A Weekend Getaway To Ocean Springs: a house log

Never heard of Ocean Springs, Mississippi? Neither had we! But it caught our eye on round-ups like Southern Living’s 15 Most Adorable Small Towns and USA Today’s 10 Best Coastal Small Towns where it ranked #1. So a few months ago our family chose to check it out for ourselves. It did NOT disappoint! We in fact considered detouring through Ocean Springs on our weekend trip to New Orleans two years ago. But now we are glad we did not shortchange it with a swift pitstop and gave it a full trip of its own.

Kids Walking Under Bright Umbrellas In Cash Alley In Ocean Springs Mississippi

Ocean Springs lived up to the hype of being an adorable, small, historic town with plenty to explore. In fact it reminded us A LOT of Cape Charles, the little Virginia beach town where we renovated two homes. Both places are especially walkable, have a bunch of lively shops and restaurants, and sit on a quiet bay with shallow water for kids to play in.

Flat Bay Waters at Beach In Ocean Springs Mississippi

We visited Ocean Springs in late November during our kids’ Thanksgiving break, so we did not spend time on the beach (although it did get into the low 70s each day). But even without enjoying the water, we found plenty to do in Ocean Springs.

Where is Ocean Springs, Mississippi?

Ocean Springs is located on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, right across the Biloxi Bay from, well, Biloxi. It is about 3 hours west of our home in Northwest Florida and simply about 90 mins east of New Orleans.

Quanity Shopping Street In Ocean Springs Mississippi

We spent most of our Ocean Springs visit walking around and exploring the historic downtown and beachfront. We literally did not get in our car once thanks to renting an Airbnb in a especially walkable area! We hit up parks, shops, restaurants, toy & candy stores, and – of course – poked around some charming neighborhoods too. It was the ideal laid-back, slow-paced family getaway.

Where to Stay In Ocean Springs

Ocean Springs has plenty of short-term rentals as well as boutique hotels and B&Bs, so there are a lot of lodging options – including trendy ones like the modern cabins at the Beatnik Motel.

Sign for the Beatnik Motel In Ocean Springs Mississippi

We stayed at a dog-friendly Airbnb right off of one of the main downtown streets, which was clean and well-stocked, but after walking around many areas there, we would not recommend that specific spot, so I am not going to link it here. It was a little loud from some adjacent restaurants, but there were some quite charming areas south of Government Street that we would pick to stay in next time. This one called Gaslamp House is a little pricey, but it consistently catches my eye!

Small Chihuahua Looking Outside Window In Airbnb In Ocean Springs Mississippi

But again, there is also no shortage of cool hotels. We walked by The Roost Boutique Hotel, which looked like an updated old farmhouse. The pool area looks excellent on the website too!

Exterior of the Roost Bed And Breakfast Hotel In Ocean Springs Mississippi

Slightly closer to downtown is The Springs Hotel, which also houses a cool floral and gift shop called Palmette (more on that later). That is why Sherry is marching so determinedly into the hotel below!

Exterior of The Springs Hotel and Palmette Shop In Ocean Springs Mississippi

I stayed outside with the dog, but Sherry got to sneak some peaks of the inside of the hotel while shopping. It was especially well designed!

Interior of The Springs Hotel In Ocean Springs Mississippi

I mean, simply look at the bathroom!

Interior of Palmette Bathroom With Wallpaper

We were certainly pleasantly surprised by the level of lodging options in Ocean Springs.

Where To Eat in Ocean Springs

We would not call ourselves foodies (zero refined palates here), but somehow our vacations consistently revolve around food! Ocean Springs had tons of strong restaurant options that are both kid & dog-friendly. In our 48 hours there, we had 2 breakfasts, 2 brunches, and 2 dinners… plus some desserts! Here is a list of where we went, with more info and pics below:

Bright Eyed Brew Co
The TatoNut Shop (donuts)
Fat Spoon Cafe
Lady May
Glory Bound Gyro Co
Pop Brothers (popsicles)
Candy Cottage

Bright Eyed Brew Co.

Exterior of Bright Eyed Coffee In Ocean Springs Mississippi

Bright Eyed Brew Co is a strong morning coffee spot in the little building shown above. There is even a one-room Airbnb in the back! We could tell we were in the right spot for a good coffee when there was a line out the door on a random Monday morning in November!

Interior Mural of Bright Eyed Coffee Shop In Ocean Springs Mississippi

TatoNut Donuts

Housed in another cute little building, The TatoNut Shop is a strong spot for coffee and donuts. This was simply a couple streets over from our Airbnb and one of the reviews for our place said these were the best donuts they had ever had!

We indulged in some of the oversized Katrina and Praline donuts, which were delicious. My only regret is that we did not come back to try some of their specialty flavors for a true TatoNut experience.

Display of Tato Nut Shop Donuts In Ocean Springs Mississippi

We also ate a strong brunch at the Fat Spoon Cafe, but did not take any photos!

Lady May

We enjoyed Lady May so much that we ate there twice – once for dinner and then the next morning for brunch. They had a strong patio and the menu had crowdpleasers from flatbread pizzas and burgers to omelets and waffles.

Glory Bound Gyro Co

Our first dinner was at Glory Bound Gryo Co which, we later learned, is a sister restaurant to Lady May. It also had burgers, salads, and pizzas but also tons of gyros with distinct topping and sauce combinations. It was not fancy, but it was SO GOOD we nearly ate there the second night (but ended up at Lady May instead).

Pop Brothers

After a long walk, we treated ourselves to some gourmet popsicles at Pop Brothers. It is located in “Cash Alley” which is adorned with colorful umbrellas overhead and graphic sidewalk art below. There are dozens of artisan popsicle flavors to choose from (I did Vietnamese Coffee and Sherry did chocolate peanut butter). We highly recommend paying the extra dollar to have it dipped in chocolate!

Sadly we missed getting a New Orleans-style snow cone at nearby Caboose Cones, which had closed for the winter season. But I imagine it is an iconic place to cool off in the summer.

Exterior of Caboose Cones Snowballs In Ocean Springs Mississippi

We also enjoyed some novelty candy at the Candy Cottage, which is right next door to Lady May. It had TONS of custom chocolate creations, plus the usual favs.

What To Do in Oceans Springs

The beach is certainly a big draw for Ocean Springs, but even in November we found plenty to keep us busy out of the water. Mostly it involved walking around, exploring, dropping into shops, and taking in the striking neighborhoods.

Narrow Sidewalk In Cute Downtown Shopping Area of Ocean Springs Mississippi

A lot of Historic Downtown Ocean Springs looks like the streets pictured above and below. Cozy sidewalks, massive oak trees, and lively little shops, parks, and homes along the way.

Tree Lined Street In Ocean Springs Mississippi

Ocean Springs seems to have a vibrant art scene too, with one popular stop downtown being the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. A lot of people also talk about Shearwater Pottery, but we unfortunately did not make it there during open hours.

Family Walking into Walter Anderson Museum of Art In Ocean Springs Mississippi

The next block down is the aforementioned Springs Hotel, which is also home to a floral and art shop called Palmette.

Display of Flowers at Palmette In Ocean Springs Mississippi

I stayed outside with Penny while Sherry and the kids shopped. Based on the amount of time spent, I could tell it was one of their go-to stops!

Interior of Palmette Shopping Display In Ocean Springs Mississippi

Sherry picked up this brass tiger pendant there and loves it endlessly.

Sherry Hand Holding Gold Tiger Necklace Purchased at Palmette In Ocean Springs Mississippi

I do not remember the name of every little store we stopped into, but that was kind of the lively of it. There was consistently something interesting to see.

Crooked Coast Gift Shop In Ocean Springs Mississippi

My only wish is that Ocean Springs had a local bookshop (we enjoy checking out independent bookstores on vacation). We did come across several Little Free Libraries, so I guess that was a close second!

Kids Outside Cute Home With Little Free Library In Ocean Springs Mississippi

It was also lively being downtown as things were starting to get decked out for the holidays. We even got to see the toy store actively hanging theirs!

Decorated Yellow Front Door For Miners Doll and Toy Store In Ocean Springs Mississippi

In addition to shopping the downtown, we also enjoyed walking down some of the neighborhood streets to admire the homes. I have never thought much about what a “quintessential coastal Mississippi” neighborhood might look like, but somehow Ocean Springs is exactly that. It certainly had a lot of New Orleans vibes, with striking old homes, local shops, and tree-lined streets.

Queen Anne Style Home With Large Tree In Ocean Springs Mississippi

There were plenty of sprawling porches, picket fences, and large mossy oaks.

Exterior of Southern Style Home In In Ocean Springs Mississippi With Picket Fence

Possibly the best part about our visit to Ocean Springs is that we left wanting to come back. While I think we hit a lot of highlights in our short visit, it feels like we could use more time to soak it in, fully relax into its laid-back vibe, and perhaps bike around town or hang out at the beach on a summer day.