Rains came late yesterday afternoon and evening, but the sun came out today, and temperatures hit the low 70's. Our first stop this morning was at the equestrian center where they were holding The Gulf Coast Winter Classic Horse Show. Today several riders were in the outdoor areas practicing, and at the indoor arena we watched some horse jumping competitions, which we enjoyed.
From the center, we headed to Ft Barrancas, across the bay from Ft Pickens. The fort was built around 1781 on the bluffs overlooking Pensacola Bay. The Spanish word for bluffs is barrancas, thus the fort's name. Like Ft Pickens, it was used up until 1947 when the coastal forts were declared "surplus" and in 1971, the fort became part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Although Ft Barrancas is in better repair than Ft Pickens, it had an ominous feel about it.
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| View of the water battery from the overlook |
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| This tunnel leads from the fort to the water battery. I was not about to enter it! | |
From the fort, we went to the historic part of Pensacola. There is an enclosed "village" somewhat like Williamsburg where you can see what life was like during the early settlement days. After that, we stopped at St Michael's Cemetery which has graves from the late 18th century, and many are above ground. It was officially declared a cemetery in 1807 by the king of Spain.
From the center, we headed to Ft Barrancas, across the bay from Ft Pickens. The fort was built around 1781 on the bluffs overlooking Pensacola Bay. The Spanish word for bluffs is barrancas, thus the fort's name. Like Ft Pickens, it was used up until 1947 when the coastal forts were declared "surplus" and in 1971, the fort became part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Although Ft Barrancas is in better repair than Ft Pickens, it had an ominous feel about it.
From the fort, we went to the historic part of Pensacola. There is an enclosed "village" somewhat like Williamsburg where you can see what life was like during the early settlement days. After that, we stopped at St Michael's Cemetery which has graves from the late 18th century, and many are above ground. It was officially declared a cemetery in 1807 by the king of Spain.
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