SILENCE IS GOLDEN

The world is a loud place. It’s crowded with people, possessions, activity and lots of noise. Whether it’s ringing cell phones, car traffic or the background drone of a TV, excessive sounds can lead to high blood pressure, fatal heart attacks, hearing loss, insomnia, anxiety and depression, according to The World Health Organization. 

But, there’s good news: quiet places provide repose from stress incurred from a constant barrage of noise. Studies show silence can relieve stress, promote sleep, lower blood pressure, improve memory and boost the body’s immune system.

Fortunately, there are plenty of places for respite along the Gulf Coast.

Take a walk along some of the 20 miles of trails at Historic Blakeley State Park to hear nothing but birds and leaves rustling in the breeze. Located on Highway 31 near Spanish Fort, it’s just minutes from Mobile and Daphne, but it seems a world away.

The Hallet and Old Apalachee Trails immerse hikers in what Ralph Waldo Emerson would call “good silence” and the E.O. Wilson Boardwalk offers a beautiful view of the tranquil Tensaw River, where the silence is broken only briefly by a lone motor boat.

The 10-acre forested area at The Pascagoula River Audubon Center on Rhodes Bayou in Moss Point, Mississippi connects to the Nature Conservancy’s 70,000 acres of protected riverfront land that keeps the Pascagoula, the largest free-flowing river in the contiguous U.S., one of the wildest.

While sitting on the porch, in the gardens or on the observation decks, many birds can be heard (almost 400 species have been sighted) and not much else. Because of its proximity to downtown, sometimes noises quietly carry to the property, but according to outreach and facilities associate Andrea Belcher, “The Audubon Center is still a relaxing place for people to explore, enjoy the bayou view, walk the trails.” She suggests kayaking the bayou, “Now, that is a quiet experience.”

Stedman’s Landing, in Montrose, Alabama, is just off the Eastern Shore Trail, making it a convenient destination for bicyclists and walkers. A gorgeous and serene view of Mobile Bay is wheelchair accessible via a creekside boardwalk that leads to a deck over the beach. Walk south where the only sounds are waves lapping on the shore, wind blowing through wildflowers and fish splashing in the water.

If your search for silence is spiritual—and you’re female—the Visitation Monastery in Mobile is a welcome retreat. On the grounds are a chapel, gift shop, small library and the retreat house, with a balcony that overlooks a peaceful courtyard. The unstructured environment allows plenty of time for meditation and contemplation and women can stay up to a week. Guests can attend prayers and take their meals with the two dozen nuns who live there as part of a cloistered order that dates back 400 years.