Flying High

After our amazing day yesterday, we had high hopes to do it all over again.  Unfortunately, I slept late for the first time since we began this journey!  When I say slept late, what I mean is the jet lag was easing off and I actually did not get up until 8am!  But every other day found Alan and I both awake by 5:30!  Oh well, it was not like the day was actually wasted. 

Our plans were to see the Pensacola Lighthouse and then the Naval Air Museum.  If this were a normal year, we would have really needed to get an earlier start to see the Blue Angels fly. They do/did this every Tuesday and Wednesday morning, except for the week we are usually there in May!  So this was totally on the agenda.  But the governmental funding has caused a  number of services and other things to be run differently than usual. So we did not see the Blue Angels in the air.  We did see them parked though!  Oh well, since we are so happy with all other aspects of Florida at this time of year, I think we will have another opportunity someday!

Since we were travelling on September 11, on the way up to Pensacola, we had to make a sudden stop to take pictures of the tribute a fire station had done in honor of this day.   All the flags we saw were at half mast but this fire station was the most impressive sight of the day.  I am so glad we were able to stop and take these pictures early - on the way home, there was tape over the driveway so the pictures would not have been as good!  I guess loads of folks stopped like we did!

 

The Pensacola Lighthouse is the first lighthouse we have actually visited and it is absolutely beautiful!  As soon as I saw it, I had no reservations about going up the 177 steps. It just had to be done.  There was a slight problem though - I was wearing flip flops and these are not permitted on the steps due to health and safety.  But, true to form, I always have shoes in my car - even our rental car.  So I did not have to go up there barefoot!  On the way to the car, I virtually stumbled over a car club, too busy to notice, but they might have been corvettes.  All lining up for some sort of photo opportunity.  Maybe a calendar or something.  I didn't take the time to look because I didn't relish the idea of sharing all those steps with so many people.  However, they never came up!  It was just a photo op for them!

                                             I did catch them from the top of the lighthouse! 

 

 



This is as close as Alan got to seeing the Blue Angels in action.  If you look at the white hanger just below his shoulder - there they are!

I must admit I have real issues with steep steps and ladders. And these steps were very close to being ladders!  There are massive warnings about being careful on them!  Going up is fine, but the first time I stepped off for a rest at one of the window ledges, I would never have been able to step off the sill without the support of a lady from Arkansas who stopped with me.  No offense to Alan, but he was way ahead of me and would never have noticed my absence until he stopped at the top! 

 

It felt like a leap of faith to step off the windowsill and back onto the steps!



After the fabulous experience of getting to the top of the lighthouse - I got my certificate!  We went to the Naval Air Museum which is more or less across the street. 



 

 

 

This was the last night we would stay in Steamboat Landing as they have Friday to Friday weeks.  And since we had plans for Friday night, we decided to treat this as our last night and went back to Nauti - Girls.  This time I got the Not So Nauti Pasta, which was also wonderful.  The only problem was they got my order wrong so Alan was almost done eating by the time I got my dinner - hence no photo!  I think they still had teething problems with staff and will not hold this against them at all.

 

We also had a last drink at the Salty Duck.  This bar is within walking distance of Steamboat Landing and we just love going there! 

 

It was nice to know we were not going to have to rush out in the morning to be at the airport by 8am!  So we had a lovely (sort of) last night in Fort Walton!

 

“Darkness reigns at the foot of the lighthouse”Japanese proverb