Petersons in Pensacola!

March 16-29, 2021

Our final stop in Florida brought us to Pensacola.  Dick's only sibling, Doug, and his wife, Rowena, live there.  Spending time with family was amazing!  Doug and Rowena completely spoiled us during our stay in Pensacola.

We were treated to grilled delights such as fresh salmon steaks, Doug’s infamous BBQ ribs, shrimp stir fry, Rowena’s English Shepherd’s Pie and many other tasty delights!  Fortunately, they live in a neighborhood with many wonderful walks to help balance the scales!  Dining and walking became a familiar routine!  Doug also introduced us to “Salty Dogs” which is a delightfully refreshing beverage on a hot day.  I know spring just sprung, but in Florida spring days can feel like summer days to Midwesterners! 

 

Frankie was in doggy heaven with a full house and YARD to run and play in when we were at their house.  I’m certain their cat, Sadie, was not as appreciative of having a dog in the house, however!  Sorry, Sadie, for the intrusion!

During our stay in Pensacola, our focus was really to spend some quality time with Doug and Rowena.  With a nine-year gap in Dick and Doug’s ages, these two brothers have not had much opportunity to spend extended time together.  It was so great to be able to witness their relationship grow and bond.  

With Doug and Rowena having spent most of their lives near the ocean (around the world, I might add, as Doug served in the Navy for 29 years and was stationed at about every port you can think of!) we took advantage of the opportunity and had them show us how to eat “Mud Bugs” (a.k.a. crawfish) and oysters in the half shell.  I’ve always been a bit intimidated to order them, not sure how in the world to eat such things!  

BBQ ribs, fresh off the grill!

Sweetie Sadie (19 years old!)

Joe Patti Fish Market is quite the experience.  We made a trip there to select seafood delicacies for several of our meals, including the salmon steaks, ruby shrimp and crawfish.  Yummy!  If you are in Pensacola, Joe Patti’s place is a must do!  You won’t find fresher or a better selection of seafood anywhere else!

Making our selections from Joe Patti's Market

Rowena's Ruby Shrimp Stir Fry

Doug grilled up Salmon Steaks to perfection!

Pensacola is the home of the Blue Angels.  While we did not have the opportunity to see the Blue Angels in action, we did see some of the helicopters from the Naval Air Station practice.  Dick and I took a trip to Gulf Islands National Seashore on Perdido Key and they flew many maneuvers right over the beach.   Even more impressive, though, were the white sands that fill the beaches!  Enjoying the sound of waves crashing on the shoreline while we reclined on the white sand beaches is hard to beat!  Just to give this a proper challenge was the stop at Hershey’s Ice Cream Parlor following the beach scene!  Verdict is still out on which was the better experience!

Pensacola Beach's White Sands

They waved back to me!

During our stay in Pensacola, we camped at the Escambia Equestrian Center, which was only a couple of miles from Doug and Rowena’s home.  How lucky is that?!  For most of the nights there were only a couple of other RVs there; however, the weekends filled up with campers there to participate in the horse shows.  We loved going over to the arena and seeing the competition in action.  Neither of us had ever been to a horse show before, so it was a great experience.  While the campground itself is nothing particularly special, it did offer full hook up for $20 a night at a location we couldn’t beat.  I’d definitely stay there again!

Escambia Equestrian Campground

There are several craft breweries in the area, two of which we took full advantage of!  I highly recommend stopping by Pensacola Bay Brewery as they not only have a wonderful selection of beer, but it is located in the historic area of Pensacola. Strolling the historic area and discovering this brewery was a ton of fun!  Another great brewery, located not too far away, is Emerald Republic Brewery.  They not only offer a great selection of beer, but have a fantastic beer garden for you to enjoy it in – complete with corn hole!  

Other fun discoveries while strolling around the historic area was Admiral Mason Park, which is a veterans memorial park.  Included in the park is a memorial wall very similar to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC.  During my Junior High/High School years I wore a POW/MIA bracelet for Sgt. Fred Schreckengost, a MIA solder from Vietnam.  Some years later, Fred’s body was discovered and returned, so thankfully his family has been able to have some closure.  It was nice to be able to locate his name on the memorial wall and remember Fred as well as all the other brave soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Please don’t take our freedoms for granted.  Another fun discovery was Seville Square, where we were treated to a string quartet that was practicing.  I imagine they were practicing outdoors for COVID precautions, which essentially treated us to a spontaneous concert!  

Surprise String Quartet Concert

Emerald Republic Beer Garden

Veterans Memorial Park

Gone but not forgotten

Speaking of COVID, we have been really wondering how in the world we will be able to get vaccinated.  Dick and I both received round 1 of the Pfizer vaccine in Tallahassee, but that still left the question for round 2.  We had decided a trip back to Tallahassee would not be convenient; however, we had recognized that it was certainly a possibility.  Fortunately, it seems the vaccine is becoming more easily available and Dick was able to schedule an appointment for his round two right here in Pensacola!  Another two weeks and his immune system should protect him from this deadly virus!  I have an appointment scheduled in another week for my 2^nd round, so I’m praying that works out as well.

Pfizer Round 2!

Last September, Pensacola saw the wrath of Hurricane Sally.  It was a category 3 hurricane and its presence is still evident.  Many homes' roofs are still covered with blue tarps, waiting their turn for the roofers to come to their address.  In addition, our trip to Big Lagoon State Park had many of the trails closed due to Sally.  Even though the evidence of Sally's destruction was present, the park was still amazing and we enjoyed the trails we did have access to!

Evidence of Hurricane Sally

Hershey's Ice Cream treats!

Big Lagoon State Park Beach

We did go out for a couple of dinners with Doug and Rowena.  Both restaurants were on Doug’s list of favorites and I have to agree they are winners!  We enjoyed a delicious seaside, outdoor dinner at Cobalt located in Orange Beach, Alabama on Perdido Key.  While Oysters may not be a new love in my life, I’m no longer intimidated as to how in the world one eats them.  Thank you, Doug!!  We also enjoyed a delicious dinner at Ichiban where we had a tasty Japanese dinner!

Dinner at Cobalt!

 

I didn't pass up the opportunity to pull out my sewing machine! I set to  work on a project I’ve been itching to get at.  Our granddaughter, Eva, will soon be celebrating her First Eucharist and Confirmation in May.  We plan to be in Salt Lake City to witness and help Eva celebrate, so it was time to get to sewing the bible cover for the bible we intend to give her.  A quiet campground and a few sunny mornings provided the perfect setting for getting the job done.

I love to sew!

Our dear friends Ken and Rhonda were kind enough to include us in on their Seder dinner – virtually!  It was so amazing to go through the Seder with them.  We owe a huge thank you to Ken and Rhonda for the opportunity to participate in such a special celebration!

Seder Plate!  

My attempt at Matzo Ball Soup!

Another holiday we celebrated in Pensacola was St. Patrick’s Day!  As fun of a day is it is, it is especially meaningful to me as it would have been my dad’s 93^rd birthday this year.  Many St. Patrick’s Days have been spent with trips to my parents house to gather with family and enjoy “green velvet cake”!  Yep, it is the same recipe as red velvet cake – substituting green food coloring for the red.  Although I can’t take credit for the idea, I do think it is a fantastic way to celebrate the holiday.  Corned beef and cabbage can’t be left out of the picture however!

Corned Beef and Cabbage Delight!

Our time in Pensacola flew by and as fortune would have it, we will be seeing Doug and Rowena again in May!  Doug and Rowena’s grandson will be graduating from high school in Colorado Springs which will bring us back together before we know it.  Leaving was hard, but knowing we will see each other soon softened the blow.  Thank you Doug and Rowena for all of your great hospitality!