Pensacola does heritage interpretation really really well.  We stopped there on our way between Big Lagoon State Park and Falling Water State Park and were totally impressed.

Heritage and archaeology

The town’s historic district is a history buff’s paradise.  Visitors can walk through the heritage district, pop in and out of the designated heritage buildings, and explore archaeological remains.  There is an abundance of charming architectural details throughout asw well.

The Colonial Archaeological Trail takes the visitor through several remnants from different time periods,

Archaeological displays accompanied by interpretation plaques that are interesting and informative are peppered throughout the city.

 

Well done Pensacola!

Art

Another fun encounter was the CUBED art installation behind the museum.

The art museum is housed in the old jail house.

Some of the exhibits were closed during our visit and we were only able to see one exhibit. 

Still, it was an interesting and thought-provoking exhibit.

The 100 Faces of War, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, features portraits of Americans who went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The portraits includes a candid, first-hand account of war.

Some, like The Missing Man Table, were heartwrenching.

 

On a lighter note, you can find random pelicans through the city

and even Cha Cha instructions!

But the weather was biting at our heels again and we escaped Pensacola to continue east along the shore.

Driving through the barrier Islands,

and once we passed the urban expansion, we drove through the beautiful Gulf Islands National Seashore with its vast white beaches.  The beauty and allure of this place was evident despite the gloomy weather.

We really should tell you about a couple of good parks that we stayed at:

Big Lagoon State Park

Great park with lots of hiking trails, boardwalks

and an observation tower.

Falling Water State Park

This park is home to the tallest waterfall in Florida.

It’s actually a sinkhole and the waterfall just flows into it.

It’s pretty impressive.

This park has some nice hikes and we were able to hike a bit before the rain came.  It all culminated in a blackout throughout the park and a very quiet night.

We would recommend both these parks if you are going through the area.

It’s time to leave the gulf coast and venture into Florida for some family time, but before we do, we have to share with you a most exciting find:

Our toilet paper finally has a permanent home!  It fits nicely over the drawer.

 

This is campervanning happiness right there.

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