On Thursday we moved to Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens park, in Pensacola Florida. It is the opposite end of a group of barrier islands that go from Mississippi to Florida and make up the National Seashore Park. We stayed in the Mississippi park a week or so ago. Like all of the parks along this stretch of the coast, the sand looks like snow. This park has an old civil war fort that was mostly open to the public and very interesting. It was actually held by the north but surrounded by troops from the south!

Doesn't that look like snow drifts?

Testing the water in Pensacola, may have to have a few toes amputated from frostbite :)

It is surrounded by water, so Denny and I decided to walk to the point and back down the other side. Turned out to be 10.5 miles of beach walking in very windy conditions. The sun came out though and we were able to shed our outer layer.






 
On our walks we came across these guys, an armadillo and a dead starfish.

The sun sets on Pensacola and our vacation as we start a week long trek toward home. But first, we will make stops to visit some of our favorite people, our relatives!

Bastuba kitchen with Becky, Jay, Jacky and Andy

Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola