~~~ A Fort with an Angel ~~~

I always love being in the Gulf Islands National Seashore area... There is so much to see & do here or nearby here.  Today we took our friends over to Pensacola to see Fort Pickens.  Fort Pickens has guarded the entrance of Florida's Pensacola Bay for more then 175 years and it is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore - a fascinating old fort from the Civil War era.

Fort Pickens is a historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in use until 1947. Fort Pickens is included within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and as such, is administered by the National Park Service.

We have been over to the Pensacola Navel Station several times to watch the Blue Angels practice.  There had recently been an accident and one of the Blue Angels, U.S. Marine Corps captain Jeff Kuss loss his life so I thought we would not get to see them this time.  What a wonderful surprise for us and our friends when they flew over the fort and continued to do there practice air show.


It was a great day and what a thrill for us to not only visit Fort Pickens again but to see the Blue Angels flying in the sky was the icing on the cake.  Cone to Pensacola and visit there is so much to see & do.  Visit the National Naval Aviation Museum and try to catch the Blue Angels practice show on the base.  Also Fort Pickens has a great campground for those of you who camp...

Until Later

Have FUN & Travel Safe

๑۩๑ Fort Pickens ๑۩๑

A heartful thanks to my newest followers... Michael Ultra at RV0777 and Pamela B. Go on over and check out Michael's blog and welcome him to the Fulltiming lifestyle. Sorry I didn't know Pam's blog address ~ Thanks again for following my blog!



We went over to check out Fort Pickens ~ what a great place to spend a few hours exploring the past. The cost to visit the Fort is the entrance fee into the Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore which is $8 dollars a car unless you have the national Seniors pass then it is FREE. Fort Pickens was used during the Civil War and from 1886 to May 1887, the famous Apache Indian Geronimo was imprisoned in Fort Pickens, along with several of his warriors. As you enter the park you’ll drive past some of the battery locations. You’ll want to stop and check it out but keepdriving to the visitor center and get all the self-guided information and brochures first.



The peaceful surroundings--white sugar-sand beaches, clumps of golden sea oats, and the soothing sounds of coastal waves pounding on the shores of a long barrier island contradict the serious purpose of Fort Pickens, located on Santa Rosa Island in Florida. One of the largest brick forts built in the United States, Fort Pickens provided the setting for a serious effort by a small group of men to avert or at least postpone the outbreak of the Civil War. Months before the firing on Fort Sumter, the Southern forces at nearby Pensacola, Florida, worked to find a way of seceding from the Union without initiating bloodshed.



Fort Pickens and nearby Fort McRee, Fort Barrancas, and Advanced Redoubt today lie within Gulf Islands National Seashore. They provide an intriguing setting for the important events that occurred in the Pensacola area just prior to and during the Civil War.



Fort Pickens is one of the many old forts we have visited and we highly recommend going on the tour provided by the park service. Ranger David P. Ogden was full of historic information about the fort and was willing to answer any questions you might have. He is also author to several books about the forts in the area.



To read more about Fort Pickens go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pickens