Friday, December 1, 2017

Day3...Pensacola Beach

Monday 11/27/17

    Pensacola Beach shares Santa Rosa Island with the town of Navarre.  In between is a stretch of white sand beach called the Gulf Island National Seashore.  During the course of the day, I never left the island.  The name Pensacola comes from the native people who lived here when the Spanish explorers first arrived.  They called themselves the Panzacola.
    Sunrise was 6:30A.  So, I went out with my camera, walked across the street and settled in to wait for the sun.  




   I was joined by a surprisingly mellow and quite cooperative Gray Heron.  











   He just stayed there, occasionally turning my way to watch me as I circled around to shoot him in the differing light.

    After a pretty good breakfast at the Travelodge, it was off to explore Fort Pickens  on the far western tip of Santa Rosa Island.  The fort was completed in 1834 and remained in service until 1947.  It was named after Revolutionary War General Andrew Pickens.  In February, 1779 he led a force of three hundred militia in the Battle of Kettle Creek, near present day Washington, Georgia.  A British force of seven hundred was in the area recruiting loyalists for the cause.  Pickens defeated the larger force, putting a damper on their efforts.  
    As for the fort...




    Later in the day I met some of the people working on the other side of the barricade.  They told me the road was damaged by Hurricane Nate.  They could have opened one lane, but there are too many blind curves and they didn't feel it safe.  But, it would be open withing three weeks.  Go figure.  

   Instead, I just drove back to the area between Pensacola and Nevarre, parked the car and started walking up the beach.







     I asked about these curious dark spots in the water.  It's seaweed and attracts small fish and insects, which in turn attract seagulls.
















    On the drive back, I passed this curious home...




    It's called a Futuro Home and is the creation of Finnish designer Matti Suuronen.  Less than a thousand were made and few are left.  You can read more about the home here.

     Lunch was at a place called Papa Pizza, advertising the "Best Pizza on the Peninsula."  Decent, but there must be better.



    The restaurant is along East Bay.  I took a walk out on the dock to check out the clear water.








    Another walk along the beach along the gulf...







    With the afternoon waning, I worked my way back towards the Fort Pickens barricade.  There's an elevated walkway over the dunes and nothing to obstruct the fading sun.







    Shot from the motel...




      

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