Winter Trip 2023 - Fort Pickens Day 6

Today is sunny but high only in the 50s and a stiff breeze.  We were going to bike back to the Fort to catch parts we didn't see the first time.  Unfortunately Gary's front tire is soft and can't get it pumped up, so we drive over.

Part of the historic district.

We check out the visitor center/museum

1 out of 5 Plastic bottles are recycled, plastic bottles and disposable diapers take 450 years to break down!

We walk over to the Fishing Pier

There were Pelicans on the beach.  I was lamenting that I didn't have my good camera and only my phone.

Then we walked out on the Pier

And there were Pelicans milling about.

Then the ones from the beach flew over.

They were not camera shy

This one was especially pretty

As is the water

More historic area

Mine Storage building

On our way back we take a detour to two more batterys.  I had bike here earlier but wanted Gary to see them 

First is Battery 234

The backside. 

Hidden behind these doors soldiers used data to plot a triangle on the table and calculate the distance to the target and relayed it to the gun crews. beneath this vegetated mound offor precision fi

Next is the Battery Cooper

Canon was mounted on a carriage that could be lowered below the battery walls for loading, then raised up over the wall when fired. The recoil from the blast sent the carriages back down to the loading position, thus it disappeared from view to those on enemy ships

Another great day

Winter Trip 2023 - Fort Pickens - Pensacola Beach

We head over to Pensacola Beach for my Birthday Lunch 

We park near the Boardwalk

It's pretty quiet, overcast and cool today

I imagine it's crazy around here when the weather's warm 

I picked Flounders Chowder House

It has a funky interior, we sat in the heated enclosed patio, it was brighter.

And not just for the birds

Gary had the Shrimp and Bacon Mac and cheese.  I had the Flash Fried Seafood platter.  Flounder, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, popcorn shrimp, fried clams, stuffed crab, hush puppies and fries.  We are for 3 days.  The diet 

starts again.

Watch out!

We do a walk about outside

A great meal and enjoyable afternoon.  We are treated to a beautiful sunset 

2023 Winter Trip - Fort Pickens - Birthday

Plans were to go to Panama Beach for a Birthday lunch, but it's cloudy and windy, so we head out for a bike ride to the Loop A Campground, Battery Langdon and Langdon Beach instead.  

We take the Florida Trail rather than the road. 

Battery Langdon is well hidden

Road past it and saw this, so I turned around and went down a road that looked like a former dump station

Across the road is a boardwalk to the beach. 

It's a ways

There's some surf

We head back

And see that there's another beach boardwalk outside our loop.  There's no bike rack so we park them a short way down the boardwalk out of view.

This has a larger beach area, will come back if we get some sunshine.

Doesn't bother this little guy

We get back and Gary gives me a birthday Surprise.  A little tree frog lives in our power post.