Our next stop was Pensacola after leaving Perry. I would highly recommend this location to anyone. It had the whitest sand on a beach that I had ever seen. There was history, lots of outdoor activities, beautiful beaches, and the home of the Blue Angels. We kept ourselves busy in the two weeks we were there in spite of the spring storms that came our way a few times. The storms can get pretty intense and there was one which woke me in the middle of night to wondering if something disastrous was going to happen. Luckily it did not!
While staying in Pensacola we also took the 45 minute drive to Mobile to do a little touring there as well. The first place we visited was the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. The museum is set up as a life-sized replica of a container ship with simulators, interactive exhibits, and informative displays on each deck. It is located along the Mobile River close to the Port of Mobile. Even for an adult, the interactive exhibits were very enjoyable. Below are a couple of pictures from inside and outside the museum.
The other place we visited in Mobile was the USS Alabama, which is on display in Mobile Bay. The day we visited, they were having a special demonstration with former crew members aboard. They simulated shooting at a Japanese airplane.
The battleship was built starting in 1940 and saw use during World War II. It started in the North Atlantic and culminated leading the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay on September 5, 1945. The ‘Mighty A’ received nine Battle Stars for meritorious service for its tenure as the ‘Heroine of the Pacific’. Rather than being scrapped in 1962, it was moved to Veterans Memorial Park in Mobile. Below are a few more pictures from hours climbing the various decks of the ship.
Back in Pensacola, we were able to spend a little time walking and hanging out on their beautiful beaches!
We visited Fort Pickens, located on Santa Rosa Island in Pensacola. The fort was built in 1834 and remained in use until 1947. It was constructed to defend Pensacola Bay and the Pensacola Navy Yard. The fort was used during the Civil War, World War I and World War II. It is also known for housing Geronimo as a prisoner between 1886 and 1887.
We attended a concert by Three Dog Night while in town. There are still two members from the very early days, Danny Hutton and Michael Allsup. Paul Kingsley joined in the 80s as a guitarist and now sings vocals. Below is a video of one of their songs – Eli’s Coming.
The highlight of our trip was seeing the Blue Angels. They had arrived back in Pensacola from their winter location and began their practices. We were able to see them on two different days. These practices are free to watch and usually one day a week the pilots sign autographs afterwards. There is also a Naval Aviation Museum located by the practice field which is also free to tour. What follows first are some pictures from the Museum and then pictures from the practices we saw.
The Blue Angels.
A couple of videos as well!
Next it is onto Montgomery Alabama!
Fran and Jeff’s Retirement Adventures 