Discover NW Florida – Our Pensacola Area Favorites
Pensacola Beach by Steven Skelley
Discover NW Florida
– Our Pensacola Area Favorites
Pensacola, Florida
Incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
When people talk about Florida, they often talk about South Florida’s culture, the Southwest Gulf Coast’s beaches, Central Florida’s theme parks, the state’s five cruise ship ports, the legendary Space Coast or the various sports venues but there is a special part of Florida that may very well be its best keep secret – Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle. It is a place of incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm.
Few people know that Pensacola is home to the first European settlement in what is now the United States. Pensacola was founded several years before St. Augustine, Florida but the settlers abandoned the area after a devastating storm.
In its colorful history, Pensacola and its bay have been ruled by Spain, France, England, the Confederate States and the United States.
With the emerald green warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and some of the finest baby powder, white sand beaches in the world, Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle are a beach lover's paradise.
There is no other place in Florida like the Florida Panhandle and there is no other place in the Panhandle quite like Pensacola so we have gathered together our Discover NW Florida and Pensacola Area Favorites.
The Saenger Theatre
If you love historic theaters as much as we do, you have to catch a show or concert at The Saenger Theatre. This Spanish Baroque/Rococo style theater opened in 1925 and hosted vaudeville and silent films. Today, after a $15 million renovation and expansion, The Saenger Theatre is known as “the premier performance space on the Gulf Coast” selling $2.5 million in tickets annually.
The Saenger Theatre hosts an eclectic variety of shows such as the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr., David Copperfield, John Tesh, Wynton Marsalis, Ziggy Marley, CATS and Sesame Street. We attended a performance of Smokey Joe’s Café with the Coasters and enjoyed every minute.
For more information, visit http://www.pensacolasaenger.com
Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum
The historic Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum offers some of the best views in town. Built in 1859, the lighthouse offers “stunning views of Pensacola Pass (where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico), three forts, the Pensacola skyline and the historic Navy Yard.”
Visitors can tour the fully restored Keepers' Quarters from 1869 and search for souvenirs at the gift shop. Adventurous visitors are invited to climb the 177 steps to the top.
Interested in a Ghost Hunt? The Travel Channel and SciFi's Ghost Hunters have both visited the Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum. It has been called one of the most haunted lighthouses in America!
For more information, visit http://www.pensacolalighthouse.org
Historic Pensacola Village
Historic Pensacola Village consists of 27 properties in the Pensacola National Register Historic District. Eleven of the properties are open to the public. Costumed “Living History Interpreters” demonstrate 19th century cooking techniques and trade-skills including sewing, basket weaving, and wood working. Cooking takes place in “an authentically recreated detached kitchen house using actual 18th and 19th century recipes.”
Historic structures include –
* The 1805 Julee Cottage - dedicated to the memory of Julee Panton, a free woman of color who once owned the cottage
* The 1805 Lavalle House - Spanish colonial heritage in a 200 year old French Creole home
* The 1832 Old Christ Church - a beacon of historic preservation and Pensacola heritage
* The 1890 Lear-Rocheblave House - a middle-class family home from the late Victorian Period of 1890-1910. It was once owned by Benito Rocheblave, a tug-boat captain.
* The 1871 Dorr House - the Clara Barkley Dorr house is a prime example of post-Civil War construction
For more information, visit http://www.historicpensacola.org
National Naval Aviation Museum
Eight hundred thousand visitors a year cannot be wrong! Nearly a million people visit the National Naval Aviation Museum every year for good reason - it is a world-class attraction of more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation displayed inside the Museum’s 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and outside on its 37 acres of grounds.
Remarkably, admission is free!
Visitors can "Soar with the Blue Angels in the dazzling seven-story glass and steel atrium that showcases four A-4 Skyhawks in a diving diamond formation. Enjoy free guided tours and retrace the NC-4’s first flight across the Atlantic. Fly in one of our full motion simulators or see The Magic of Flight, our own IMAX® film projected on a seven-story high screen and feel like you’ve had a bonafide ride with the Blue Angels. Enjoy a delicious lunch at the authentic Cubi Bar Café, decorated with more than 1,000 squadron and unit plaques reassembled from the historic Officers’ Club at Cubi Point in the Philippines. The Museum’s West Wing is devoted almost exclusively to World War II carrier aviation and showcases a full-size replica of the aircraft carrier USS Cabot’s island and flight deck. Famous World War II aircraft such as the Corsair, Dauntless and Hellcat stand nearby ready for take-off, while other magnificent birds fly overhead. Strap into one of the many cockpit trainers for pretend test flights or try your hand at defending a ship from Cabot’s anti-aircraft gun battery on the Main Deck. "
For more information, visit http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org
Diving & Snorkeling
In 2008, the Pensacola Bay Area was featured in "The World's Best Diving & Resort" edition of Sport Diver magazine.
Popular sites include -
*The USS Oriskany - a 911-foot aircraft carrier that sits upright on a sandy bottom 212 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico
*The USS Massachusetts - in just 25 feet of water 1.5 miles from shore, the wreck attracts bountiful marine life, including Goliath grouper, an eight-foot resident nurse shark, giant stingrays, sea turtles, king mackerel and a variety of baitfish
*The Antares - a 400-foot freighter in 130 feet of water with moray eels, red snapper, grouper, cobia and amberjack
For more information, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/articles/dive-pensacola
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay. The fort was begun in 1829 and completed in 1834. It was named in honor of Major General Andrew Pickens of the South Carolina militia who fought in several Revolutionary War battles. Fort Pickens was one of only four forts in the South that was never occupied by Confederate forces during the Civil War.
We enjoyed touring the rooms, climbing to the top of the defensive walls and exploring the gift shop.
For more information visit http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/fort-pickens.htm
T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum
Originally built in the early 1900s as City Hall, the Spanish Revival style building now offers three floors of exhibit space. The first floor highlights archaeology and the history of Pensacola. The second floor houses rotating exhibits, such as the Wentworth Gallery. The third floor displays traveling exhibits.
For more information, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/listings/9614/
Dining
The Florida Panhandle and Pensacola Bay Area offer a unique and eclectic blend of delicious food choices. Whether you enjoy waterfront dining, flip-flop casual dining, Southern BBQ, fresh seafood or gourmet dining, you'll find it here. Some of our favorites include - Global Grill, Jackson’s Steakhouse, The Grand Marlin, and Bud & Alleys Seaside.
For more information on dining choices, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/landing/dining-nightlife
Pensacola Beach
You just cannot talk about the Florida Panhandle and Pensacola without highlighting these gorgeous beaches! With the emerald green warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and some of the finest baby powder, white sand beaches in the world, Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle are a beach lover's paradise.
Pensacola Beach is located on Santa Rosa Island, one of the longest barrier islands in the world. It has been named among the nation’s top 10 beaches by TripAdvisor. The 1,471 feet long Pensacola Beach Pier is one of the longest in the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and Pensacola has one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida.
For Nudist and Naturist travelers
Be sure to visit the Riviera Naturist Resort in nearby Pace, Florida. Their website says, “on Florida's Emerald Coast in the picturesque panhandle, our beautiful oak and pine forested acres offer the seclusion and closeness to nature that nudists eager to get away from it all have always sought. We offer a full spectrum of recreational facilities, activities and services for the contemporary nudist.”
For more information, visit http://riviera-resort.com/
For LGBT travelers
Brooke Fleming, Communications Manager of Visit Pensacola told us, "Spending Memorial Day on Pensacola Beach is very popular in the LGBT community, and it is known as Pensacola Pride Festival. More than 60,000 people typically turn out for the weekend, so it is a huge party! But we also have a thriving night life, including a popular gay bars like The Cabaret, Emerald City and The Roundup."
The Pensacola LGBT Film Festival highlights the artistic contributions both nationally and internationally of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) films and filmmakers.
For more information, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pcolaLGBTfilmfest
Conclusion
Pensacola in Northwest Florida is a fantastic blend of incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm.
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2015 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com
Keywords: gay, gay travel, Gay Travelers Magazine, Discover NW Florida, Pensacola Area Favorites, Thomas Routzong, Steven Skelley, Pensacola, Florida,
– Our Pensacola Area Favorites
Pensacola, Florida
Incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
When people talk about Florida, they often talk about South Florida’s culture, the Southwest Gulf Coast’s beaches, Central Florida’s theme parks, the state’s five cruise ship ports, the legendary Space Coast or the various sports venues but there is a special part of Florida that may very well be its best keep secret – Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle. It is a place of incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm.
Few people know that Pensacola is home to the first European settlement in what is now the United States. Pensacola was founded several years before St. Augustine, Florida but the settlers abandoned the area after a devastating storm.
In its colorful history, Pensacola and its bay have been ruled by Spain, France, England, the Confederate States and the United States.
With the emerald green warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and some of the finest baby powder, white sand beaches in the world, Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle are a beach lover's paradise.
There is no other place in Florida like the Florida Panhandle and there is no other place in the Panhandle quite like Pensacola so we have gathered together our Discover NW Florida and Pensacola Area Favorites.
The Saenger Theatre
If you love historic theaters as much as we do, you have to catch a show or concert at The Saenger Theatre. This Spanish Baroque/Rococo style theater opened in 1925 and hosted vaudeville and silent films. Today, after a $15 million renovation and expansion, The Saenger Theatre is known as “the premier performance space on the Gulf Coast” selling $2.5 million in tickets annually.
The Saenger Theatre hosts an eclectic variety of shows such as the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr., David Copperfield, John Tesh, Wynton Marsalis, Ziggy Marley, CATS and Sesame Street. We attended a performance of Smokey Joe’s Café with the Coasters and enjoyed every minute.
For more information, visit http://www.pensacolasaenger.com
Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum
The historic Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum offers some of the best views in town. Built in 1859, the lighthouse offers “stunning views of Pensacola Pass (where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico), three forts, the Pensacola skyline and the historic Navy Yard.”
Visitors can tour the fully restored Keepers' Quarters from 1869 and search for souvenirs at the gift shop. Adventurous visitors are invited to climb the 177 steps to the top.
Interested in a Ghost Hunt? The Travel Channel and SciFi's Ghost Hunters have both visited the Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum. It has been called one of the most haunted lighthouses in America!
For more information, visit http://www.pensacolalighthouse.org
Historic Pensacola Village
Historic Pensacola Village consists of 27 properties in the Pensacola National Register Historic District. Eleven of the properties are open to the public. Costumed “Living History Interpreters” demonstrate 19th century cooking techniques and trade-skills including sewing, basket weaving, and wood working. Cooking takes place in “an authentically recreated detached kitchen house using actual 18th and 19th century recipes.”
Historic structures include –
* The 1805 Julee Cottage - dedicated to the memory of Julee Panton, a free woman of color who once owned the cottage
* The 1805 Lavalle House - Spanish colonial heritage in a 200 year old French Creole home
* The 1832 Old Christ Church - a beacon of historic preservation and Pensacola heritage
* The 1890 Lear-Rocheblave House - a middle-class family home from the late Victorian Period of 1890-1910. It was once owned by Benito Rocheblave, a tug-boat captain.
* The 1871 Dorr House - the Clara Barkley Dorr house is a prime example of post-Civil War construction
For more information, visit http://www.historicpensacola.org
National Naval Aviation Museum
Eight hundred thousand visitors a year cannot be wrong! Nearly a million people visit the National Naval Aviation Museum every year for good reason - it is a world-class attraction of more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation displayed inside the Museum’s 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and outside on its 37 acres of grounds.
Remarkably, admission is free!
Visitors can "Soar with the Blue Angels in the dazzling seven-story glass and steel atrium that showcases four A-4 Skyhawks in a diving diamond formation. Enjoy free guided tours and retrace the NC-4’s first flight across the Atlantic. Fly in one of our full motion simulators or see The Magic of Flight, our own IMAX® film projected on a seven-story high screen and feel like you’ve had a bonafide ride with the Blue Angels. Enjoy a delicious lunch at the authentic Cubi Bar Café, decorated with more than 1,000 squadron and unit plaques reassembled from the historic Officers’ Club at Cubi Point in the Philippines. The Museum’s West Wing is devoted almost exclusively to World War II carrier aviation and showcases a full-size replica of the aircraft carrier USS Cabot’s island and flight deck. Famous World War II aircraft such as the Corsair, Dauntless and Hellcat stand nearby ready for take-off, while other magnificent birds fly overhead. Strap into one of the many cockpit trainers for pretend test flights or try your hand at defending a ship from Cabot’s anti-aircraft gun battery on the Main Deck. "
For more information, visit http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org
Diving & Snorkeling
In 2008, the Pensacola Bay Area was featured in "The World's Best Diving & Resort" edition of Sport Diver magazine.
Popular sites include -
*The USS Oriskany - a 911-foot aircraft carrier that sits upright on a sandy bottom 212 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico
*The USS Massachusetts - in just 25 feet of water 1.5 miles from shore, the wreck attracts bountiful marine life, including Goliath grouper, an eight-foot resident nurse shark, giant stingrays, sea turtles, king mackerel and a variety of baitfish
*The Antares - a 400-foot freighter in 130 feet of water with moray eels, red snapper, grouper, cobia and amberjack
For more information, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/articles/dive-pensacola
Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay. The fort was begun in 1829 and completed in 1834. It was named in honor of Major General Andrew Pickens of the South Carolina militia who fought in several Revolutionary War battles. Fort Pickens was one of only four forts in the South that was never occupied by Confederate forces during the Civil War.
We enjoyed touring the rooms, climbing to the top of the defensive walls and exploring the gift shop.
For more information visit http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/fort-pickens.htm
T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum
Originally built in the early 1900s as City Hall, the Spanish Revival style building now offers three floors of exhibit space. The first floor highlights archaeology and the history of Pensacola. The second floor houses rotating exhibits, such as the Wentworth Gallery. The third floor displays traveling exhibits.
For more information, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/listings/9614/
Dining
The Florida Panhandle and Pensacola Bay Area offer a unique and eclectic blend of delicious food choices. Whether you enjoy waterfront dining, flip-flop casual dining, Southern BBQ, fresh seafood or gourmet dining, you'll find it here. Some of our favorites include - Global Grill, Jackson’s Steakhouse, The Grand Marlin, and Bud & Alleys Seaside.
For more information on dining choices, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com/landing/dining-nightlife
Pensacola Beach
You just cannot talk about the Florida Panhandle and Pensacola without highlighting these gorgeous beaches! With the emerald green warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and some of the finest baby powder, white sand beaches in the world, Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Panhandle are a beach lover's paradise.
Pensacola Beach is located on Santa Rosa Island, one of the longest barrier islands in the world. It has been named among the nation’s top 10 beaches by TripAdvisor. The 1,471 feet long Pensacola Beach Pier is one of the longest in the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and Pensacola has one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida.
For Nudist and Naturist travelers
Be sure to visit the Riviera Naturist Resort in nearby Pace, Florida. Their website says, “on Florida's Emerald Coast in the picturesque panhandle, our beautiful oak and pine forested acres offer the seclusion and closeness to nature that nudists eager to get away from it all have always sought. We offer a full spectrum of recreational facilities, activities and services for the contemporary nudist.”
For more information, visit http://riviera-resort.com/
For LGBT travelers
Brooke Fleming, Communications Manager of Visit Pensacola told us, "Spending Memorial Day on Pensacola Beach is very popular in the LGBT community, and it is known as Pensacola Pride Festival. More than 60,000 people typically turn out for the weekend, so it is a huge party! But we also have a thriving night life, including a popular gay bars like The Cabaret, Emerald City and The Roundup."
The Pensacola LGBT Film Festival highlights the artistic contributions both nationally and internationally of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) films and filmmakers.
For more information, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pcolaLGBTfilmfest
Conclusion
Pensacola in Northwest Florida is a fantastic blend of incredible natural beauty, modern amenities, historical heritage, culture and wonderful southern charm.
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2015 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com
Keywords: gay, gay travel, Gay Travelers Magazine, Discover NW Florida, Pensacola Area Favorites, Thomas Routzong, Steven Skelley, Pensacola, Florida,