I went to America’s ‘oldest city’ with beaches you can spot dolphins from
I’VE never tried synchronised swearing before – but then again, I’ve never been in a crowd being buzzed by a low-altitude jet fighter.
F***!! we yelled as a Blue Angels “sneak” pilot screamed over us and we watched the other five planes from the flight soaring in perfect formation high in the sky.
What made it even more exciting was that we were on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, basking in 30C heat.
It was a highlight of our visit to Pensacola in the Florida panhandle (the top bit).
While still new to many Brits, this was familiar territory to our ancestors.
It has a claim to be America’s oldest city, established by Spanish conquerors in 1559, and is now known as The City Of Five Flags as it has also been ruled by France, the good guys from Great Britain, the Confederate States of America and, of course, the US.
The latter were fighting for strategic military importance, which is why it is now home to a US Navy base — and that formation- flying team, the oldest in the English- speaking world.
But forget the strategic importance, just go here for the beaches.
They are incredible. White sand, warm water, more dolphins than you can shake a flipper at, and plenty of pelicans.
There are also hundreds of restaurants, bars, coffee and souvenir shops, and a host of top hotels including the Hilton Pensacola Beach where we stayed.
The latter is a great stay, with charming staff, superb pools, a welcoming outdoor bar and a fine restaurant.
Best of all was its location, though it’s not in “downtown” Pensacola.
It’s on, as its name suggests, Pensacola Beach — an offshore resort on the island of Santa Rosa, linked by bridge to its big brother.
If you’re not driving, there’s the Pensacola Bay City Ferry, shuttling between downtown, Pensacola Beach and the historic Fort Pickens, well worth a visit in its own right. You can buy daily hop-on, hop-off tickets.
Also, when the Blue Angels practise, most Tuesdays, you can do what we did and, for about £25, book a cruise out to sea to catch all the action.
Pensacola and Pensacola Beach provides you with the ideal two-centre holiday without much travelling.
Head downtown and you can revel in rich history — with lots of helpful signage, marked walking paths and the Veterans Memorial Park — as well as enjoying art shops and museums and event spaces.
Our visit coincided with the Pensacola Seafood Festival. Stalls sell everything from cheese-flavoured popcorn and artisan beers to, er, mermaid outfits.
We didn’t buy much, as wifey had blown our budget on a painting of a seahorse from a lovely art shop on the main drag, Palafox Street.
Once you are tired of the culture and shopping, and have eaten and drunk your fill — check my guide, above, to Pensacola dining — what are you going to do? That’s right, head back over the bridge to the beaches.
Get yourself a boat trip to go dolphin-spotting — you can see them while you are driving over the bridge but it is an offence to stop there.
We went with Captain Steve after booking with friskyboattours.com — and that man knows how to find a dolphin.
He’s also really good at explaining the area, and identifying passing birds.
One of those passing birds was an osprey, and we ventured a little farther afield one day to see if we could find some more.
It meant sacrificing the beaches for a while as we headed inland to Tarkiln Bayou State Park, where a marked trail — the Americans are good at that — tells you what you may see.
It leads you on a beautiful, tranquil route, past rare carnivorous pitcher plants (I read the sign) to a hidden lake. It was lovely but there were no ospreys, which was surprising given the number of tasty fish we saw swimming around.
No problem, they were there at next stop, Big Lagoon State Park.
Observation towers give you a great view of the wildlife — the resting osprey being trumped for me by a great blue hero flapping past at eye level.
I did mention not many Brits know about Pensacola — whose social-media marketing message is #thewaytobeach — and some of the locals would like to keep it that way.
We had flown from Heathrow on a Virgin Atlantic booking with partner airline Delta, changing planes at Atlanta.
It wasn’t as fast as the Blue Angels, but it was much less noisy and much more comfortable.
While we were waiting for our connecting flight to Pensacola, we chatted to a couple who, it turned out, had a condo on Pensacola Beach.
They were puzzled why we were going there and I explained I was writing a piece for a British newspaper.
“Don’t”, they said, “It’s our secret.”
Sorry.
CRAB CAKE OR TACOS?
YOU won’t go hungry or thirsty in Pensacola. Here’s our guide to dining of all kinds, from flip-flop to fine, at the beach and downtown.
BEACH
Flounder’s Chowder House: Big portions and bargain Bushwhackers (the local signature cocktail, a chocolatey rum-based concoction). Family-friendly with great play areas.
Bamboo Willie’s: Home of frozen cocktails, a perfect spot to chill.
Casino Beach Bar and Grille: Overlooks the pier. Totally relaxing, with great views and food.
The Grand Marlin: A wonderful atmosphere, tremendous seafood, views to die for.
Native Cafe: All-day breakfast joint the locals love. Try Crab Cakes Benny – muffin, crab cakes and poached eggs with hollandaise sauce.
Red Fish Blue Fish: The perfect beachfront restaurant and bar. Go for the shrimp tacos.
Salt: Signature restaurant at the Hilton Pensacola Beach. Beautifully prepared seafood and the best steak I’ve had in ages.
DOWNTOWN
Bodacious Shops: Classy coffee and breakfast staples plus artisanal olive oils and vinegars to buy.
The Fish House: Go for baked oysters. Also home to Grits à Ya Ya – tasty shrimp on a savoury porridge.
Jaco’s Bayfront Bar and Grill: Perfect spot next to the ferry port. Try the crab cakes or mahi tacos.
Maker’s Cafe: Welcoming spot, perfect for coffee and cake.
Union Public House and The Well: Neighbouring venues – a great gastro pub and a cocktail bar where they mix a drink to match your mood.
