What: Free admission to national parks: When: January 14th to the 16th; Where: all national parks (including Gulf Islands National Seashore); Cost: FREE
Several days a year, the National Park Service offers free entrance to all 397 national parks around the United States. We are so lucky to live near the Gulf Islands Seashore, one of only ten national seashores. Gulf Islands Seashore is not only home to beautful beaches but also to Ft. Picken’s where your family can explore the fort and all of its nooks and crannies. This weekend, entrance admission will be waived for January 14th, 15th, and 16th.
The Escambia Amateur Astronomers’ Association is offering free stargazing at the Gulfside Pavillion. Volunteers will set up approximately twenty telescopes ranging in strength and size. You just might get to see Jupiter, the Milky Way, or more! Video cameras will also be used with some of the telescopes to display images. The stargazing events will be held on September 2 & 3, September 30 & October 1, 2011.
Photo courtesy of davedehetre via Flickr.
While not an inherently kid friendly festival because there is a lot of partying going on, we took the kids two years ago to watch the bathtub races and they loved it. The Jamaican Fest is sponsored by Bamboo Willie’s on the beach. There is live music, a sidewalk sale and a Kid’s Zone (according to the listing on Visit Pensacola). The “Anything That Floats” race is absolutely hilarious! We saw floating bathtubs and other bizarre floating contraptions. The festival is held September 2, 3, and 4th. According to the Bamboo Willie’s calendar, the bathtub races begin September 4 at 2:00pm.
Even though school has started and summer activities are officially over, don’t forget that the 2011 Bands on the Beach season is still happening! After a long Tuesday of work and school, Bands on the Beach might be a good way to unwind. Grab a lawn chair, your beach towels and a picnic dinner and spend an evening together as a family. The concerts are every Tuesday from 7-9pm and the schedule is as follows:
August 30 Wildwood
September 6 Dr. Breeze
September 13 Big Muddy
September 20 The 133th Hourglass
September 27 Petty Cash
October 4 Crosstown
October 18 The Sawmill Band
October 25 Modern Eldorados
What: Pool party; Where: Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Hotel; When: August 28 3pm to 7pm; Cost: FREE
The Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Hotel is having an Endless Summer Pool Party on August 28, 2011 from 3pm to 7pm. Entrance is free and you don’t have to be a hotel guest to go! There will be a hula hoop contest, volleyball tournament, and pool games. Hotel guests will be given first use of beach chairs so bring your own chair with you.
For more information visit the Toes in the Sand blog!
It is time for the annual Pensacola Beach airshow. I have something to admit…we have only gone to the actual beach airshow once. We camped at Ft. Pickens, I was 8 months pregnant, and miserably hot. I love air shows and it was great but I will never camp in Florida in July again! Since then, I have brought the kids to the dress rehearsal the day before and it is a perfect fit for my family.
Thursday, July 7th at 2pm - Practice Session
Friday, July 8th at 2pm – Airshow Dress Rehearsal
Saturday, July 9th at 12noon – Airshow (Blues fly at 2pm)
According to WEARTV, this is the posted schedule:
2011 Pensacola Blue Angel Beach Airshow Schedule with water break
- Show begins at 12noon
- Clear Water 12:40
- Julian MacQueen flying his Grumman Wedgeon G-44 (:05) 12:55
- A Boeing Stearman piloted by Roy Kinsey. (:05) 1:00
- Team RV performing aerial acrobatics (:15) 1:05
- Prometheus with Skip Stewart at the controls (:10) 1:20
- Gary Ward piloting a MX2. (:10) 1:30
- Water Break (:20) 1:40
- The Blue Angels C-130 Hercules nicknamed “Fat Albert 2:00
- BLUE ANGELS 2:10
Things to Know Before You Go:
- You need to head out early to get your spot on the beach. By all accounts, plan on being out there all day long because of traffic.
- Bring lots of water to stay hydrated.
- Pay attention to the beach flag system and lifeguard warnings.
For more tips about watching the air show:
10 Tips for watching the Blue Angels at the Pensacola Bay Area Official Blog
What: New Year’s celebration; When: New Year’s Eve; Where: Pensacola Beach; Cost: FREE
Courtesy of Clearly Ambiguous on Flickr
If you think your kids can stay up late enough, there will be a fireworks show on Pensacola Beach at the end of the Gulf Pier. The start time for the event is 11pm according to the Pensacola Beach Chamber website.
Yesterday I asked where kids love to run in and out of these!
The correct answer was Ft. Picken’s!
Haven’t been to Ft. Picken’s yet? Read about our adventures!
**See our newest birthday party list updated on January 26, 2011!**
We are celebrating Big S’s birthday in the house this week so in honor of his birthday, I have listed some places where you can have a birthday party around town. This is in no way a comprehensive list and it is in alphabetical order. I gathered the list from places we have been and various message boards. We have had birthday parties at a few of the places and have attended parties at a few of the places. That being said, there are some on this list that I love, some that were ok, some I haven’t been to and some I might never step in again. I am not going to give an opinion because that is what it is…merely a list of places you might want to look into if you are throwing a birthday for your child! If you have something to add to this list, please comment or send me an email and I will add your suggestion to the list.
Bounce House – Triple Play
Bowling Alley – Oops Alley, DeLuna Lanes, Cordova Lanes
Chik-Fil-A
Chuck E. Cheese
DreamLand
Fast Eddies
Flip Factory
Gulf Breeze Fun Plex
Gymboree
Movie Theater – Rave Motion Pictures, The Ridge Pace, The Breeze, Silver Screen
Park – Escambia County Parks and Recreation and Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation
Petland
Purple Julia
Sam’s Fun City
UWF pool
West Florida Railroad Museum
If you moved to Pensacola post Hurricane Ivan, you may not have made it out to Ft. Pickens yet. After Hurricane Ivan swept through the area, this section of the Gulf Islands National Seashore had to be closed for several years. It was eventually reopened to foot, bike, and boat traffic, but recently it was opened up to car traffic as well. Ft. Pickens is the largest of four forts that were built to help defend the Pensacola Bay. The fort was finished in 1834 and was used until the 1940s ( this was a little fact I did not know!). The fort is a great place to take the kids because there are so many nooks and crannies to explore. There are stairs to climb and cannons to check out (no climbing on the cannons though!). There is a visitor center and a small shop. Fort Pickens area is open from 7am to 1opm but the fort itself can only be explored from sunup to sundown. Guided tours of the fort are given at 2pm daily.
The Fort Pickens campground is open but only for primitive camping at this time. There are several parking lots around the beach so that you can go for a swim and cool off after hiking around the fort. As far as I know, Langdon Beach (the beach parking closest to the fort) is the only beach with lifeguards on duty from 9:30am to 6pm (times according to the website-please check website before you go). There are also several fishing spots available on Ft. Pickens.
The entrance fee is $8.00 but for only $25, you can purchase an annual pass to the Gulf Islands National Seashore. This pass pays for itself in just 3-4 trips. Check out the schedule of events as well. There are candlelight tours, full moon walks and campfire programs.
Hints before you go:
- Make sure you bring closed toe shoes for your kids to wear. You will be walking through dirt and grass as well as over things that can stub little toes sticking out of flip flops.
- Bring a flashlight. There are some lighted corridors, but there are lots of other little spots that you won’t be able to explore without some light to lead the way!
- Bring a picnic lunch and don’t forget a garbage bag to pack all your trash in. There are spots all over Fort Pickens to have a picnic but trash cans are not found in many spots. We always pack a garbage bag so that we can take all of our trash home with us in an efficient manner (leaving the minivan covered with only sand!).
- Be sure to adhere to the 15mh speed limit posted. Not only is it for the safety of the nesting birds, but every time we have gone to Ft. Pickens someone has been pulled over!
