Big Lagoon State Park, Perdido Key, Florida

 We made a side trip to Pascagoula River Audubon Center in Moss Point, Mississippi before heading back to Florida. It was a beautiful, peaceful setting with a historic trolley ticket booth and scout hut and birding  scope off the back boardwalks and kayak launch. We got a cozy campsite at Big Lagoon Stare Park and headed out for an early seafood dinner at Fisherman's Corner, at Perdido Key in Pensacola, Florida. Our campground fee gave us entrance to nearby Perdido Key State Park and Tarklin Bayou Preserve State Park where we walked the beach and boardwalk to bayou,

Pascagoula River Audubon Center

The old trolley stop ticket booth

Bird feeders off the deck

Kayak landing

The historic scout hut

Garden art

Painted gates to trail

Birdwatching seats

Art gallery showing

Setting up for exhibition

Fence mural

Big Lagoon

Hidden rabbit

Our campsite at Big Lagoon State Park

Moon rise over gulf

Perdido Key State Park 

Davis Bayou Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

 It was a short drive to Gulfport Airport and easy parking for the the trailer in the not very busy airport. This was the closest location with open appointments for interviews. A new picture and fingerprints and we were notified next day of our renewed global entry. next stop was the Davis Bayou Campground Visitor Center and a walk on the fishing pier before setting up camp, We ended up cooking indoors and sleeping in to avoid the chilly weather as it warmed up fast.

Davis Bayou off the back deck of center

Kept watch for gators

Trailhead for the Fontainebleau Trail

Spotted a trail camera

Many of the boardwalks were damaged and closed

Along the trail

Fort Bayou Brewery, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

 On our way to Gulfport, Mississippi Airport for our interview to renew our Global Entry Pass we stopped for the night at Fort Bayou Brewery, a Harvest Host. That afternoon we stopped at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. We hiked the short C.L. Dees Trail before visiting the visitor center. We enjoyed the camp hosts' orientation and the video and displays, The cranes cooperated and moved from the aviary in the distance to the feeding station outside the back patio. We were the third rig at the brewery when they opened at 4 pm. The beers, fried green beans, and eggrolls followed by chicken alfredo and beef Bolognese pastas were delicious. We dodged the rain and tornado alerts all day and had a pleasant evening.

Baby long leaf pine tree

Picture plants impacted by the freeze

Beautiful nature trail

We heard more birds than we saw

Marshy overlook

Well worth a visit

Art work and great photography on display

The recently released raised in captivity cranes

They came to the observation tower

Mate for life

The crowd at Fort Bayou

Sun sets on Mississippi

Not the sunny outdoor patio we stayed at last time