Tallahassee, FL to Pensacola, FL., Naval Air Museum, Ft. Barrancas, Ft. Pickens, Gulf Shore NP
Relocated to the Elks Lodge in Warrington/Pensacola Florida and enjoyed some good dining at this Lodge. Very active with a large membership.
Could not resist revisiting the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola. My timing was wrong for seeing the Blue Angels as their season was down for the winter. This time, I took a guided tour given by a retired naval pilot which was great. he gave us an indepth talk about many of the planes on display. I had lunch with him and the stories he told were very interesting. He had transitioned from prop to jets on aircraft carriers and had thousands of carrier landings along with some hairy combat experiences.
On the grounds of the Naval Air Station was, you guessed it, another fort to visit. Fort Barrancas was built by the British, the Spanish rebuilt it in 1781 and the US took it over in 1829.
The beaches of the Gulf Shore are as beautiful as any I have seen. Miles and miles of pure white quartz sand with the consistency of sugar. The sand squeeks when you walk on it. No seaweed, floatsam or jetsam on them. Clean with only millions of small seashells. The National Park Service had protected miles of these beautiful beaches from development.
At the end of Santa Rosa Island is another fort guarding the approaches of Pensacola Bay. Fort Pickens is well restored and was manned as late as WW2.
Summary:
Elks Lodges, 21, Escapee Parks, 6, Public RV Parks, 9, National parks, 20, Major Ships, 5, Forts, 12
Expenses: 8 months on the road with average expenses of $1919 per month.
