I’ve lived in Florida for years and traveled throughout the state, from Miami to Jacksonville and Tampa to Panama Metropolis, however there’s nothing like Pensacola.
It has the laid-back chill of Key West with the white-sand seashores of Sarasota in addition to the distinctive historical past that comes from dwelling below 5 flags because it was settled again in 1559.
And Pensacola is completely positioned for highway journeys. You’ll be able to simply jump over to Destin or Panama Metropolis Seaside and again in a day. You’re solely three hours from New Orleans, proper off I-10 going west. Or you’ll be able to drive about the identical distance east to hit the state capital of Tallahassee.
However there are numerous extra sudden day-trip locations near Pensacola. You don’t want simply any seaside city (Pensacola has shoreline in spades) — you need one thing totally different. Listed here are 4 you shouldn’t miss:
- Seaside, an unbelievably Instagrammable waterfront deliberate neighborhood that’s lower than a two-hour scenic drive from Pensacola
- Perdido Key, a barrier island crammed with pristine nature, solely a half hour from downtown
- Cellular, the massive metropolis, jam-packed with museums, about an hour west on I-10
- DeFuniak Springs, the traditional Florida small city, hiding antiques and downright fabulous meals, simply over an hour away
Pensacola makes a great dwelling base for all of those day journeys. You may even need to in a single day in one in all them as I did in DeFuniak Springs (with ghosts!) to stretch out your journey.
Able to get began in your Gulf Coast household highway journey? Right here’s the place to remain, play, and dine in Pensacola and past.
The place To Keep in Pensacola
To actually get pleasure from a seaside city, you must profit from it and keep on the seaside. Our keep on the Vacation Inn Resort Pensacola Seaside was one of many highlights of our journey.
They’ve a great deal of household perks, together with KidSuites with PlayStation and one heckuva pool deck. This factor had a lazy river, floaties, waterfalls, a tiki bar, seaside entry, and dwell leisure together with pirates and mermaids for the summer time and music and films on the weekend.
Pensacola Seaside balcony beachfront room with a gulf view on the Vacation Inn Resort
Begin your day with a scrumptious breakfast and unwind within the cocktail lounge on the finish of the evening. I like to recommend getting a balcony room — we noticed each dawn and sundown since we have been going through south — and probably the most comfy mattress you’ll be able to think about. Save a day to hang around on the resort and simply chill out.
Pensacola Seaside pool deck on the Vacation Inn Resort Pensacola Seaside
Plus, the whole lot on Pensacola Seaside is strolling distance, which makes it tremendous handy on the finish of a busy day of sightseeing once you need to head to dinner or if you wish to spend the day on the water fishing, kayaking, or lounging.
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Issues for Households To Do in Pensacola
There’s a lot that I can’t record the whole lot, however listed below are the highest belongings you shouldn’t miss in Pensacola.
Go to Fort Pickens on the Gulf Islands Nationwide Seashore. If I needed to decide a favourite attraction, Fort Pickens can be it. You’ll be able to climb pre-Civil Warfare fortress partitions, see cannons, take a look at the Discovery Middle, {photograph} panoramic views, take ranger-led excursions, or simply admire the ocean oats waving atop rolling dunes that appear to be snow. Even the drive to the tip of Santa Rosa Island is beautiful, and your parking cross is nice for every week.
Pensacola’s historic Fort Pickens
Watch the Blue Angels, and tour the aviation museum. Possibly you’re not tremendous into aviation? Me both. However adults and youngsters alike may have a blast on the Nationwide Naval Aviation Museum. It’s extremely properly carried out with interactive touchscreens and autos you’ll be able to climb inside. For those who’re on the town when the Blue Angels are performing, don’t miss their present.
Airplanes on the Pensacola Nationwide Naval Aviation Museum
Stroll the Pensacola Boardwalk and the pier. The boardwalk is Pensacola Seaside’s go-to spot for procuring, swimming, snacks, and simply strolling round. The 1,471-foot pier, the place severe and newbie anglers catch Gulf fish like pompano and mahi-mahi, is true off the boardwalk, making this a great twofer vacation spot once you need some sand, solar, and possibly ice cream too.
Discover downtown and the historic village. A part of the enchantment of Pensacola is that it has a correct downtown in addition to seashores. I’m speaking breweries and bookshops, a meals corridor and superb eating, and murals galore. Go to the Palafox Pier, historical past museum, and artwork museum. The Historic Pensacola Village, that includes a number of properties and a church from Pensacola’s previous, dropped at life with the assistance of dwelling historical past interpreters, is a should for households.
Pensacola Florida historical past village demonstration downtown, photograph courtesy of Go to Pensacola
Chill out on the seaside. It bears repeating. Even in the event you’re not staying on Pensacola Seaside, you have to save no less than a half day to go over and see what all of the fuss is about. That is the whitest, softest quartz sand, washed down from the Appalachian Mountains.
There’s additionally a cool kids’s museum, a lighthouse, yet one more historic fort, dwell theater, annual occasions like November’s Foo Foo Competition and April’s crawfish pageant, and nighttime paddling in LED-lit clear kayaks — all price having fun with you probably have the time.
I’d plan round every week to see the sights and do a number of day journeys.
The place To Eat in Pensacola
In terms of eating in Pensacola, you’ve received to attempt the recent seafood.
We loved the dreamy shrimp tacos and yum bowl at Purple Fish Blue Fish, proper throughout from our lodge on Pensacola Seaside. Did the waterfront views and the chillax environment with garden video games and tremendous pleasant service make the meals style a bit of bit higher? Yeah, most likely.
Pensacola Seaside garden video games and taking part in at Purple Fish Blue Fish, photograph courtesy of Go to Pensacola
My decide for eating downtown is The Backyard on Palafox + Essential. There are over 10 locations to eat and drink on this open-air but lined meals corridor that stays surprisingly cool even when the solar is blazing. With the whole lot from tacos to fried hen, everybody within the household can get what they need.
Pensacola’s downtown meals corridor The Backyard on Palafox + Essential
I attempted some genuine Peruvian meals from Leaping Lomo, together with the lomo saltado, a zesty dish with marinated beef, and a lucuma smoothie, produced from a South American fruit that just about tastes like butterscotch — extremely really useful! I may vouch for the recent and wholesome bowls Bluefin Poké, which has grilled hen, shrimp, and extra in the event you’re not into uncooked fish.
Now that you simply’ve sampled a bit of of what Pensacola has to supply, it’s time for extra Gulf Coast highway journey enjoyable.
DeFuniak Springs: Historic Attraction, Native Taste
Take a day away from the waterfront to go to one in all Florida’s traditional small cities, DeFuniak Springs. Their historic downtown is crammed with boutiques, eateries, and antiques subsequent to a 260-acre park with a superbly spherical lake, one in all solely two on this planet. They recurrently host particular occasions — we occurred to be on the town for a boisterous Oktoberfest — however the Christmas gentle present on the lake is the annual favourite.
Elsewhere, the historic district flaunts Victorian properties amid moss-draped oaks, the oldest repeatedly operated library within the state, a depot transformed right into a free historical past museum, and the majestic Lodge Defuniak.
The lodge has been superbly restored with mosaic flooring and a gleaming brass ceiling within the foyer. Outdated-timey touches abound, like the important thing rack behind the entrance desk and classic furnishings, however these aren’t the one throwbacks — a number of ghosts who’ve lived and died on this century-old constructing are hanging round too. Paranormal investigators recurrently report preternatural exercise, and a number of other unusual sounds and sightings have been witnessed by lodge guests.
Historic Lodge Defuniak parlor is simply off the foyer
For those who’re curious, lengthen your day journey to an in a single day and see what it’s all about. Nothing spooky occurred throughout our keep, however the reminiscence of these moist, candy better-than-New-Orleans beignets, provided within the morning to lodge visitors, nonetheless haunts my goals, so there’s that.
In truth, Café Nola was the spotlight of our keep. This Creole restaurant serving up Nawlins classics like shrimp and grits, po-boys, and jambalaya ranks amongst 10 finest locations I’ve ever had dinner — and that’s after 15 years {of professional} meals and journey writing, thoughts you.
It wasn’t simply that it was good Creole delicacies. It was the distinctive spin Chef Ernie placed on the whole lot. There was a particular “rougarou” pasta that evening (named for the legendary bayou creature) made with recent gnocchi that was so silky, so delicately decadent that it’s arduous to explain it as something moreover excellent. We additionally tried the crawfish étouffée and gumbo with recent bakery bread on the facet. However the star of the meal was on the backside of the menu, a dish referred to as Redfish NOLA, filled with crabmeat and topped with creamy shrimp and lobster sauce. Greatest fish I’ve ever eaten, fingers down.
A redfish platter and Cajun delicacies at Cafe Nola
The parts have been beneficiant — we had leftovers — and the ambiance is upscale however nonetheless welcoming to households.
For those who do keep in DeFuniak Springs a bit of longer, close by Morrison Springs, widespread with divers, is an effective cease for doable manatee and sea turtle sightings. And wine aficionados ought to cease by Chautauqua Vineyard for candy muscadine wines with tropical and floral notes reflecting their environment.
Seaside: Florida’s Image-Good Seaside City
There are two methods to get to the oh-so-charming city of Seaside from Pensacola. Take the interstate to get there quick and keep away from stoplights or go for Freeway 98 alongside the gulf. Relying on site visitors, they’ll take nearly the identical period of time — just below two hours — however the waterfront route is fewer miles and extra enjoyable in the event you’re not in a rush.
Nevertheless you get there, you have to go to Seaside.
A shaded path in Seaside, Florida, photograph courtesy of Walton County Tourism
It’s arduous to explain the magic of this deliberate neighborhood, however possibly the intentional design explains a few of it. Roads finish in beachfront pavilions, the city heart is true on the water, and there’s a small city America vibe that blends “Norman Rockwell” with “island seaside paradise.”
Seaside isn’t an island, nevertheless it has that world unto itself form of really feel. The city is walkable and bikeable, persons are pleasant, and the photograph ops are practically countless. Snap an image of the large, purple-hued Vincent Scully mural, the not-too-crowded seaside, the seasonally embellished and adorably petite publish workplace, or the quiet park at Ruskin Place the place the youngsters can hunt for the hidden fairy forest on the north facet of the plaza.
View of Coleman Pavilion and the seaside in Seaside, photograph courtesy of Walton County Tourism
You’ll be able to simply whereas away a number of hours simply exploring, hopping into artwork galleries or visiting boutiques to seek out native souvenirs like jewellery, decor, and summery garments. Youngsters will particularly just like the whimsical toys at Duckies.
Once you’re hungry, head to the Nice Southern Café for fabulous Southern delicacies infused with international flavors. They do numerous recent seafood from the gulf — you’ll be able to’t go fallacious with the catch of the day — in addition to burgers, uncooked oysters, and one thing great referred to as “Grits a Ya Ya.” That is their tackle shrimp and grits: blackened shrimp, smoked bacon, portobello mushrooms, and smoked Gouda grits. I’m used to shrimp and grits which are a bit oily, however as you’ll be able to see from the pic, that’s not the case right here.
Grits a Ya Ya at The Nice Southern Café? in Seaside
Get pleasure from lunch on the porch in paradise as you sip one thing refreshing (they do mocktails too!) and simply absorb the scene.
Perdido Key: Pristine Pure Magnificence
Solely half-hour from downtown Pensacola, Perdido Key isn’t a high-commitment day journey in the event you solely have a day to spare, however you’ll be able to positively make a day of it.
It’s quieter than its sister metropolis to the east, however nature lovers will get pleasure from exploring the numerous parks, together with:
- Large Lagoon State Park, finest for water-based enjoyable like boating, paddling, and fishing in addition to the three-story commentary tower for unparalleled views and birdwatching
- Tarkiln Bayou State Park, 4,000 acres of nature trails and a boardwalk for mountaineering by uncommon and endangered crops
- Perdido Key State Park, proper throughout from the guests heart and boasting flawless, crowd-free seashores made for sandcastles, swimming, and sundown images
We really visited Perdido Key earlier than Pensacola, and it was a good way to slip into our trip. Perdido Key’s laid-back and scenic, a totally nice place to unwind as you kick off your Gulf Coast household highway journey.
Perdido Key State Park seaside at sundown
When you’re on Perdido Key, seize dinner on the widespread Flora-Bama Yacht Membership, which, opposite to the title, isn’t all polo shirts and who’s-who fanciness. They’re extra good meals, good drinks, no fuss. There are TVs taking part in sports activities, greenback payments papered to the picket posts, and locals in flip-flops who come right here as a result of they know the meals is nice. I appreciated that that they had wholesome choices, like my seared tuna on a raspberry pecan salad that had simply the suitable steadiness of candy, salty, and umami.
Flora-Bama Yacht Membership options shrimp nachos and ahi tuna salad
We took an opportunity on the Greek shrimp nachos, a flavorful mound of wonton chips large enough to share, strewn with Gulf shrimp, feta, onions, peppadews, olives, and extra. However they’ve so many nice choices: numerous NOLA delicacies, crab muffins, uncooked oysters, pasta, sandwiches, seafood platters, and, in the event you actually need to splurge, their signature dessert, beignet fries served with white chocolate ganache. It’s the proper ending to an energetic day spent mountaineering and swimming.
Professional tip: Afterward, you’ll be able to stroll throughout the road to croon alongside to dwell music on the world-famous Flora-Bama Lounge crossing the Florida and Alabama state line.
Cellular: Celebration Vibes and Museums Galore
Pensacola is lower than an hour from Cellular, well-known because the birthplace of Mardi Gras. The port metropolis is crammed with sights. When you can’t really match all of it into at some point, you’ll be able to definitely attempt. We did!
I like to recommend beginning on the parks on the western finish of the town within the morning when the climate’s cool and the close by Cellular Museum of Artwork, which has the good kids’s exhibit (large interactive Lite-Brite, anybody?).
Strolling the galleries, botanical backyard, and free Japanese backyard will assist work up your urge for food for an early lunch. We ate at Carpe Diem Espresso & Tea Co., an excellent spot for households. Their meals menu is kid-friendly, with all-day breakfast and sandwiches like hen salad — scrumptious! — and PB&J.
Get pleasure from lunch at Carpe Diem Espresso & Tea Co.
However the drinks are what they’re well-known for. You may get a tea, smoothie, pour over, espresso, or one in all their frappés. I cherished their velvety cappuccino and the blended frozen drinks, wealthy with Ghirardelli chocolate. They’ve artistic flavors similar to peanut butter, banana, and dreamsicle and may even do customized flavors. Pair it with dessert, like their recent pink velvet cake, tiramisu, or pecan pie, and also you’ll have sufficient vitality for the remainder of the afternoon.
Cellular Carnival Museum show of Mardi Gras costumes
After lunch, head to the historic metropolis heart. Listed here are a number of sights to verify off your bucket record. You’ll be able to’t do all of them, so select your personal journey.
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- Cellular Carnival Museum: OK, this one isn’t actually non-obligatory. We questioned what the fuss was about, nevertheless it’s totally fascinating. Go and also you’ll perceive.
- GulfQuest: This maritime museum was really useful to us whereas we have been on the carnival museum, so we stopped in. It’s interactive and nice for youths.
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- Condé-Charlotte Museum: One of many first jails in Alabama, this two-story dwelling has interval rooms, a walled backyard, and docents who’re Cellular historical past specialists.
- Historical past Museum of Cellular: That is proper subsequent to the guests heart, making it an excellent first cease in your itinerary.
- Mardi Gras Park: Throughout from the historical past museum, this greenspace is crammed with colourful statues with plaques explaining who they’re and their carnival connection.
- USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park: Climb aboard and discover a World Warfare II battleship and a submarine. There are tanks and airplanes too!
- Exploreum Science Middle: This museum has over 150 interactive reveals plus momentary exhibitions. After we have been there, that they had one all in regards to the science, legends, and psychology referring to concern.
There are lots extra family-friendly sights round Cellular. For those who’re driving east, hit up Alligator Alley to see gators galore.
However there’s yet one more place each household ought to go to.
Bonus: Bellingrath Gardens & House
Bellingrath is a Cellular space attraction, nevertheless it actually could possibly be a day journey of its personal.
This beautiful 65-acre backyard blooms year-round — daffodils, camellias, tulips, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and, most spectacularly, azaleas within the spring. I fell in love with the romantic rose backyard, and there’s additionally an Asian-themed backyard and a conservatory.
A Bellingrath Gardens historic dwelling with classic furnishings
The ten,500-square-foot house is price touring, so get the combo ticket. And not using a guided go to inside, you received’t be taught the fascinating historical past of this riverside property. Walter and Bessie Bellingrath constructed the 15-room villa in 1935, designing it to mix gracefully with its environment. The handmade brick, ironwork, and flagstone terraces add an old-world aesthetic whereas the central courtyard and plenty of home windows let within the Gulf Coast surroundings. Close by, fountains, statuary, and even a grotto really feel nearly like an extension of the constructing.
A rich Coca-Cola franchisee, Walter purchased the property on the recommendation of his physician (as I discovered on a tour by that very physician’s grandson), and the Bellingraths generously opened their backyard to the general public to get pleasure from.
Bellingrath Gardens rose gardens
And we will get pleasure from it nonetheless at this time, whether or not it’s an off-the-cuff stroll by the grounds or one of many many particular occasions just like the Easter egg hunt, Youngsters Gulf Discovery Day, and spectacular Magic Christmas in Lights.
There’s a lot to see and discover in your Gulf Coast highway journey. Consider it or not, I solely skimmed the floor right here! These wide-open seashores and culture-rich cities have heaps to supply households in search of journey blended with a wholesome dose of rest. Take a Pensacola highway journey up by the Florida Panhandle a while, and also you’ll perceive what makes this place so particular.
