to Gautier / Sheppard SP, MS

I was all set to go to church this morning, but I underestimated how long it would take to find the place.  Rather than arrive late, I decided to head on down the road.  By the time the service ended, I was already in Biloxi!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day.  The clouds were gone by 11 and stayed gone all day, and there was no wind, so although the temperature was cool it wasn't chilly.

Biloxi is a big casino town, with lots of tourist attractions along the beach.  I saw two of a species I had though long extinct: cement waterslides!  I guess the liablity laws must be different in Mississippi.  I also saw something I haven't seen since ... Indiana? ... a farm stand selling fresh produce!  I'm close enough to Florida now that vine-ripened tomatoes and other goodies can be trucked in overnight.

I stopped at Gulf Islands National Lakeshore and enjoyed the visitor center but decided not to camp there.  Instead I rode on to Sheppard State Park, a few miles west of Pascagoula.

On the highway I saw a familiar sight: a bicyclist pulling a two-wheeled trailer of camping gear with a big orange flag on the back!  We called "hey" to each other, but the highway median prevented us from having a conversation.

31.6 mi