Your Best Summer Experience Isn’t By Car, It’s on a Boat

Have you created a summer bucket list yet? On my list of must-do summer experiences, you'll find paddleboarding on the lake and picking perfectly ripe peaches off the trees at a local farm. As you can tell, I try not to make my "to-do list" too long, leaving plenty of room for spur-of-the-moment adventures. I recently came across a Mississippi boat tour that is so incredible that it's worthy of anyone's summer bucket list. Your best summer experience may be by boat. It's a fantastic boat tour of the Pascagoula River with Eco-Tours of South Mississippi in Gautier, Mississippi.

Eco-Tours of South Mississippi gives personalized boat tours of the Pascagoula River to small groups. The Pascagoula River is a natural beauty, flowing 80 miles through southeastern Mississippi. It's the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states and has several oxbow lakes, including Big Lake, Dead River, and Caswell Lake. On a two-hour boat ride, tourists can enjoy the lower Pascagoula River's cypress swamps and salt marshes.

The tour highlights the region's natural beauty, including the diverse wildlife and plant species. The area is home to animals like otters, deer, alligators, turtles, and black bears. It's also a wonderful place to see migratory birds, like bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, and egrets. Hundreds of plant species thrive in the area, including wild lilies and orchids with stunning, colorful blooms.

Through expert guides and individually tailored experiences, Eco-Tours of South Mississippi gives tourists a top-notch experience. The organization is also dedicated to conservation, caring for the beautiful environment they explore. Tours are available throughout the year and are the perfect outing for families, small groups of friends, and business clients. I'd love to take a tour with a friend who also enjoys learning about wildlife.

The organization recommends that tourists bring several items, including sunscreen, a hat, a camera, and sunglasses. Binoculars are also a great addition, allowing for close-up views of magnificent species. They also recommend that guests wear seasonally appropriate athletic attire.

For more information, visit Eco-Tours of South Mississippi's website and Facebook page.

Gautier, Mississippi, has about 20,000 residents and is known for its magnificent natural beauty. Shepherd State Park is a little-known park that's so quiet you may feel like you have it all to yourself. It also has campgrounds, a disc golf course, picnic areas, and hiking trails, including a marsh walk over the water.

Another hidden gem is the Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, a family-friendly 19,000-acre site dedicated to an endangered species called the Mississippi sandhill crane. Visitors are generally most likely to see these rare, long-legged birds in the fall and winter seasons. The refuge also has a one-mile trail with overlooks of the Bayou Castille and Davis Bayou.

Gautier also has excellent restaurants. Huck's Cove is a casual waterfront restaurant in Gautier with indoor and outdoor seating and beautiful views. It serves burgers, BBQ pulled pork, salads, sandwiches, and more. Other fantastic restaurants include Country Gentleman and New York Pizza.

Consider staying at the Holiday Inn Express Pascagoula-Moss Point on your next trip to the area. This hotel has an outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi, and an amazing breakfast!