Turn off Highway 90 onto Washington Avenue to reach downtown. Ocean Springs favorite son is Walter Anderson. Fans of the fascinating artist will want to visit the Walter Anderson Museum of Art on Washington Avenue, which houses more than 300 works of art. Standouts include two wildlife murals one of which was painted in a room of the Old Community Center, to which the museum is attached, and one that was transported from Anderson s cottage to the museum. The eccentric Anderson, who died in 1965, reportedly spent the last 18 years of his life on Cat Island, a barrier island 12 miles off the coast.
Some pieces are for sale.
Good dining is available in Ocean Springs either on or not far off the highway. Drinks are served in tin cups, and the interior has a country kitchen flair. The restaurant, very popular with locals, is housed in a circa 1852 home on Fort Bayou, which affords great views. If you can, be sure to check out the unique basement bar, the Julep Room, where Elvis reportedly hung out in the 1950s. On Interstate 10 en route to Alabama, be sure to stop at the Alabama Welcome Center, which sits atop a small hill and is beautifully landscaped with live oaks, magnolias and azaleas.