Tag: Pensacola

Pensacola, Florida

Waterfront on the west.
An educational family vacation awaits in Pensacola, Florida, where naval history is all around you.

On the western end of the Florida Panhandle is Pensacola, the state’s second-oldest city and widely known for its great beaches. But Pensacola has also played a major role in the naval history of our country, a role that continues today.

Pensacola Bay is the deepest bay on the Gulf Coast and is protected from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico by the long barrier island of Santa Rosa to the south. Its importance as a safe harbor and its strategic location led to a Spanish settlement dating back to 1559. (The Native American population being displaced was the custom.) Both the French and English had short-term claims to the land, but mainly the Spanish kept control until 1819, when the land was officially sold to the United States.

The strategic importance of Pensacola Bay was readily apparent, and the U.S. built three forts to guard its entrance: Fort Pickens was established on the west end of Santa Rosa Island, Fort McRee was across the passage on Perdido Key, and Fort Barrancas was built on the mainland over the remains of the original Spanish fort.

With a protected harbor and an abundance of timber, especially live oak, the U.S. government started construction of the Pensacola Navy Yard on the land surrounding Fort Barrancas in 1826; the yard was decommissioned in 1911. By then, the development of the airplane and its possible use by the U.S. Navy led the government to commission Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola as the first Naval AirStation in 1914.

Through two World Wars and various military conflicts afterward, NAS Pensacola has provided our country with some of the very best naval aviators. Today, more than 16,000 military and 7,000 civilian personnel are associated with the base.

NAS Pensacola offers a wide variety of things to do and see. Most attractions are free, but keep in mind that this is an active military base. Visitors are welcome, but make sure to carry picture IDs and be prepared for a search of your belongings upon entrance to the base.

NAS is home to the U.S. Navy precision flying team, the famed Blue Angels. Formed in 1946 to boost public interest in naval aviation, the Blue Angels relocated to NAS Pensacola in June 1955. Now in their 71st year, they have performed for nearly 500 million fans. Watch them practice their air show routine for free, and stick around to meet the pilots. Get there early to secure a good vantage point. For practice times, go to blueangels.navy.mil.

When the “Blues” are finished, walk over to the world’s largest naval aviation museum. The National Naval Aviation Museum features 150 restored aircraft from vintage to modern and depicts the history of naval aviation. Entrance to the museum is free, and there are interactive displays and real cockpits the kids can climb into. If you get hungry, the Cubi Bar Café continues the theme of naval aviation and is a fantastic place to get an inexpensive meal.
navalaviationmuseum.org

Only a few minutes away is another landmark, the Pensacola Lighthouse. Completed in 1859, the Pensacola Light has withstood wars, hurricanes and even an earthquake in 1886. The distinctive paint job—the bottom third is white and the top two-thirds is black—makes it clearly visible for miles. A small admission fee allows you to climb the 177 steps to the top of the 150-foot-tall tower, where you’ll have spectacular views of Pensacola Pass, downtown Pensacola and the base itself. You’ll probably see planes flying past, perhaps even the Blue Angels! The lighthouse is open seven days a week from 10AM to 5:30PM. pensacolalighthouse.org

Fort Barrancas is less than a mile away. The original Spanish fort was reconstructed by the Americans from 1839 to 1844. A battery of cannons pointed in the direction of the water to guard entrance to the Bay. The fort is partially underground to prevent damage from enemy bombardment. Travel through the passageways and then go up to the “Parade Ground,” where you’ll have views of the Bay and Santa Rosa Island on the other side.

The Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) was established in January 1971 to protect historic landmarks, as well as the birds and wildlife that inhabit the area. If you’d like to boat around the GINS, the National Park Service requires a 20-foot or longer craft to handle the currents and water conditions and also recommends having an up-to-date nautical chart for safe navigation. GINS is the nation’s largest seashore and stretches from Santa Rosa Island west to Cat Island, Mississippi. The Florida side of the GINS consists of six different locations along the water in the Pensacola area (including Fort Barrancas). The park includes the surrounding waters here and, in fact, 80 percent of the protected area is under water. nps.gov/guis/index.htm

Once inside the park, you are in a different world. There are no big hotels and actually, there are not many buildings at all. (There is one general store near the middle of the park.) Instead, there are miles of white-sand beaches with warm, Gulf waters lapping up on them. With an entrance fee and few amenities, the park is not crowded. You’ll find groups of people near the parking lots (only Langdon Beach has a bathhouse), but you don’t have to go far to be alone. Swim, snorkel or dive, lie on the beach, or go surf fishing. Typically, the Gulf is fairly benign in terms of conditions. On the west end of Santa Rosa Island is the Fort Pickens

On the west end of Santa Rosa Island is the Fort Pickens Area, where the fort’s remains still stand. Go on a guided or self-guided tour. Completed in 1834, this pentagon-shaped fort was built with four-foot-thick brick walls to withstand
cannon fi re, and they still survive today. A bookstore and a museum are nearby to further explain the historic significance of the fort.

Anglers can use a fishing pier on the Bay side. With NAS Pensacola just 1.5 miles across the Bay, the Fort Pickens Area is a great place to watch the Blue Angels practice and fly in formation directly overhead. Shutterbugs can get some great shots across the water of the Blues flying past the lighthouse.

Several biking/ hiking/nature trails are also available in the park. The west end of the island broadens out enough to have some freshwater marshes. The Blackbird Marsh Trail near Fort Pickens crosses some of these wetlands, which are home to a wide variety of birds.

In fact, the GINS is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Occasionally, sections of the park will be closed to protect nesting shorebirds. The Dune Nature Trail on a boardwalk leads across the dunes to the beach. Sea turtles frequently build nests on the higher parts of the beach and are marked.

The Florida National Scenic Trail starts down the peninsula at the Big Cypress National Preserve and ends at Fort Pickens. It’s worth the trek to see the abundance of fish and dolphin that swim in the nearby offshore waters.

Cruiser Resources & Activities
DINING

Blue Dot Barbecue, Pensacola
(850) 432-0644

McGuire’s Irish Pub, Pensacola
(850) 433-6789
mcguiresirishpub.com

Peg Leg Pete’s, Pensacola Beach
(850) 932-4139
peglegpetes.com

BIKE RENTALS

Bikes Plus, Pensacola
bikesplus.com

Emerald Coast Tours, Pensacola
emeraldcoasttours.net

The Fun Store, Pensacola Beach
funstorefl.com

By Ed Brotak Southern Boating August 2017

Historic navigational landmarks

Even with the advent of GPS, boaters familiar with their home waters still use landmarks to guide them to their homeports and those new to an area find them to be crucial. Throughout the Gulf Coast, the region is sprinkled with historic lighthouses many of which are still functioning, and some of these lights have guided sailors home to safety for more than two centuries and have the history to prove it. While there are far too many to mention here, the following list is a good start for your explorations.

Alabama

Mobile Bay—In the shallows of Mobile Bay, the Middle Bay Light has stood since 1885 and marks the dogleg in the primary shipping channel. Placed on the National Historic Registry in 1975, this lighthouse has withstood many a hurricane and still serves as a navigational tool.

Florida

Cape San Blas—Originally constructed in 1848, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse marked the elbow in the cape extruding into the Gulf of Mexico that forms St. Joseph’s Bay on the Florida Panhandle. In 2014, the lighthouse was decommissioned and moved to a bayside park in the town of Port St. Joe and now includes a museum.

Seahorse Key—On a pristine and undeveloped section of Florida’s west coast lies a chain of keys near the entrance to the Suwannee River. In 1854, the first lighthouse was built on the Cedar Keys, and today the lighthouse is home to the University of Florida’s Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory.

Pensacola—Located on Santa Rosa Island near Fort Barrancas, the Pensacola Lighthouse went operational in 1824 and is still visible when entering the Pensacola Lighthouse. Today, it houses a lighthouse museum and is located on the grounds of the Naval Air Station.

Louisiana

New Canal—Nearly destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2015, the New Canal Lighthouse was originally constructed in 1839 and guided barges and schooners from Lake Pontchartrain into one of the shipping canals leading to downtown New Orleans. The lighthouse was fully restored after the hurricane, is operational and home to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.

Tchefuncte River Lighthouse—Erected in 1837 at the entrance of the large Tchefuncte River into Lake Pontchartrain, the lighthouse has been guiding boaters to the quaint resort town of Madisonville for their popular Wooden Boat Festival on the lake’s north shore.

Mississippi

Round Island—The lighthouse was constructed in 1833 to guide mariners into the port of Pascagoula from the Mississippi Sound. Hurricane Katrina destroyed it as it was undergoing restoration, and the salvaged remains were shipped by barge and relocated in Pascagoula from the barrier island. The lighthouse was relighted in 2015.

 

By Troy Gilbert – Southern Boating Magazine, February 2016

Catch an air show from the comfort of your own boat.

Deep in the heart of winter on the Gulf Coast, boaters already begin to plan their upcoming on-the-water adventures. New destinations are plotted on charts; that wooden boat festival that was missed last year due to work is scribbled onto the calendar, and family friendly boating events are searched out on the Internet. Here’s one boaters must included on their cruising calendars: an air show from the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

The legendary, precision flying squadron’s home is smack in the middle of the Florida panhandle at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola. The Blue Angels have been thrilling hordes of people for more than 50 years with their razor-thin precision and spectacular aerial stunts. Throughout the year an estimated 11 million people view the incredible aerial dynamics of these pilots as they fly in close formation and perform amazing feats of sky gymnastics in their F/A-18 fighter jets, which can reach speeds of 1,400 mph!

Eleven million people can be quite a crowd, but luckily, many of the air shows that the Blue Angels visit are accessible to boaters in many parts of the country. What better way to entertain than to run your boat just off shore on the Gulf of Mexico, a bay or lake and drop anchor for the best seats in town. Raft up with your boat-owning friends and make it an annual event. Pack a lunch or fire up that stern grill, marvel at the aeronautics and feel the power of the Blue Angels as these extreme aircrafts spring through the air. Many of the venues, especially in beach towns such as Pensacola and Key West, have the fighter jets screaming just along the shorelines and possibly directly over your vessel. It’s quite the memorable experience. Air shows held throughout the country in 2016 can be found on their website blueangels.navy.mil. Search for the event nearest you and discover whether the pilots will be flying directly over or within viewing distance of your favorite waterway. The energy and thrill of watching these fighter pilots from the comfort of your own boat is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and should absolutely be scheduled into your boating plans for this New Year.

Now go back to dreaming of warmer weather and untying those dock lines—spring is right around the corner.

 

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating Magazine January 2016

Thunder on the Gulf Powerboat Racing

The emerald waters and white sands of the Northern Gulf Coast are normally a tranquil vacation spot except for one week in late August when a “Who’s Who” of powerboat racing storms onto the coast. The growl of high-octane engines screaming just a Frisbee’s throw offshore builds unparalleled energy and excitement for race fans lined on beaches, and in spectator boats and private beachside condo balconies. After a decade of racing, Thunder on the Gulf has become one of the top powerboat racing events in the U.S. and this year will be no exception.

Held over a long weekend August 21-24, the event has expanded to include racing in both Orange Beach, Alabama, and nearby Pensacola, Florida,—now billed the Flora-Bama Shootout Grand Prix Championship. The legendary Flora-Bama bar straddling the line between the two states is famous for their mullet toss and is hosting the kick-off party on Thursday, August 21st. John Carbonell of Key West is the premier race official and Super Boat International is the sanctioning body for this race weekend, which is listed as a top event by the Southeast Tourism Society.

With race villages and wet pits set up in each location, race fans can tour these monster super-boats in a festive atmosphere the day before the races, which run Friday the 22nd in Orange Beach and Sunday the 24th off Pensacola’s historic downtown waterfront at the Plaza de Luna.

Billed as an entire race week experience, food and live music will be featured at each event site, including the Marshall Tucker Band at the Wharf in Orange Beach. There will also be a golf tournament, the well-attended Thunder Motorcycle Run, an offshore fishing tournament, and two bikini contests. A massive street party, boat parade and fireworks display on Palafox Street and the adjacent pier follow the final awards ceremony in Pensacola. All events are staggered and timed to chase the race boats as they transition from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle. VIP packages are available.

Depending on your taste and energy level, there is something for all race fans whether you don’t want to miss a minute of the onshore and offshore events in both cities or would simply prefer to set up your beach chairs with a cooler along the 6.5-mile liquid racecourse in Orange Beach. For those who are new to superboat racing, this is a perfect time to book your family vacation and delight the kids with this NASCAR-type event on the water. thunderonthegulf.com

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating August 2014

Mollusk Mania on Florida’s Forgotten Coast

July brings with it a unique tradition for recreational boat owners on Florida’s Big Bend on the Gulf Coast—bay scallop season. A run of sandy barrier islands and a marshy estuarine system contribute to an ideal salinity and ecosystem for the tasty mollusks, an environment unique to the Gulf Coast. Highly susceptible to even minute environmental changes, the harvesting of bay scallops is strictly controlled and no commercial activities are allowed. The one exception is for recreational boat owners and individuals who wade from shore with dip nets, a pastime that has led to an almost cultural institution on this stretch of Florida’s coastline.

Midsummer brings out the snorkels, flippers and mesh bags as Floridians and tourists peruse the sandy seagrass beds just offshore of Florida’s Forgotten Coast between Port St. Joe and Tarpon Springs. “Diver down” flags pop up above tried and true secret scalloping spots, and with scallops preferring depths of only 4-6 feet of water, it is a family-friendly experience. Port St. Joe also holds an annual Scallop Festival every August in this very authentic old-style Florida town.

Bay scallops once had an extensive habitat throughout the state from Pensacola to West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Coast, but it is increasingly shrinking due to development pressures. Today, isolated populations—still numerous enough to allow scalloping—can be found in the waters around Port St. Joe, Crystal River, Steinhatchee, and Homosassa on the Gulf Coast. Florida saltwater fishing licenses are required and scalloping charters can be found in many of the marinas. The 2014 season runs from June 28th to September 10th, and the per-person limit is two gallons of in-the-shell scallops per person on board, but no more than 10 gallons on board any vessel. It is best to clean scallops almost immediately after harvesting, for the bag limits are one pint of meat per person and no more than ½ gallon per vessel.

After long afternoons swimming in the cooling Gulf waters, families and friends get together for scallop feasts on the beaches or back porches, with most dishes lightly breaded, seasoned and flash-fried. Similar to an oyster in that it is a mollusk, bay scallops are more muscular because of their ability to actually swim. They have lean, firm meat but a very delicate flavor and as such, cooking methods should be light and gentle. More inventive dishes have been making the rounds in the past decades with scallops served in ceviche or lightly broiled and served in beautiful salads and even sliders. Many coastal restaurants will even prepare your fresh catch and simply charge a “corkage” fee for preparing your feast.

Scalloping is one of those unique institutions that hearkens back to a Florida of a bygone era. It is an ideal method to launch your boat and get your kids and friends out on the water—not that you ever need an excuse—and make them earn their dinner.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating July 2014

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