Our Three-Month Summer Vacation

In early spring 2023, we listed our home in Okeechobee, FL for sale and eight days later received a full-price offer. We were not even close to finding our forever home, so once we knew we had a solid contract we put everything in storage and booked an Airbnb in Pace for three months.

Pace is located in Florida’s western Panhandle, a few miles north of Pensacola Beach, with its beautiful, sugar-white sand stretching for miles along the impossibly turquoise Gulf of Mexico.

“Casa Pace” was perfect:  affordable and pet friendly with two bedrooms,  1 ½ baths, comfortable furniture, and a large eat-in kitchen overlooking a beautiful lanai and fully fenced garden.

Dean and Kathy spend their winter months in Florida, so the house is not available year-round. But if the dates work, it’s a perfect place to stay while visiting the area:

DK’s Place – Houses for Rent in Pace, Florida, United States – Airbnb

Multiple species of birds visit the backyard feeders, and I knew I would enjoy watching them come and go. By the time we checked out of Casa Pace in early August, I had managed to capture over 40 species of birds, butterflies, and dragonflies!

You can view them here:

Our main objective for the three months was to find our forever home. We spent hours going through listings online, checking every available resource from crime statistics to water quality, and driving through towns.

But there is only so much house-hunting one can do on any given day, so we also took in the many things to see and do in the Pensacola area. Within the first few days, we learned that the Blue Angels demonstration team is home-based at NAS Pensacola, and they practice in the sky above the bay most Tuesdays and Wednesdays during their season.

We headed to Fort Pickens on our very first Tuesday to watch them fly overhead, sometimes so close we could feel the rumble in our chests as they roared by.

We also watched them from tour boats,

The National Park Service City Ferry,

We watched them from the Target parking lot located near the base,

And one day from the popular flight line viewing area behind the National Naval Aviation Museum.

You can view all our Blue Angels photos here:

We also learned that 15 lucky folks are allowed up into the lighthouse during practice:  an opportunity to see (and feel) the Blue Angels fly by at eye level. It sells out quickly but there is a waitlist and in mid-June, we got the call:  there was a cancellation for Sept 12, and we had our tickets! Fingers crossed the weather will be good that day!

One Sunday morning we drove to the base and climbed the 177 steps to the top of the lighthouse.

And also visited the Naval Aviation Museum, where you could easily spend a full day exploring.

My brother was a US Navy pilot who was tragically killed in 1986 while serving on the USS Enterprise. Seeing so many reminders of Steve made it a bit overwhelming for me.

You can see our lighthouse and museum photos here:

We visited the Gulf Islands National Seashore, with its miles of undeveloped land, nature trails, and historic old Fort Pickens.

We went on dolphin-watching tours in Pensacola Bay,

And in Orange Beach, Alabama.

We went on sunset cruises,

And caught post-game fireworks shows at the Blue Wahoo’s stadium.

We visited both the Pensacola and Navarre Fishing Piers.

One morning while on Navarre Pier I witnessed the dramatic rescue of a loggerhead sea turtle. Apparently, anglers hook turtles fairly often, especially during nesting season when tired moms are looking for an easy breakfast.

The rescue folks were there within minutes and safely lifted her from the water 30 feet below. You can see my rescue photos here:

And I snorkeled for hours in the emerald waters of the Gulf.

At the end of May, we found our forever home. It sits just outside of Monroeville, Alabama, the hometown of Harper Lee, Truman Capote, and the famous educator Marva Collins, plus several other Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. In fact, in 1997 the Alabama Legislature designated it the “Literary Capital of Alabama.” 

It is a charming town with a strong tourism industry built around the novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

Casa-Bama checked all the boxes. A tiny 2/2 on a half-acre lot, perfect for buttoning up during the long road trips we planned to take once we were settled but comfortable and cozy to enjoy when home.

With that weight off our shoulders, we quickly organized what we needed to do to close on the property and then got back to enjoying our “summer vacation.”

Around the same time that we found our forever home, we stumbled upon an iconic Pensacola landmark:  The Graffiti Bridge. As far back as 1935, artists, graffiti enthusiasts, and local kids have been decorating the 17^th Avenue CSX Railroad Bridge.

The artwork changes daily, making it unique every time you visit. Between the time we learned of it and taking our first photos (less than a week), a beautiful homage to Tina Turner’s passing on May 24 had already come & gone.

You can view our Graffiti Bridge photos here:

The Spanish Navy training tall ship, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, is one of the oldest tall ships sailing today. It was built in 1927 and named after a Spanish explorer who completed Ferdinand Magellan’s first-ever circumnavigation of the earth from 1519 to 1522.

It was docked at the Port of Pensacola from May 29 – June 3, and we managed three visits during the week.

We checked out the Palafox Market, an award-winning farmers market now in its twelfth straight year.

While poking around, we picked up some plant-able greeting cards embedded with wildflower seeds and a birdhouse for Casa-Bama!

And although we are not “foodies,” we did manage to visit a few of the many wonderful restaurants in the area.  We officially took possession of Casa-Bama in mid-June and celebrated this new chapter of our lives with a fun (and delicious) lunch at the world-famous Flora-Bama Ole River Grill.

This restaurant/bar complex sits on the Florida-Alabama state line and is known for its Bushwacker, a frozen chocolatey beverage you must sip slowly to avoid a wicked brain freeze!

There were several things we wanted to do while the house was empty, so for the next six weeks we divided our time between Pace and Casa-Bama.

When we first arrived in Pace, I made a list of all things I wanted to see and do while in the area. By the beginning of July, I had crossed off most: Snorkel in the emerald waters of the Gulf: check! Watch the Blue Angels practice: check! Dolphin-watching: check!

But there were still a few things I wanted to do …

Despite its name — “Blackwater” — the Blackwater River is normally a transparent golden-brown.

Most of it flows through the undeveloped lands of the Blackwater State Forest and Blackwater River State Park, areas of the largest longleaf pine – wiregrass ecosystem in the world, described as being rarer than a tropical rainforest.

Water seeping from this forest is as pure as it comes, merely tinted with tannins from leaves and roots of shoreline vegetation. I longed to paddle through this pristine environment, home to almost 200 distinct species of birds including bald eagles and (swoon) barred owls.

I booked a short kayak trip with Blackwater Canoe Rental, 4 miles on the water requiring 1 ½ hours of leisurely paddling. They took us upstream to the launch point and helped me get in the water.

Then I was on my own:  once on the stream, the kayak was mine for the rest of the day. I took my time enjoying the quiet forest and the snow-white sand bars.

Every so often I passed groups enjoying the beaches but for long periods I had the river completely to myself. After spending so many hours on the seashore I felt like I had been transported to another planet!

You can see the photos from my kayak adventure here:

I also hoped to photograph the Milky Way over the ocean but shooting the Milky Way during Florida’s summer months is always a challenge. Between the daily thunderstorms and general heat & humidity, clear dark skies are hard to come by.

But the stars aligned on July 17, a clear moonless night. I ventured out to Navarre Pier at 11 pm and was shocked by the number of people with bright flashlights walking along the water’s edge. How was I ever going to capture the Milky Way with all that light pollution? I moved close to the pier and after a few test shots decided to wait until someone shone their light on the pier to start my 10-second exposure.

The finished product was not my best Milky Way ever, but I was happy with my first attempt on the beach at night.

The end of July came all too soon.  It was time to check out of Pace and officially move into our new home. Over the three months, I had fallen in love with the white-sand beaches, the emerald water, and the Blue Angels. 

I will miss all there is to see and do.  But we have the best of both worlds: Casa-Bama is only 90 minutes away, which is close enough to enjoy on day trips.

And enjoy it we will!  The immersive “Beyond Van Gogh” exhibit will be in Pensacola from August 8 – September 9, and I’ve already purchased our tickets!

We will watch the Blue Angels practice from the lighthouse on Sept 12.

And the 10^th annual Foo Foo Festival is scheduled to take place November 2-13, a twelve-day celebration of art and creativity that we can’t wait to photograph!

So, thanks for a wonderful three-month summer vacation!  We’ll see you again soon!

To view all of our photos from our stay in Pace, follow the links below to our Flickr albums.

TG:

jet: