~~~ 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

~~~ Gulf Islands National Shoreline ~~~

Poet John Masefield wrote, “I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied.”  How true this is... There is nothing more relaxing and peaceful as sitting on the white sands of any of the Gulf Island beaches and enjoying the serenity of the place.

Gulf Islands National Seashore preserves natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. The protected regions include mainland areas and parts of seven islands.

We took an entire day to explore and enjoy the beaches from Pensacola, Florida to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  This area of the seashore features offshore barrier islands with sparkling white quartz sand beaches (along miles of undeveloped land), historic fortifications, and nature trails.

Everything about Gulf Islands National Seashore is breathtaking.  From the massive sand dunes to the water and abundant wildlife, this is a great place to spend an afternoon.  And if you slowly approach the Heron, they will allow you to get close enough to take a good picture!

Not enough words to described the beauty of these beaches ... the photos speaks for it self.

Entrance fee is $15 per vehicle which is good for 7 days or you can get a year pass.  If you are over 62 you can buy a lifetime pass for $10.00.

Be sure to get a spot on the rocks for a beautiful sunset! 

 Have Fun & Enjoy Life

On Our Way to Grayton Beach State Park, Florida

We were up early this morning getting ready to pull out of Gulf State Park in Alabama and was headed towards Grayton Beach State Park back at Santa Rosa Beach in Florida.
Goodbye Gulf State Park we had a GREAT time here ~



It wasn't a long drive just about 198 miles but we needed to stop at Carpenter's Campers in Pensacola. The recall we had fixed a year ago on our Norcold fridge had gone bad and they told us there was a recall on the recall (LOL) so there would be no cost to us. That is always a good thing and these people were awesome. Friendly and fast, since we told them we were on the road. Lucky for us we had called and they got the part in while we were at Gulf Shores. It only took them 1 hour from the time we pulled in til we pulled back out on the road. If you ever need work done while near Pensacola Florida they are the ones to go to.

Back in our home sate of Florida and look at the huge flock of Pelicans we saw


Soon we were back on I 10 and we headed through Pensacola Florida with ease. Over long bridges and pass neat rest areas with a Blue Angels Jet right out front.



We finally arrived at Grayton Beach State Park ~ and after checking in got set up on our site #39. Nice site thank goodness with FHU 50 amp. For my friends who are not RVers FHU means full hookups ~ water, electric & sewer.



It is a very nice site and there is a little lake right behind us. As soon as I put my bird feeders up we had a bunch of birds... little chick-a-dees and cardinals. But also an unexpected guest ~ a young raccoon who wanted some of the bird seed. Thankfully he couldn't get to it but it was sure fun watching him try.



For a review on this State Park click here. Another view of beautiful Sunrises and Sunsets



Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!

Angels in Flight

We have been to Pensacola many times and have always wanted to see the Blue Angels practice show. The Pensacola Naval Base is their home base and they are here a lot but we always seem to miss them. You can look up their show & practice schedule here.



The show is at 8:30 so we got up early and headed out because we wanted to get there early enough to get a good seat in the bleachers. You can also bring your lawn chairs if you want to. There are volunteers there that narrate the show and answer any questions you might have.



The show is about an hour long so be prepared ~ bring hats and a drink! We haven't seen the Blue Angels performed in about 10 years. The last time we saw them we were having lunch in the Seattle Space Needle and ended up having a birds eye view of the show! I will never forget that!



The Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola has a viewing area for visitors to watch the team practice. The team visits the museum to answer questions and sign autographs after Wednesday practices.



We really enjoyed our time at the show and if you're ever in the area go see them and don't forget to visit the Museum of Naval Aviation too!

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!