Pensacola trip

[Janmac]

We were at Pensacola from 27 to 31 March as a "Christmas gift" to my grandniece (my sister's granddaughter). Primary purpose was to allow her to see, in person, the Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola. She's been looking at the cockpits on line for a couple of years and dreaming of actually sitting in some.

We were lucky enough to get two suites at the NAS Gateway Inn on base. Our grandniece's other grandparents, from Louisiana, joined us in Pensacola and stayed in one suite we sponsored for them while we had the other. The NAS Gateway Inn building we stayed at - 600 - is all suites and is the old BOQ, built in 1936, or was it 1938. Either way, lovely old building, with old photos every where, wonderful landscaping - I almost felt we were checking into a Disney resort. We'd stay here again in a heartbeat. Only problem I found was that the kitchen has only a microwave for heating food. I was expecting a small stove as well and had brought eggs. I learned how to scramble eggs in the microwave.

The Aviation Museum is phenomenal. We spent most of Friday here, arriving just minutes before it opened. Retired folks serve as greeters - they're almost as interesting and fun as the exhibits. We had several good conversations throughout the day.

I can't even begin to describe the exhibits here except to say that the Museum was worth the 750+ mile (one way) drive down. The Museum is free which is even more amazing. We did spend money on 3 simulators which probably aren't worth the fees - to me, as an adult. But our grandniece enjoyed them all enormously. The group simulators - a Blue Angels experience and a Desert Storm Mission - are probably the best at only $6 each or $9 for both. The flight simulator, at $10 each, which involves being strapped into an egg shaped module that can (and does!) go upside down and revolve isn't as much of a deal, to me. If you do try this, make sure the person strapping you in snugs the restraints better than mine were.

There are several cockpits of airplanes and one of a helicopter that are set up for sitting in and free flight simulations. We have some great photos of our grandniece and her grandparents flying.

We ate lunch at the Cubi Bar inside the museum. It's not a fast food place, which is fine as we were ready to sit down for a while. I can't recall what I had to eat so it wasn't horrible.

We had supper at the Shrimp Basket on Navy Way - if I'm remembering the street name correctly - it's the road that goes in the main gate. My grandniece was most impressed by the aquarium near our table which had two eels, a sea star and a puffer fish or two. She and grandma shared a basket of three choices - shrimp, and two others I don't remember. There was so much food they were glad they decided to share the order. I had grilled grouper which was good. My grandniece said grandpa's grilled whitefish was good too. He had not had whitefish before and decided he will look for it more. I think DH had some fried catfish.

Saturday we drove east, south over two bridges and west along a wet sandy road for several miles to wind up 1.5 miles south of NAS Pensacola at Fort Pickens, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. We spent several hours at the Fort, looking around on our own, doing a Ranger led tour - very informative - and helping our grandniece complete her Junior Ranger booklet for another badge for her vest. I highly recommend doing the afternoon Range tour. I hadn't heard of this fort before doing pre-trip research; there's a lot of interesting history surrounding this fort.

On our way back around to Pensacola we stopped at an "exotic", grandma's word, place for a late lunch/early supper. The first place seemed way too packed, so we drove on to Flounders, which is HUGE! I had the flounder chowder, which was good but not award winning, as the menu claimed. But then I've never had flounder chowder, only clam chowder. I was flabbergasted at the size of my Key Lime Pie, which was three slices of pie - a green pie layered between two yellow slices - smothered in whipped cream. It looked like a huge slice of layer cake. The menu says it ends the argument of green or yellow for key lime pie. My first key lime pie, down in the keys over 30 years ago, was yellow and I liked it alot. The yellow of Flounder's key lime pie tasted like cheese cake - which I don't care for - while the green slice tasted citrusy. I asked for a to-go box for this, glad that we had a full sized fridge at our lodging. DH and grandpa had the special Andouille egg rolls - they didn't ask for to-go boxes.

This is a great place to bring kids as the numerous tables are arranged around a large sandy area with plenty of play structures for kids. We let the kid play and got a to-go box for her pasta marinara. She was full of the wings appetizer she asked for anyway.

Saturday evening we played board games with grandma, while DH and grandpa watched tv. Our suite was great for this as we had a table - in the kitchen, and 3 chairs. Lately, hotels are so set up for business travelers, with a desk and chair, that there's no accommodation in a room to play a board game.

Sunday we had breakfast at the Oaks, the golf course on base. We arrived just as several others did, so the minimal staff was overwhelmed, but I'd eat here again. Prices are reasonable and the food was good.

Our next stop was the Lighthouse Museum which opens at noon on Sunday. The museum has a charge - $6 per person. The grounds have some interesting and interactive displays. The restrooms are in the lighthouse keepers old house which has lots of information and displays. We were there for the lighthouse - which has 177 steps, something grandpa and I had e-mailed back and forth about. Were we, all in our 60s and 70s, up for that many steps. DH, spotting a comfy bench in the shade and a nearby toddler to tease, declined. The rest of us gave it a try.

Turns out, for some of us, the number of steps is a non-issue. The vertiginous steps themselves, as well as the echo chamber of the narrowing tower, and the low light all combined to persuade the youngest (and most fit) member of our group to call a halt to the exercise at step 125. She'd started to regret going up in the lighthouse at about step 80 but felt maybe she could keep going. She apologized profusely, we all assured her it was okay. Privately, I didn't mind turning back either. I've been up in lighthouses before but never as sensory over-stimulating as this one. Yikes. But we were glad we'd tried it.

Grandma and Grandpa had to start back toward Louisiana, so we took our grandniece to Barrancas Beach, on NAS Pensacola and not far from the Aviation Museum, the Lighthouse or Fort Pickens, just across the bay. We had plenty of sunshine but the wind was chilly, so after just an hour we decamped to revisit the airplanes. I really like this Museum and I'm not a big fan of museums. I think we like this better than the Air and Space in DC.

I had brought a library book along - The Flagmaker by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, about a young girl who, during the War of 1812, helped sew a garrison flag for Fort McHenry. This fort was mentioned by the Ranger during the tour at Fort Pickens. And every morning at 8 am the national anthem is played on the navy base. My grandniece now wants a copy of the book for herself.

This first trip-as-Christmas-gift (instead of stuff no one remembers and that breaks right away anyway) was a success, though we should have taken two days to drive home, as we did on the way down. Or maybe not go as far from home next year. Although, our grandniece really really wants to see Fort McHenry . . .

Jan

[Strmchsr]

Sounds like you had a great trip. Pensacola is a great place. We take the boys over all the time since it's less than an hour away. The Naval air museum is amazing, especially on Tuesdays when the Blue Angels are practicing!

[Janmac]

You are close, at Santa Rosa Beach.

Our timing was a bit off - the website had the Blue Angels practicing the morning of the day we left home and again a day or so after we got home. And lucky for us, because it would have been tempting to opt for the $20 lighthouse viewing site. Shame to spend that much money and not be able to get to the viewing platform.

Chris, your boys might enjoy Fort Pickens, as well. Our grandniece sure did, especially the Ranger-led tour. Painless way to learn quite a bit. There were six of us on the tour.

Jan

[wdwfansince75]

The Aviation Museum is phenomenal. We spent most of Friday here, arriving just minutes before it opened. Retired folks serve as greeters - they're almost as interesting and fun as the exhibits. We had several good conversations throughout the day.


We ate lunch at the Cubi Bar inside the museum. It's not a fast food place, which is fine as we were ready to sit down for a while. I can't recall what I had to eat so it wasn't horrible.


Jan

Brings back memories of special times, and special people. Deployed many times to Cubi in '66 and '67, and from there to Yankee Station carriers. Also deployed to Cubi for most of '72, and a late trip in early '73.

Most Aircraft Carriers and Navy Squadrons passed through Cubi Point and Subic Bay on their way to and from Yankee Station, the operating area for air combat operations over North Vietnam, from 1965 through 1973. Took off from Cubi Pt on my first combat mission April 26, 1966, and flew my last out of Cubi Pt April 26, 1973.

Enjoyed a short visit to the Museum years ago, after they had set up the Cubi Bar. The Cubi Bar at the Museum is a replica of the bar at the lower level of the post-70 O'Club (Officers Club) at Naval Air Station, Cubi Pt, Republic of the Philippines. Many mementos of deployments, wooden carvings of Navy squadrons, with crew names, (including many names that are on the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall in DC), were brought back from Cubi.
The pre-70 O'Club was more rustic. The catapult in the new bar was a legend, and there have been some great stories about the catapult on the web. Most of the stories were mostly true. But the catapult was developed to replace more dangerous activities performed by (mostly) junior officers, on temporary breaks from combat missions over North Vietnam.

[Strmchsr]

Chris, your boys might enjoy Fort Pickens, as well. Our grandniece sure did, especially the Ranger-led tour. Painless way to learn quite a bit. There were six of us on the tour.Jan

They definitely enjoyed the fort. Mobile is another great place as well for history. Having home schooled boys we travel constantly for field trips. Nothing like hands-on learning. Reading about it is good, but experiencing it locks it in.

[Janmac]

Enjoyed a short visit to the Museum years ago, after they had set up the Cubi Bar. The Cubi Bar at the Museum is a replica of the bar at the lower level of the post-70 O'Club (Officers Club) at Naval Air Station, Cubi Pt, Republic of the Philippines. Many mementos of deployments, wooden carvings of Navy squadrons, with crew names, (including many names that are on the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall in DC), were brought back from Cubi.

Thank you for this information! I missed any (all?) info at the museum as to the origin of the name of the restaurant. We did enjoy the photos in the corner where our table was.

Jan

[Melanie]

Thank you for this information! I missed any (all?) info at the museum as to the origin of the name of the restaurant. We did enjoy the photos in the corner where our table was.



Jan

My father-in-law is on a plaque there, from when he was an OpsO for one of his (USMC) squadrons.

[Janmac]

Well, ****, now we gotta go back!

We ought to have a sticky on this forum with "when you're in [where ever] look for [this] of my [insert relative/friend/acquaintance]".

I wouldn't have much - oh wait: The submarine in San Francisco is the same class as one of the diesel boats that DH served on in the 50s.

It's great when there are personal (sort of) connections at places we go.

Jan

[wdwfansince75]

NAS Pensacola is where I went through pre-flight, and Basic Naval Flight Officer School..as well as 3 weeks during one of my Midshipman summers from the Naval Academy...It is also where DS#1 was born...way back when. I flew in several of the types of aircraft (although none of the actual aircraft) on display, including the EC-121, A-3, P-3, S-2, T-34, T-28, C-45, and H-34. The museum hosts the Cubi Bar, and the squadron and ship plaques hold names of friends and shipmates from long ago.

But for a personal involvement, the Yorktown at Patriots Point, just north of Charleston now holds a special EA-3B. Over 45 years ago, I flew over 70 combat missions, and made over 50 carrier takeoffs and landings in Bureau Number 146457, the EA-3B on the flight deck of the Yorktown. I saw and heard ghosts when I visited the aircraft! Special memories of special people.

[Janmac]

But for a personal involvement, the Yorktown at Patriots Point, just north of Charleston now holds a special EA-3B. Over 45 years ago, I flew over 70 combat missions, and made over 50 carrier takeoffs and landings in Bureau Number 146457, the EA-3B on the flight deck of the Yorktown. I saw and heard ghosts when I visited the aircraft! Special memories of special people.

Awesome!

And thanks for your service.

Jan