Catching Up With Friends in Pensacola

Day 193 |  Ingram Bayou to Pensacola  |  3 Hours  |  23 Miles  

The Ingram Bayou anchorage was an excellent spot to spend an evening. It was surrounded on three sides by trees and open to the south where we could see high-rise hotels (or condominiums) in the distance. I didn't sleep well, but was treated to the sounds of a lone owl in the trees. It is much better to count Hooty-Hoos than sheep. I finally gave up and crawled out of bed at 6:00 to catch the breaking dawn reflecting in the still water. The hint of pink quickly dissipated and the cloud cover increased. It was a gray morning as our raft of three boats untied and got underway at 8:00. The scenery soon improved with colorful buildings off to the south on the barrier island. A big moment was seeing the "Welcome to Florida" sign. This is the 14th state we've visited on the Loop.

As we neared Pensacola, Barry's phone rang with a call from our long-time friends Janice and Bob Grabham. We were sailboat neighbors for many years at Regent Point Marina, and enjoyed many years of yacht club activities together. Now retired and living in Pensacola, they had been following our progress on Marine Traffic this morning and told us we were passing in front of their condo. They took a shot of us in the water and I got one of them waving on the balcony. What a lift we got hearing familiar voices from home. We made plans to get together later for dinner and continued east toward the Naval Air Station Pensacola. I missed the best spot to take the photo between the trees. Below the Navy logo, the words read: Fly-Fight-Win.

Located on the grounds of the Naval base is Pensacola Light, dating back to 1859. Navy jets circled overhead in training exercises. As we made our final approach into Pensacola Bay, we were joined by a pair of dolphin that swam for miles just off our port side. Although the overcast sky didn't provide for the best pictures, it was amazing to stand within five feet of these guys as they gracefully arced up and down.

We pulled into Palafox Marina along with Miss Utah. This marina is located on the edge of downtown with parks, restaurants, and retail all within easy walking distance. Eager to stretch our legs, we walked first to the Memorial Monument and the explanation of the City of Five Flags nickname. Pensacola was settled by Spaniards in 1559 and is the oldest European settlement in mainland America. In its history there have been five flags that have flown over its soil: Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. Holiday decorations occupied the small park. One board paid tribute to the Blue Angels. A large Christmas tree stood in the middle of the traffic circle and we had to get the obligatory selfie. Notice that we are not wearing coats. For a couple hours this afternoon, the sun was out and it wasn't chilly. Definitely the warmest day we've seen in weeks. Now we're really longing for a nice long string of warm days. The trip back across the breakwater gave us a rare aerial view of Crossroads.

Folks were fishing off the boardwalk and the natives have obviously learned that the pickings are good. A single blue heron, shockingly about three-feet tall, walked alongside us. Four pelicans had gathered on the brick bench wall. The pelican is highly regarded in town and provides the form for the community art project. There are many more around town and we hope we can get a look at some. Janice and Bob met us at Crossroads and then they took us to dinner at a local favorite, McGuire's Irish Pub. We have looked forward to this evening for over a month and are thankful that we could get together on such quick notice. We shared stories of travel, retirement, common friends, and their new hometown of Pensacola. Janice and Bob, we cannot thank you enough for a wonderful evening.

Our meals were great and we brought doggie-bags back to Crossroads. The most interesting restaurant feature was the collection of over one million signed one dollar bills which were attached to the ceiling and walls. Once back at the marina, we took a short walk and were able to spot Misty Pearl (Selene 43 sister ship) all trimmed out with lights. Doug and Dana decorated her today. Tree-lined Palafox Street also glowed elegantly in white lights. We have some multi-color lights to put on Crossroads, but they will not be anything close to this elaborate. We will wait, however, until after our crossing of the Gulf of Mexico to attach them to the bow rail.

We are in weather-watching mode now, trying to determine the best plan of attack to get to Carabelle and stage for the next good weather window to cross the Gulf. Right now that looking to be in a week. Tomorrow we will visit the Naval Aviation Museum with Chris and Roger (Miss Utah). The good news is that today we secured a slip at St. Petersburg Municipal Marina from December 10-January 4. We can now breathe easier, knowing that Crossroads has a safe place to stay while we head home for Christmas.