James_Rose's Blog

I have been to 16 countries and the East, West and Gulf coasts of the U.S.. To me the emerald green-blue waters off the coast of Alabama and Florida are difficult to beat when it comes to natural beauty… The sugar white sand is as clean as it is blinding in the sunlight. We stayed at Pensacola Beach resort that was reasonable and more importantly, pet friendly.

There is a lot to do there. A three day fishing license is seven dollars. And odds are you will catch more fish than you can cook and eat at one setting. You don’t need to doll out the big bucks to reel in some big fish from the banks and piers. There are plenty of public piers available, and the Pensacola people are very friendly and willing to share the secrets of saltwater fishing.

If you get tired of fishing, you can always rent a catamaran very reasonably and sail the blue-green waters into the sunset or to see Fort Pickens on the Western end of Pensacola Beach. I think it is more impressive from the water than on the beach. In fact unless you are willing to bike or hike seven miles, that’s pretty much the only way you are going to see it on land. In 2004 Hurricane Ivan washed out the more than a mile of the roadway and it has yet to reopen. But National Park tours are available. For me seeing it from the water is more impressive, because it’s easier to reflect or the rich history.

We found lots of “free” family friendly entertainment in Pensacola which is also know as “America’s first European settlement”. Every Thursday night in the summer a band performs in the public square and it draws hundreds of locals and tourists alike. Pensacola also has one of the best aviation museums in the world and if you get up early enough , you can watch the Navy’s Blue Angels practice from the edge of the edge of the runway. If you’ve never seen the Blue Angels in action they are truly spectacular.

Next time, I’m going to do a little crabbing and maybe even learn to throw a cast net… seafood doesn’t get any better or fresher. And the 16’ Catamaran I had went fast enough to ski behind. (Well, maybe not that fast) but it was fun, and after all that’s the goal. Right? I may even go back toward the end of hurricane season. The deals get better as the seas get rougher. Besides, if I don’t get a vacation, maybe I’ll get a story.