Honest Simplicity

If you are near Pensacola, you should make time to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum (the largest in the world).  It is free, but you’ll need your ID to get inside.  You can spend the day viewing the many restored military aircraft, walk down the street of a 1940s town, try out the flight simulators, and more.

Before you head home, be sure to stop by the historic Pensacola Lighthouse.  Wear good shoes if you plan to walk the 177 narrow steps to the top (if you show up in flip flops, be prepared to walk barefoot).  I will mention that I am a bit afraid of heights and didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into.  Though my children thought it was hilarious to watch me climbing at a snail’s pace and gripping the railing as if my life depended on it, I was proud of myself for pushing past my fear and making it to the top.  I think the walk up wouldn’t have been so terrifying if the spiraling wrought iron steps, deceptively beautiful and inviting, hadn’t given me a straight view to the bottom.  If you don’t want to hike up to the top, you can visit the Keeper’s Quarters, built in 1869 and fully restored.