Best family vacation spots: Meridian, Jackson, Gulfport, and Biloxi. Best places for family vacation fun: Jimmie Rogers Museum, Marine Life Oceanarium, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Rainwater Observatory & Planetarium, and Lynn Meadows Discovery Center. Things to do with kids: sample hoop cheese or eat a Mississippi moon pie; ride the artful Dentzel Carousel or canoe the Chunky River; participate in a dolphin interaction program or camp under the stars. (Image from Meridian.)