Marine Life Oceanarium next to Gulfport's Banana Port and Grand Casino, where dolphins splash front-row viewers during performances.

- C. Thornton