Gulfport walk-about / Le Moulin Jaune

Well then, as with all ports of call a shore side exploration and shopping trip is on the days list of things to do. Gulfport is a boater friendly small community located along the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) near St. Petersburg Fl. The channel is well marked and provides easy access from the ICW. The anchorage is firm with good holding. Presently, there is no charge for using the anchorage or dock. Plans for a mooring field have been approved and I’m sure construction will begin shortly.

I highly recommend the official web page for Gulfport. It’s put together very nicely and you will enjoy the visit. Job well done!

http://gulfportflorida.us/

Looking inland from the anchorage you will see two piers. The one on the left is where the dinghy dock is. We motored the dinghy into the small harbor created between the two piers and found the dinghy dock fairly full. We managed to find a spot on the end and tied up without any problems. We met our friends Nat and Ellen on the dock who drove over to meet us. Plenty of parking is available.

Gulfport is relatively small and easily visited by foot. The waterfront has several bars and eateries facing the bay with one main street, also lined with shops and restaurants. There is a nice beach with covered picnic tables, a public restroom, and shade trees. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. For the traveling boater, there is a post office within a block of the beach. I didn’t check for free wifi signals in the area though.

I did not get very far up the main street, as is my style. Sheree finds true happiness in bouncing from store to store while bonding with the contents inside. I’m very lucky in the fact that she makes minimal purchases along the way. Nat on the other hand… can you say ‘mule’?

Finding the first available restaurant with outdoor seating, I took up my familiar position and ordered a cup of coffee. Nat found a combination of orange juice and beer… mixed. I’ll have to let him write about it, but apparently it is fairly popular. We took up temporary residence at a very nice little restaurant called Le Moulin Jaune.

http://gulfportflorida.us/dining-in-gulfport/37-restaurants/133-le-moulin-jaune

Here is a link to the website for the restaurant. Scrolling down you will see a video by local channel 13 television reporter Charley Belcher. Take a minute and watch the video, lots of neat things here.

Anyhow, as I sit sipping my coffee, and Nat enjoys his OJ/brew mixture, the ladies head off shopping. Having done this numerous times with Sheree, I’m unconcerned with this being a ‘shopping’ excursion. I usually get to wave at her as she exits one store with a big grin, unladen of purchases, and enters the next locale.

Ellen however begins the ritual of loading down the mule. I just gotta chuckle. Nat dutifully accepts the packages without looking inside. “Not even curious?” I query. “Nope,” Nat takes another sip, “Seen it all before.”

I really like this little restaurant, and will have to come back. The owner tells me that they just purchased the property next door and will be operating a bakery in there. They will provide fresh French breads and pastries. The ones we were given to sample were simply magnificent. I envision a sailing stopover here just to load up on bread and pastries prior to my next outing.

The service is wonderful, the prices are kind, and the atmosphere delightful. I’ll be making this spot a regular stop when I’m in town. Sheree and Ellen have managed to work their way up to the next block, time to relocate our base-camp. Halfway up the block I notice I’m alone. Glancing over my shoulder I see the mule had finally gathered his cargo and is attempting to catch up.

Just up ahead is another fine place to watch the continued shopping saga unfold…

Now for the public service announcement: Do you see the spot on the right to ‘subscribe’? It’s really easy… Put your email address in there and push the little electronic button. You will get an email to verify it’s really you. Agree to it and your done! You need to verify that its really you to keep everything spam free. Your address is not sold, traded, published or anything ~ no advertising on this site… this way you will get the story updates without continually having to look at my diving picture on top of the page… see? Easy!

You can comment on any of the articles here too. If you have been there, want to go, or have a great story to add, let me know!

Filed Under: Travels

Tags: Gulfport • restaurant review