We have had a few very hectic but not hugely interesting days since our return from Peru and Ecuador. We picked up our motor home and drove up to Bartow, Florida where we spent a couple of frustrating days getting some work done on our motor home to allow us to tow our Jeep behind rather than Karen have to follow behind in the car. Now headed north we did an overnight stop in Tallahassee and then to our final stop in Florida, Pensacola. It has been 2 months since we entered Florida, and although we had two weeks in South America it is good to be leaving the State. It feels like we are now back on our Big Tour.
Our final stop in Florida is in Pensacola in the very tip of the Panhandle. We are stopping in Big Lagoon State Park, which is on the mainland side of the Inter -coastal waterway. There are some pleasant walks through the park and we take advantage of these in the last of the warm afternoon sun. On visiting the local library’s book sale we find out about the Mardi Gras parade in Orange Beach, just over the state border in Alabama. We head off with great expectations but coming upon the parade floats we are bitterly disappointed and turn around and go back to the motor home.
This morning we decided to visit the Naval Aviation Museum on the Naval Airbase in Pensacola. To our delight entry is free – and this usually means that we should not expect too much. This is not the case -for this museum it is wonderful. We started by watching a movie on the Blue Angels aerobatic team on the IMAX screen – which really set us up for the rest of the museum. The displays are wonderful – there are a large number of aircraft on exhibit inside and outside and there are cockpits of various aircraft and helicopters you can climb in and try the seats out for size. Jack and Emily had a real blast. Particularly moving was the display exhibit on the prisoners of war in the Vietnam conflict with copies of letters home to the families and poems the prisoners wrote whilst incarcerated. Pensacola is the home of the Blue Angels and there is a fantastic display of their old A-4 aircraft hanging from the ceiling of one of the exhibit halls. To finish up we have a snack in the café which duplicates the bar area of the famous Cubi Point Officers' Club (only famous if you are a US Naval pilot!!). It was very amusing to read the retired squadron plaques on the walls – particularly some of the nicknames of the serving officers, many of which are too rude to mention in polite company.On leaving Pensacola we head west and finally leave Florida, driving through Alabama and arrive just over the state border in Mississippi in the small town of Gautier. We pull into Shepard State Park and set up camp for the night. There is just enough time to un-hitch the bikes and go for a ride before the night closes in..
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