Seniors Descend On Pensacola

Many seniors have chosen Florida for retirement. Some love the Atlantic Coast, others prefer the Gulf side.  Some love living near the “Glades” in the south, while others feel that the extreme humidity year round in the south makes living a little uncomfortable. The panhandle seems to better fit their needs.  Senior citizens can enjoy the water, the sun and life in and around Pensacola.The city is small, yet large enough to provide lots of amenities.

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle with a population of just over 50,000. In the entire metropolitan area residents number over 450,000. What I remember about the name Pensacola is that there is a large US Naval Air Station there plus it’s home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. You will want to take in the Historic Pensacola Village. The Village consists of twenty properties in the Pensacola National Register Historic District.

Seniors looking for some great Florida beaches but aren’t necessarily interested in a mega-resort or theme park atmosphere, Pensacola might just be the place for your perfect weekend. Home to Gulf Islands National Seashore, the city offers some of the best fishing and boating in the area.

TripAdvisor notes 50 star attractions not to be missed by any senior visitor and the Naval Aviation Museum ranks #1. Downtown Pensacola is overflowing with southern hospitality and super dining establishments.

Famous Pensacola Beach Draws Seniors

Pensacola Beach, world famous for its sugar-white sand beaches and emerald-green waters, has an old Florida feel with its local hang-outs, first-rate fishing and historic Fort Pickens. In fact, Pensacola Beach was recently selected as one of TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Beaches in the U.S. The Pensacola Beach Pier is one of the longest in the Gulf of Mexico at 1,471 feet.

Just down the street from Fort Barrancas is the famous Pensacola Lighthouse. This 160 ft, 1859 lighthouse is rumored to be haunted. So be on the lookout for ghosts of lighthouse keepers past as you climb the 177 steps and poke around the adjacent museum. Good exercise seniors.

In 2006, a 910 ft-long aircraft carrier was intentionally sunk off the coast of Pensacola to make the world’s largest artificial reef. Now dubbed ‘The Great Carrier Reef, ‘ the USS Oriskany sits in the sand 210 ft below the surface, with its flight deck at 137 ft.

The original inhabitants of the Pensacola Bay area were Native Americans. At the time of European contact, a Muskogean-speaking tribe known to the Spanish as the Pensacola lived in the region.  The area’s recorded history begins in the 16th century as is the case for much of Florida. Over the course of its history, Pensacola has been ruled by the British, the Spanish, the French, the Confederacy, and the United States; hence, its nickname of “The City of Five Flags.”

So seniors, when you travel to Florida, start out in the Panhandle and take in Pensacola.  jeb