The day had no particular plan, with only two objectives. When researching this area of the world for potential exploration, an old military fort presented itself as an intriguing situation. The other goal was nothing more than time on that beach made of sugar, splashing around in the crystal clear water, enjoying a little sun, watching the later fade into starlight.
A quick journey to the Seville Historic District of Pensacola for breakfast found things frozen in time. The architecture mirrored much of what is usually seen in New Orleans, without the appearance or stench of decay. It all appeared rather well maintained. Bodacious Brew lived up to its namesake with a fantastic fare. There was not much time to linger, but a quick glance at a nearby park found a memorial to one of the founding fathers of Pensacola, William Dudley Chipley, squarely in Plaza Ferdinand VII.
Fort Pickens area of Gulf Islands National Seashore loomed as the primary mission of the day. In the climbing temperatures, the excursion encouraged an early start. It proved an impressive tour through the history of this particular end of the barrier island, Santa Rosa Island. While defenses at this fortification are certainly impressive, nature is winning the war, gently and quietly reclaiming land and relocating everything else.
Reservations for sunset reservations on the beach rendered just enough time to run back to East Hill and pick up another of our crew that had stayed in for the day. Traffic lights enabled one chance to capture The Crystal Ice House, a vintage ice station from 1932. With a green light, it faded into the rearview mirror as the urgency grew to collect fare for the evening and escort the food truck prize quickly back to the beach.
The daylight held on long enough to stake a solid claim on a relatively empty stretch of beach. Some color remained and lingered quite a good while. One by one, stars arrived on duty, slowly cascading into the darkening sky, and the galaxy slowly swam into view. It is no wonder so many abandon themselves to life near the surf.
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Further Reading
Pensacola, FL
National Park Service
Wikipedia
Gulf Islands National Seashore
National Park Service
RoadsideAmerica
VisitPensacola.com
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