Pensacola Beach

We finished work at 2 PM, so that left plenty of time for the beach.  Even though it was in the mid 90's, it really wasn't as humid as I thought it would be for Florida in June.  There was always a nice gulf breeze even when I wasn't at the beach.  It felt great in the shade or when the sun went behind a cloud.  If you stood in the direct sunlight for too long, that's when you start to feel the heat.

Pensacola Beach is located on the west end of Santa Rosa Island, which is a very long barrier island hugging the gulf coast of the western panhandle.  This area is not highly populated or overbuilt (yet), so you can take your pick of a secluded area or getting closer to the crowds near the pier.  The beach is consistently nice the entire length of the island.  It is wide, the sand is soft and white, the water is shallow and warm, and had more waves than I expected for the gulf.