Sunset from the pier at Blue Angels RV Park.
Pensacola! We finally made it on December 1. Fred and I were supposed to spend the month of April in Pensacola last year but a lengthy wait for parts for our leveling system left us in Ocala for 7 weeks and we missed the opportunity. I have been looking forward to it. My father served in the Navy and our family spent 2 years here in the mid 1960's while he was on "shore duty". I recognized nothing of course but it still was fun to explore the area.
9th hole at the mini golf course.
We stayed at the Blue Angels RV Park, part of the military Fam-camp system for NAS Pensacola. The park is divided into 2 sections. We chose Battleship row because of its full hook up sites with nice level concrete pads. Our site #4 was near the water with a view from our deck and living room window of Pensacola Bay. The other camping area is closer to the Marina but is more rustic and offers only water and electric sites. My favorite Florida birds Brown Pelicans were plentiful at that end of the park.
The recreation area has 2 disc golf courses and a military themed miniature golf course. We were happy to find that the roads were well tended and gave us miles of places to walk and ride bikes.
Some people find it too windy here but we didn't mind, except for the night that it tried to tear the awning off of the coach. Days were warm and mostly sunny while nights were pleasant but cool. There is a large Commissary/Base Exchange complex near by and we had no problem finding anything that we needed.
We spent some great time visiting The Pensacola Lighthouse and Fort Pickens.
A day in the downtown area on Palafox Street visiting coffee shops and visiting with other travelers was fun too.. We were delighted to find a corner lot at Palafox and Main that features 4 classic Airstream trailers as food trucks and a palm tree shaded outdoor seating area. It is called Al Fresco and seemed to be doing a brisk business. Pensacola loves it's Pelicans and we saw many painted ones throughout the city, much like the horses in Saratoga Springs.
One of Pensacola's colorful Pelican statues.
We discovered Perdido Key and the FloraBama a fun community oriented bar located on the border of those 2 states, where you can find everything from afternoon Bingo to Honky-tonk music. We are told you can attend Sunday services there and on Wednesday afternoons there is a potluck lunch and open mic. We enjoyed our visit there. Having drinks and sitting on their outdoor deck on a Sunny afternoon we were treated to the sound of the waves and the sight of 3 parachute sky divers land on the beach in front of us. Then the Blue Angels flew by.
We noticed many flags flying and learned that Pensacola is nicknamed The City of Five Flags since the banners of 5 nations have flown there. They include Spain, France, England, The Confederate States of America and the United States.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Fred and I found the Panhandle area to be friendly and welcoming. The area is easy to navigate and the beaches are plentiful. You have to love that soft white sand. Our 3 week stay gave us time to do projects. Fred set up a workshop on the deck and created hockey equipment drying racks for our grandsons. He caused quite a curiosity in the park as other RVers stopped almost daily to ask him what the heck he was making. I set up the sewing machine and made crochet project bags and hook holders. We had a great 3 weeks before heading North for the Holidays.
Pensacola and Perdido Key are on our list of places to return to.