Sunday we headed off on our first trip of the year. I have been flying and training but we did not travel. CC had some in town commitments so we stuck around but we finally had a few free days.
About 24 years ago I visited the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola but it was a rushed visit. I had always wanted to get back but never had. We had a tight window, wanting to be back in town on Tuesday evening but it’s a short trip so it all looked good. My plan, head out Sunday later in the day, sightsee Monday and Tuesday.
The flight to Pensacola was smooth but we bucked a headwind that was mostly 20 knots but dropped off a bit as we neared the destination. The FBO had higher prices than most but the service was very good. Our car was brought around and they had a fridge of drinks. They offered us beer or wine coolers but CC and I went for the Yoo-hoo. I’m not sure when I last had one but it was at least 2 decades.
We were staying out at Pensacola Beach, so we headed South from the airport but took a slight detour. We stopped by the Graffiti bridge. This is an old railroad bridge that has been continuously tagged since around 1935. They say it can change daily and we saw some people at work on a new creation.
When we drove by Tuesday it had already been painted over with a new creation. There is also a boat ramp, bridge and fishing dock. It was a nice way to stretch the legs after the 2 hour flight over.
We stayed out on Pensacola beach. I booked a Fairfield Inn. In general the chain is a so-so hotel though the rooms are typically large. This is a new one and was a bit swanky with a fancy lobby and nice rooms. My years of travel were rewarded with a free upgrade to ocean view with a balcony. We ended the night with some local pizza and a grinder, after that it was time to rest for some gulf shore sightseeing Monday.
Our first stop was the Fort Pickens National Historic Site. We used the visit to renew our annual park pass. The $80/year is a super bargain. If you are 62 or older you can get a lifetime pass for the cost of a year. We are not quite there so we need to renew yearly.
Fort Pickens is a pre civil war era structure that was in use through WW2. We have been to many forts and this one was just OK. The signage was a bit lacking and it has been rebuilt and added to over time so that it’s a mishmash of old and new. The old brickwork is falling apart in many places. It may be that the Florida climate is not conducive to preservation. On top of this is WW2 cement structure that in many places looks like it was done in haste, which it likely was.
The fort does have the distinction of being one of the few Southern forts remaining in union hands during the entire civil war. After that it basically did nothing but guard a bay that was never attacked.
After the fort and surrounding park, we headed back to the hotel to walk the beach. The Gulf coast sand is white but it’s hard to walk on. The water was cold too, at 60 degrees, I wasn’t getting in to check it out.
After some lunch we decided to check out the barrier islands. We drove back over the bridge to Gulf Breeze, then East towards Destin. About 20 miles later we just happened to find a Baskin Robins and were forced to get ice cream. With that out of the way we drove back over to Pensacola beach. We wanted to drive through the Gulf Island National Seashore.
They have a really nice pavilion area where we took another quick beach walk. We also met a group from Michigan and had a nice chat. They stopped us to take their picture and it snowballed from there. Oh the people you may meet when out and about. I guess I never learned not to talk to strangers, what would mother say?
The drive through the seashore is pretty cool. The dunes and grasses are pretty unique. Our final stop was the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. As this is the off season it was pretty empty. It’s mostly junk shops, restaurants and bars. We spent the rest of our time enjoying our view and the beach, and feasting on some Nachos and tacos.
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