Friday, June 14, 2013

Navarre Children's Park

Right alongside the Navarre Bridge leading to Navarre Beach; located on Hwy 98-the main strip connecting most of the areas to each other, is The Navarre Children's Park. This Park is not Just for Children!! Many festivities are planned here for the whole community! There's a fun playground for the kids, separated into two sections to keep the younger ones safe. The park has covered picnic areas, perfect for bringing a lunch and spending the day with the fam, or having gatherings such as birthday parties. 
There's a beach with calm waters, a pond stocked with wildlife, a basketball court and a SPLASH PAD!!! All of this is provided for free. I love to meet here for playdates with my kids. 
The Navarre Chamber of Commerce/Visitor's Center is beside the park over looking the water. A convenient location for visitor's to the area, especially for the businesses who want to become a member of the Chamber and advertise to those visitors!
During the spring/summer months, The Butterfly House is open. It's on the side of the pond & basket ball court and is open Thurs-Sat 10-3. Run by volunteers who are more than willing to talk about the species of Butterflies, their life cycle, & plants that attract butterflies. This is open to the public and run by donations only.. We always try to bring $1 per person each time we go, but donations of any amount are appreciated. (More on the Butterfly House is coming later this summer!)

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Gulf Islands National Seashore Naval Live Oaks

I had a couple of hours this morning free, so I put the paddle board on the car, picked up breakfast and headed to the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a protected shoreline managed by The National Park Service. There are several locations. This one was the Naval Live Oaks located right inside Gulf Breeze, FL. Super convenient!!
The water was shallow for at least 30 feet out. Today it was perfectly clear. Absolutely breath-taking! This is a perfect place for hiking, picnicking, learning about the history of the area and  the natural species that are native here. 
On my way to the beach, I followed a paved path past picnic areas. On the short walk I saw lizards, birds and a snake.. Not a poisonous one, but he startled me none-the-less! 
I brought the paddle board to the water and immediately started taking photos. The beauty simply cannot be captured in a photograph! The water was calm and I could see straight down several feet. I played with the crabs with my paddle and watched fish swim directly underneath me. I sat down and put my feet in the water to cool off since it was about 91 degrees out and the water was a perfect 81 degrees.
After I got my fill of serenity, I came back to the beach and ate my breakfast in my beach chair overlooking Santa Rosa Island, where Pensacola Beach is located. I cannot tell you how calm this made me. It felt as though my personal energy was being recharged. 
I was actually sad I had to leave, but the rest of my day awaits..

For more information on The Gulf Islands National Seashore & The Naval Live Oaks see
 http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/naval-live-oaks.htm

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Navarre Beach & Juana Pagoda's

I absolutely love that my high school friends I grew up with come to the area to vacation. Keeping up with them through various social media has been such a Godsend. They call and I'm on my way, with SUP board on my car, ready to entertain! It's not too difficult when you have weather like today. 
They wanted lunch, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and beach. Juana Pagoda's & Sailor's Grill had exactly that. Can you believe I got lunch out of this deal? Great day!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Pensacola Beach photos



Intro to my Blog about Pensacola & surrounding areas

I'm creating a blog to show my love of Pensacola & the surrounding areas, such as Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Pensacola Beach, Molino, Milton, Destin & Fort Walton Beach. The Florida panhadle is a beautiful location with white sand beaches with abundant aquatic life and wildlife. There is so much to see and do here it is no wonder it is a vacation destination for numerous people from all over the globe. Those of us who are lucky enough to live here are certain we live in Paradise! I hope you enjoy my blog and follow me and my adventures of all kinds, from outdoors to parades, sports of all kinds to education. I will dive into art, science, entertainment, restaurants and facts about my home for the last 18 years.. Follow & discover with me!! For information on Real Estate, feel free to leave a comment.
please visit www.visitpensacola.com for some info on the area as a destination.