Looking for the perfect hideaway?

For our 6th wedding anniversary, my husband told me to pick a place to get away for the weekend and we would go. We knew we wanted to escape the regular hustle and bustle of most tourist places. We definitely wanted more seclusion and time just to enjoy each other even though we only had the weekend.  I didn't want the whole hotel/motel experience.  I wanted something different.  We began stalking Bed & Breakfast spots.  We settled on a little place in Long Beach, Mississippi.  The little place was called Long Beach Getaway Coastal Retreat. It is a small, 9 bedroom bed and breakfast that is nestled back off the main road with still a great view of the Gulf of Mexico from the beautiful veranda.  Still within in walking distance of some very nice restaurants. I can tell you The Long Beach Getaway Coastal Retreat was the most serene place I have ever been.  Just above the dining area was a lovely library with a full view of the Gulf.
 

Our room, bedroom view

Our room, living room view

We checked in on June 9th a little before lunch time.  From the moment we arrived, our host Dinuhabi Patel welcomed us like family.  He made sure everything was perfect for us when we arrived.  He even had a welcome message for us on the bulletin board wishing us a happy anniversary.  Dinu, or Dean as most people call him, took the time to get to know us.  He was truly interested in our happiness while staying with him in his home.  Our gracious host offered us the choice of two different rooms, and we chose one we just absolutely loved.  Our suite was complete with a very comfy king size bed, separate living area with a fold out couch, large screen TV with over 300 channels, (but we didn't watch much TV...wink wink, nudge nudge).  The private bath included full sized bottles of lotion and body wash with a Spa shower.

That night, Dinu prepared the most amazing meal for us.  We had the dining room all to ourselves and he not only cooked for us, he served us as well.  He called it a Colonial dinner.  It was served the way it would have been in India to the royals.  There was a beautiful bouquet of various white and pale yellow flowers on the table for us. Our meal began with Champagne.  Our appetizer consisted of a half of sweet pepper with marinated local Blue Crab and a half of a Key Lime.  Next, he served us Saffron rice with huge fresh Gulf Shrimp, a baked tomato stuffed with sweet potato and eggplant and various spices.  Our main course was locally caught Spotted Trout in a Coconut Cremé sauce over Saffron rice and a blend of English Cucumber, tomato and onion.  For our dessert, Dinu prepared a lovely ice cream dessert consisting of an orange slice, local produced vanilla ice cream, strawberry syrup and a few drops of rum.

Dinu in his element.

Dinu shared with us the rich history of India and the way he served the meal.  The rice he prepared was once only available to the royal families of India.  His grandfather owned one of the few rice farms in India that produced that particular type of rice.  He shared with us all about his family, where he was from, how he came to be there.  He had came from Iowa with the Red Cross right after Katrina.  He knew the then owners of the facility and helped them out a few months out of the year.  He now leases the property and runs it on his own.  He is in the process of adding a new larger kitchen and dining area to accommodate a full service restaurant.

Me and Dinu

David and Dinu

The morning of our departure, June 10th, he created the most amazing breakfast for us. We were served hot coffee, orange juice and a plate of fresh fruit consisting of kiwi, oranges, and cantaloupe. A large three egg omelet with large fresh gulf shrimp, sweet peppers, baby portabella mushrooms, three strips of bacon and two sausage patties.  We were completely stuffed!  We hated to leave our little bit of paradise we had found.  But all good things must come to an end.  We are already planning another trip back!  Make sure to visit the website for the Long Beach Getaway to see more information.  Click here to go to their site.

There is plenty to do and see while in the Long Beach, MS area. Visit Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home.  Take an hour drive west on I-10 to visit the Infinity Science Center. Just north on Hwy 49 is the Gulfport Premium Outlet Mall.  It is a fairly large mall and loads of great shops.  If you are in to the casinos, Gulfport and Biloxi are home to several.