I celebrated #38 on the road with my kids and dog. It wasn't exactly stress-free, but it was entertaining. Originally, we had planned on visiting a plantation in Louisiana, however only one plantation was dog friendly (Houmas, for those who want to visit). While that plantation has beautiful gardens, I wanted to find a plantation that focused on the slavery aspect of it, so I asked the kids what they wanted to do. Their choices were: Houmas Plantation, the beach, or hiking. They went with the last two, but with a twist thrown in.
On our way back to Bay St. Louis from NOLA the previous night, Harrison had seen a rocket from the interstate. After a little internet research we realized it was Stennis Space Center. More specifically, Infinity Science Center inside Stennis Space Center. Even more specifically, the Science Center is one of the only ways the public can see the Space Center. Unfortunately, the science center was closed and had a steal gate, so we couldn't even get close to it. That sent us on the interstate, over the bridge into Louisiana, only to come back just so we could view the rocket from the other side of the interstate. It was utter chaos for a bit there! If the Science Center had been open, we were going to go for a couple of hours. Of course, many museums and things in the area seem to be operating on reduced hours. I'm unsure if this is still Covid related or if this is how it was pre-Covid too (honestly, I haven't cared enough to dig into it at all).
Nothing like a strawberry king cake for breakfast! The minis even serenaded me with two rounds of Happy Birthday. No one got the baby during round one of cake eating.
The most well secured science center I've ever seen! Steel gates, completely fenced, we couldn't get near the building since it was closed. We enjoyed the drives trying to see the rocket though. We saw rivers and bayous, the minis are obsessed with the incredible flyovers in the area, and we made a stop at a Starbucks for treats. It was honestly one of the silliest things I've ever done on my birthday.
I nearly had to pull over from laughing so hard when the middle mini exclaimed, "that truck has Kim Kardashian hips!"
Starbucks drive thru weirdness.
After that little fiasco, we took the scenic route into Ocean Springs, MS to do a bayou hike on a preserve then went back to our favorite beach in the area, Waveland Beach. We filled our bellies with snacks all day and a typical Mardi Gras meal for dinner: jambalaya, red beans and rice, and king cake!
