Yesterday’s run down the Intracoastal was a sort of kayaking purgatory for me. Not the river and still not quite the ocean. Today was different. A half hour after I left camp I turned a corner and was greeted by one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps not the best sunrise ever, but after a month on the water it was a sight I will never ever forget.
Another thing I’m adjusting to is human shore development. On yesterday’s blog I mentioned how people were a new thing that I hadn’t seen much of on the river. While it’s a delight to see folks on the water, their houses and condos lining every inch of shore line made finding a camp spot a bit challenging. Melissa from South Coast Paddling Company in Ocean Springsi called around an recommended a spot just outside of Bay of St. Louis. I arrived here very early but because the next possible camp site is a full day of paddling further down the coast I had to pull off the water a bit earlier than normal. I could have opted to take the off shore route from island to island but I want to visit Melissa and her shop tomorrow, as well as other people in the area, so I opted for the mainland route. I’m not complaining though, this spot is nice. It’s situated on a bit of land that had been occupied by a home until hurricane Katrina swept it bare. Tomorrow I’ll be heading on into Biloxi to check in with Melissa.