Of course, we've been traveling to our closest Gulf neighbor for years for their beaches, casinos and world-class entertainment, and annual events. However, the cities along Mississippi's coast seem to truly be coming back to their full glory now ten years after the great storm nearly decimated the area.
My best friend and I stayed at the always illustrious and famed Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino as they were premiering their brand new exlusive circus show called YAYE!. The Beau Rivage has stood on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico since 1999. It was the largest casino/hotel outside of Nevada when it opened. They continue to provide excellent service to guests and players, as well as providing quality entertainment of all kinds for the whole family. You can learn more about the Beau here.
Without giving all of the secrets away, YAYE! was an incredibly fun and sometimes frightening experience. All of the performers really pulled the crowd into the show; sometimes, that was literal. The death-defying feats by the acrobats were breath-taking. My nails were tearing the seats at times seeing an untethered person hanging by just one foot effortlessly high above the floor. Then they would wind the tension with a funny skit or clowns running around the audience causing mischief. Again, hearts would race watching amazing acts that would make you gasp in terror thinking you might see someone fall. But these talented performers knew what they were doing and pulled off every stunt like experts. We were able to talk to the stellar cast backstage.
My amigo and I wandered the massive casino and checked out their clubs like Coast which were full of happy and very well-dressed patrons. But we were in the mood to really dance. Nearby Beau Rivage is a Latin dance club called Level Night Club. The dark, techno lighted club played nothing but fiery Latin music that everyone could dance to very well, except us. That didn't stop us from trying though!
After a long sleep, the day started out beautifully, but soon the clouds rolled in bringing sporadic showers and lightening which unfortunately closed down the palatial pool. We drove around and visited the obligatory and entertaining tourist stores that line the strip. Everyone else visiting the area must have had the same idea as they were pretty slammed. Once the weather cleared up, we decided to partake in our hangover meal at The Reef Restaurant's Sky Bar. The semi-open air bar atop the beach front restaurant (which will soon feature the state's largest outdoor art piece on it's facade) has sliding garage doors that allow for a nice Gulf breeze to enter the wide patio. There was already live music performed by a local artist to entertain us as well as Buzztime Trivia on the television which I can't resist. We weren't quite ready to imbibe again, so we didn't try out their freshly made daiquiris, but I did try out their delicious Buffalo Chicken Slider with Freedom Fries. You can check out more of their dishes on their Facebook that features some excellent food photography.
We walked briefly on the beach before having to make a run for the car in the face of a pitch black storm that quickly rolled in. Despite the stormy weather, we had a sunny overnight trip.
