Pascagoula

[vital]

Hi all! As I replied in another thread, I don't ever hear about the positive things happening down there and I'm sure there are some great things going on. My son has a karate tournament in Pascagoula on July 15. I'll be coming from Jackson and don't know about the hotel situation along the coast. I have 3 choices:
1. Get up at 4 to be at Pascagoula High School by 930.
2. Stay in Hattiesburg and split the drive but still have to get up early.
3. Find a room on the coast, anywhere and drive down the evening before.

I can't seem to find out what, if any, hotels are open down there. I've looked online and some are open but have no vacancies or some say not opening until... I'd appreciate any info you could share with me. Keep in mind, I'm from south MS so it really doesn't matter where along the coast, just like to stay and help put some money in the economy.
Thanks for all the info.

 

[jpmandan]

Exit 50 from I10 here in Ocean Springs has many hotels that are open and ready to serve! Exit 69 from I10 in Moss Point also has some hotels.

In Ocean Springs we have Super 8, Hampton Inn, Country Inn & Suites, QInn, and more on on around Exit 50.

 

[Desiree]

Do y'all know how the Navy Base and the Shipyard fared through the storm?

I used to live in Pascagoula when ex-h was stationed there and I've often wondered about that area since you don't hear that much about it. What about Highway 90 through Gauthier?

 

[jpmandan]

Do y'all know how the Navy Base and the Shipyard fared through the storm?

I used to live in Pascagoula when ex-h was stationed there and I've often wondered about that area since you don't hear that much about it. What about Highway 90 through Gauthier?

The Navy Base was closed recently, but they had just built new housing for it.. As it turned out, they used the houses for military families that lost their homes! One of my students lost the bottom floor of her home, and the Navy assigned her family a house there. By the way, she just moved back into her pre-Katrina house!

The shipyard is fine and has scored several large contracts recently!

Gautier is beautiful and recovering well. My son just finished soccer camp there! I traveled Highway 90 all this week to take him. It's in good shape and, boy, is it growing up between Gautier and Ocean Springs!

Thanks so much for asking! We are just back from a WDW trip and were saddened that so many still have no idea that Katrina hit us at all! We did not give anybody the "poor us" story (we did not lose our home); but when the subject of hometowns came up, we discovered that so many people thought the hurricane only hit New Orleans.

 

[Desiree]

So glad to hear that you guys seem to be recovering nicely. It really is a shame that that area did not get any publicity.

I'm thinking maybe in a couple of weeks of taking a day trip there just to drive around and see the sights a bit. I loved looking at all the big houses in Pascagoula down by the coast. Is the base closed off completely now? Or can you drive through it? I remember going there many a night and seeing all those rabbits all over the base! I think it was another type of animal also, but I can't remember.

Is the Hwy. 90 Bridge to Biloxi fixed now?

 

[jpmandan]

When you drive down to our area, you won't see any of the large beachfront homes anymore. There lost.. Katrina wiped our entire beachfront clean of nearly all structures. The Biloxi Lighthouse survived! Of course, it's made of cast iron. Katrina also destroyed the Highway 90 bridge between Biloxi and Ocean Springs (and the one at Bay St. Louis).

I don't know if you can drive through the old base. My husband says that the other animals you've seen may have been Nutria (sp?) Rats.

 

[Desiree]

That's it!! It was nutria. I knew it looked like a very large rat.

Oh man... I'm so sorry to hear about all those beautiful old homes. That is so sad.

 

[razamataz]

The Navy Base was closed recently, but they had just built new housing for it.. As it turned out, they used the houses for military families that lost their homes! One of my students lost the bottom floor of her home, and the Navy assigned her family a house there. By the way, she just moved back into her pre-Katrina house!

The shipyard is fine and has scored several large contracts recently!

Gautier is beautiful and recovering well. My son just finished soccer camp there! I traveled Highway 90 all this week to take him. It's in good shape and, boy, is it growing up between Gautier and Ocean Springs!

Thanks so much for asking! We are just back from a WDW trip and were saddened that so many still have no idea that Katrina hit us at all! We did not give anybody the "poor us" story (we did not lose our home); but when the subject of hometowns came up, we discovered that so many people thought the hurricane only hit New Orleans.

I have been travelling extensively this past year and, I too, am amazed by the number of people who STILL do not realize how bad it was/is on the coast. When I tell people that entire communities were virtually wiped out, they are just amazed and typically exclaim, "I had no idea".

While that is surprising, I have been equally surprised with all the people who have come to help.

I think Hurricane Katrina gave new meaning to the phrase "Building a Better Mississippi"

 

[Desiree]

Well, because of this thread, I think I'm going to take a drive down next weekend and spend the day in the area. I want to visit a few places and see how they fared and take some pictures to send to my old Navy Wife friends that I still keep in touch with.

 

[Stephieann]

Are they rebuilding the gulf shore baptist assembly that was destoryed?

 

[jpmandan]

Are they rebuilding the gulf shore baptist assembly that was destoryed?

Are you asking about the Baptist church that was on Hwy 90 in Gulfport? If so, they are, but they are not rebuilding on 90. If you mean one of the other churches that were destroyed, you'll have to be more specific.

By the way, Mississippi is recovering as well as it is due to church groups. The outpouring of volunteers, charity, and prayers have seen us through this time. No words can express the feelings we have for our fellow Americans. All we can do now is to pay it forward... we have so much to repay.

 

[Stephieann]

no this is like a confence type place. growing up we use to come down there on spring break for a youth rally type thing. it is in Pass Christian, MS
http://www.mbcb.org/resource_services/camps/gba/

 

[jpmandan]

I don't know much about Pass Christian (where your church is located), it's on the other side of Mississippi's Gulf Coast from me. Maybe try starting another thread? Sorry.

 

[Stephieann]

I don't know much about Pass Christian (where your church is located), it's on the other side of Mississippi's Gulf Coast from me. Maybe try starting another thread? Sorry.

It is not a church it is where the baptist have conventions, conferences, and assemblies. NOt sure what side it is on ... Been years since i have been there!!

 

[DopeyRN]

Stephieann...believe it or not, today I was in Mississippi for my DS baseball tourney (Long Beach). We played a team from the area and the ladies I was talking to said that the buildings are still standing, but the group that owns Gulfshore Baptist Assembly Center do not have the money to refurbish the place, so unless someone else buys it, it will not reopen. I have for years gone to a yearly women's Catholic retreat there, and this place will be SO missed. This year in Jan we had the retreat at a Hilton hotel in Lafayette, and while it was fine, it was missing something. That place was so peaceful, so spiritual. Very sad...yet another reminder of things lost.
And it was on the East side of Bay St Louis.

 

[MouseDogMom]

By the way, Mississippi is recovering as well as it is due to church groups. The outpouring of volunteers, charity, and prayers have seen us through this time. No words can express the feelings we have for our fellow Americans. All we can do now is to pay it forward... we have so much to repay.

I was actually with one of those church groups who came down in November and spent a week in Moss Point. We drove along the beachfront in Pascagoula and I will NEVER forget the sight of the empty lots where those beautiful houses must have been, or the row after row of trailers. But the most amazing thing I remember was the incredible spirit of everyone we met, and how everyone felt that they didn't have it as bad as other people. I'm sure there were plenty of people who were negative, but I met the most amazing group of positive people who made me feel really encouraged about the human spirit. They'd lost so much, and yet they were helping us help other people.

I am definitely NOT one of those who doesn't know how bad your area was hit, and I came back and made sure everyone I talked to knew that more than just New Orleans had it rough. And I'm hoping that this season is an easy one for the entire region.