Pensacola Has Everything for Families

Each time I get to visit Pensacola I am amazed by all it has to offer families. Sugar white, clean sand beaches and beautiful water on the island, great hotels, condos, homes for rent; and great food, and fun and educational activities for the family. It can figure into simple entertainment on a vacation, or a great focus for that homeschooling family or family interested in taking in a few educational attractions. This area is rich with history, and Pensacola knows how to present it to kids in fun and informative ways.

The Holiday Inn Pensacola Beach was terrific, equipped with fridge and microwave, daily maid service, free Wi-Fi in room, beautiful balcony overlooking the pool and beach, a restaurant on site (with a great breakfast buffet), and an incredible pool complete with lazy river that pleased all of us, especially the eight-year old boy in our party. A bar and restaurant were also available pool side, along with floats for the lazy river and plenty of space for the crowd that was there our weekend. The theme here is “pirates,” and swashbucklers often visited around the pool and posed for photos with kids, as well as entertained them with a few swordfights. Find out more at (http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnresorts/hotels/us/en/pensacola-beach/pnspb/).

My favorite thing for families, though, was proximity to the beach. When traveling with kids, you often carry a LOT to the beach. In some resorts, it seems like you walk a mile and climb a lot of steps to just get to the beach. Here at the Holiday Inn, the trip was short and easy – my kind of beachfront.

Many people visit Pensacola simply for the beach, but if it rains, or you need some time away from the sun and sand, consider some of the great attractions Pensacola has to offer.  Downtown Pensacola has great shops, art, restaurants, and two museums I particularly like – the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum and the Pensacola Children’s Museum. Check out http://www.historicpensacola.org/ for more information, hours, admission and a way to get one ticket for all seven of the museums in the area!

The National Aviation Museum is free (they accept donations), and is a fascinating look at both military flight and the history of flight. If your child loves seeing the big planes up close, you can spend an hour here or an entire day. For information, visit http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org. And while you are at the museum, you can take in the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum nearby, climb the 177 steps and get the best view in Pensacola of the City of Five Flags, where flags for Spain, Britain, France and the Confederacy of the U.S. have flown.  Admission charged for lighthouse. See http://www.pensacolalighthouse.org.

Another “don’t miss” is a trip to the Gulf Islands National Seashore, http://www.nps.gov/guis, whether you just go there for a walk or to spend a day at the beach. Enjoy the beautiful sand and waters of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and take in Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas and the Advanced Redoubt, all located there.

We also took in a terrific dolphin cruise with Key Sailing (http://www.keysailing.com).  You never know what you’ll see, but we saw several groups of dolphins and simply enjoyed the gorgeous evening ride on the water.            

For more information on visiting Pensacola Beach, Florida, visit http://www.visitpensacola.com or call 800-874-1234.

Carol Muse Evans is publisher of Birmingham Parent.  She and her family love the beach.

Plan your trip to Pensacola with these great upcoming fall events in mind:

• Sept. 23-24: Taste of the Beach (hwww.tasteofpensacolabeach.com/)
• Sept. 24: Ghost Hunt (http://www.pensacolalighthouse.org/index/tours/ghost-hunt) – Hunt for ghosts and hear why the Pensacola lighthouse is one of America’s most haunted (recommended for children aged 12 and over).
• Sept. 30-Oct. 2: 39th Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival  (http://www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/pensacola-seafood-festival) – The festival hosts an array of family-friendly activities centered on great food.
• Oct. 1-2: 27th Annual Peanut Fest (http://www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/pensacola-seafood-festival) – Live entertainment, arts, crafts, games and of course, peanuts.
• Oct. 1: Shindig on the Sand (http://www.florabama.com/events/shindig-on-the-sand) – This music festival boasts 70 musical acts and more than 200 musicians. Live music and great food.
• Oct. 7-9: Greek Festival (http://www.pensacolagreekfestival.com/) – This festival showcases some of the best aspects of Greek culture. Delicious food, live entertainment, traditional dancing and more.
• Oct. 7-9: 35th Annual St. Rose of Lima International Fall Festival (http://ptdiocese.org/events/35th-annual-international-fall-festival) – Held at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in West Pensacola, the festival celebrates the diverse cultures that have made the city their home. There will be a myriad of cuisines as well as live entertainment, wine tasting, arts and crafts and fun kids’ activities.
• Oct. 20-30: Pensacola Interstate Fair (http://www.pensacolafair.com/) – a fun-filled day for the whole family. Food, thrilling rides, games and more.
• Nov. 4-6: Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival (http://www.ggaf.org/) – The festival will display some of the nation’s best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen and other artists. Live entertainment and food vendors.
• Nov. 5-6: Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show (http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/) – After a series of air shows across the country, Pensacola’s Blue Angels will take to the skies for a special homecoming.  
• Nov. 30-Dec. 4: 4th Annual Snowball Derby (http://5flagsspeedway.com/) – The racing event takes place at the 5 Flags Speedway.