Things to Do Near Pensacola, Florida

On Saturday, I arrived home after a two-week vacation with my family at Pensacola, Florida. This vacation is a special time for us since we spend it with my in-laws. Although we love finding new places to explore, the main goal of our vacation is to spend time as a family. Here are a few highlights of our trip:

1) The Beach: A trip to Pensacola would not be complete without a trip to the beach. The kids absolutely loved it this year. Last year, they were quite hesitant to get in the water. But this year, they ran right in and did not want to get out.

2) The National Naval Aviation Museum: We actually visited twice because our two boys loved it and it is free! On the second floor of the museum there is The Cockpit Trainers Exhibit, where you can actually climb into the cockpits of a variety of aircraft and pretend you are flying. On our second visit we stopped at the local lighthouse, however decided not to take the 177 steps to the top. We also visited a new addition called Hangar Bay One, which adds 55,000 square feet of space to the museum and hosts the R4D-5L Skytrain nicknamed "Que Sera Sera" which was the first aircraft to land at the South Pole.

3) USS Alabama Battleship: Located in Mobile, this is the first time we checked out the battleship. In the battleship, we took a self-guided tour. I found it very interesting to explore the ship. You have the chance to see the cafeteria, mess hall, bunks, brigs, a chapel, a doctor's and dentist's office, the bathrooms, stores, laundry room, and the infirmary. Some recommendations are to follow the arrows and numbers for the tour, wear sneakers since the ladders you will climb are very steep, and if you are going in the summer, go early. It is hot. There was also a submarine that you could explore as well.

4) Gulf Breeze Zoo: We all really enjoyed the zoo, but it was hot!!! I was amazed that when we first entered the zoo, there were peacocks roaming wild instead of in a cage. This zoo has giraffes, lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and more.

5) Lambert's: This restaurant is located in Foley, Alabama and we visit every year. With the exception of last year, usually we wait at least 45 minutes to get a table. This year we arrived at 4:00 in the middle of the week and we still waited 45 minutes. The place is absolutely packed, but the food is good and they are known for their thrown rolls. Yes, they throw hot, delicious, rolls at you. I would visit just to eat their rolls.

Our vacation was a lot of fun and we also had plenty of time to relax and enjoy quality time with our family.