A Day Out

This is a short header, but it was a long day for us. The big difference today was the blue sky. In fact we didn’t see a single cloud. And the temps were just above 60F. Certainly not a hot day, but nonetheless it was pleasant. Out goal was the city of  We went onto the I-10 to reach it and it was an 1 3/4hr. ride. There was a special area in town we wanted to see: The historical district downtown and right by the water. The history of Pensacola, Florida begins long before the official founding of the modern city in 1698. The area around present-day Pensacola was inhabited by Native American peoples thousands of years before the historical era. The historical era begins with the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century. In 1559 Tristan de Luna established a short-lived settlement at Pensacola Bay which became one of the first European-established settlements in what is now the continental United States; however, it was soon abandoned. In the late 17th century the Spanish returned to the area to found the modern Pensacola as an outpost from which to defend their claims to Spanish Florida. The city's strategic but isolated position led to it changing hands among different Western powers a number of times; at different times it was held by the Spanish, the French, the British, the United States, and the Confederate States of America. The present city of Pensacola was established by the Spanish in 1698 as a buffer against French settlement in Louisiana. Another important Spanish settlement had been established at Saint Marks in Wakulla county (San Marcos de Apalache) in 1733. The Spanish settlers established a unique Creole culture in the region and brought in the first African slaves to the area and introduced the Roman Catholic Church. The French captured the settlement in 1719 and remained in control for three years. They burned the settlement upon their retreat in 1722. Beautiful cast iron balconies, old cannons and a few old high rise business buildings The area was rebuilt, but ravaged by hurricanes in 1752 and 1761. The 2 Spanish period lasted from 1722 – 1763. After the French the British followed suit and ruled Pensacola until 1781. From 1763, the British went back to the mainland area of fort San Carlos de Barrancas, building the Royal Navy Redoubt, and Pensacola became the capital of the 14th British colony, West Florida. After Spain joined the American Revolution late, in 1779, the Spanish captured East Florida and West Florida, regaining Pensacola from (1781–1819).  In an 1819 Transcontinental Treaty (Adams-Onis), Spain renounced its claims to West Florida and ceded East Florida to the U.S. (US$5 million). In 1821, with Andrew Jackson as provisional governor, Pensacola finally became part of the United States. From Pensacola we went over to Gulf Breeze, another artificial Florida city. We followed Hwy 98 along and finally ended up back home at around 4pm. It sure was a great day and I really feel we deserved it after being here for 3 weeks, mostly in the rain and cold.