Featured image – Paula in front of a beautiful mural on the side of a building in the waterfront area of Pensacola.

We began our trip from St. Augustine to Lake Tahoe with a pleasantly early start, which got us to Pensacola, the western edge of the Florida panhandle and our first stop. Even though we are still in Florida, we crossed over into the central time zone today. We got there early enough to explore a bit of the town. It rained quite a bit on the last half of the trip but dried up just as we entered the city.

We toured the Pensacola Museum of history which was fun and had some good exhibits. The museum incorporates within itself an entire tavern, called “Trader Jons’”, devoted to its owner, a WWII paratrooper who befriended multiple classes of Blue Angels, who were based there. In addition, there was ancient battle armaments, pottery, and descriptions of great battles. Another exhibit honored Black statesmen, including those from Pensacola.

Next was the Art Museum, small and tidy within two floors. Paula’s favorite was a series of huge black and white photos of the Florida everglades.

Next, we walked down to the waterfront, which appeared a mix of industrial endeavors, high-end homes and specialty shops and medical practices. There were several areas designated as “Quarters” which featured outdoor seating and multiple surrounding eateries and offers of libations, both alcoholic and plain.

Tomorrow’s planned destination is Lake Charles, Louisiana.