One of the nicest afternoons I've spent in Biloxi was at the Beau Rivage. It's a fancy-pants casino resort owned by the MGM folks (think Bellagio in Vegas) but for about $100 for the day they gave us a private cabana at the pool with fruit tray and tv and bottled water - and a view of the pool and the gulf that made me think of the Carribbean. It was ideal for us because there was an air-conditioned/ceiling-fanned place to sit and enjoy the day without risking overheating or too much sun exposure for a member of our party who is medically inclined to avoid such things. The rest of us spent the day in the pool or sunbathing around it.

I'm sure, as with all things in life, that the price may have gone up since then.

There are lots of casinos in Biloxi as well, and along with them the prerequisite lunch buffets and glitz. Several lovely spas too, if the ladies in your life are into that sort of thing.

Along the coast in Theodore, Alabama (just west of Mobile) is the Bellingrath Gardens, which is a lovely place to spend an afternoon (or whole day, depending on how much wandering and photo-taking you like to do). It's a grand example of what the nouveau riche were up to in the deep south in the 20s (Bellingrath was a Coca-Cola magnate). Tickets into the property are not expensive, and you can take a river cruise or add a tour of the grand house for a little more if you like. Depending on when your trip is, the gardens themselves will be different - June is rampant roses, while later (nearer August) is time for the tropicals.