With 52 miles of beaches and three cities - Pensacola,
Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key – the Pensacola
Bay Area brings adventure on and off land. From canoeing through the "Canoe
Capital of Florida" and fishing off the Gulf of Mexico's
longest pier to flying a simulated jet and screeching around the go-kart track,
the destination offers a vacation filled with discovery.
Canoeing and Kayaking
Known as the "Canoe Capital of Florida," Coldwater Creek and
Blackwater River
offer wonderful canoe and kayak excursions through pristine nature in nearby Milton. Shallow rivers
allow families to take small children and sandbars offer the perfect spot for a
picnic. Local resorts and hotels at Pensacola
Beach offer sea kayaking in the Gulf
of Mexico and Pensacola
Bay.
Scenic Cycling
Gulf
Islands National Seashore
offers miles of scenic biking trails. Perdido
Key Road offers a 5-mile round trip course, and on
Pensacola Beach
at Portofino,
an 8-mile course winds along the water amidst sand dunes. For mountain biking, the
University of West
Florida has a 4-mile trail, and for a simply fun ride, Tiki Island
on Pensacola Beach rents bicycles big enough to seat
eight.
Raise Your Sails
Lanier Sailing charters boats and offers classes for any
age. SAIL magazine wrote that the
area "offers countless opportunities to explore uninhabited
islands surrounded by transparent emerald water, teeming with wildlife — dolphins,
rays, blue crabs, pelicans, herons, hawks and eagles."
Coastal Excursions
Gulf Islands National Seashore offers a variety of
ranger-led tours year-round with daily tours at Fort Barrancas,
full moon walks and barrier island outings, as well as snorkeling adventures
during summer.
A Salute To Fun
The National Naval Aviation Museum is not
only one of the three largest aviation museums in the world, it is
kid-friendly. The museum offers more than 150 vintage aircraft (many are okay
to touch), flight simulators and special exhibits including a cockpit trainer
exhibit for kids to climb into. The Blue Angels practice air shows most
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from March through November — a thrilling experience
for the family.
The Advanced
Redoubt Saturday tour takes visitors to the only fort in the region
built specifically for land defense of the Navy yard. Visitors explore the
archways and tunnels of this pre-Civil War fortress and view rifle galleries,
parade grounds and the dry moat surrounding the fort. The Fort Barrancas
tour is offered daily featuring the military history of the 1839 fortress and
the Spanish Water Battery.
Camps
Resorts such as Portofino Island
Resort & Spa offer amenities for kids and parents alike. Hilton Pensacola
Beach Gulf Front also offers programs for kids in summer. The Portofino Family Adventure
Pass gives families
unlimited use of kayaks, mirage kayaks, sea cycles, boogie boards, surf boards
and snorkeling equipment. Portofino
Pirate"s Club offers kids 5-12 an exciting
schedule of active and creative activities and games. Kidz Night Out gives parents a break and children a night of fun
with 3D Rollercoaster Adventure Night, moonlight turtle hunts and ghost crab
excursions.
History
Walk through time at Historic Pensacola
Village. The T.T.
Wentworth, Jr. Florida
State Museum
holds major pieces of history including the anchor believed to have belonged to
Don Tristan de Luna. The Discovery Gallery invites kids to put on costumes and
get involved in some hands-on, historic fun.
For Your Amusement
Sam's Fun and Surf City is Pensacola’s
only amusement and water park. Featuring more than 20 rides and
attractions, Sam's is blast for kids of every age.
Year 2008
For More Media Information:
Laura Lee/Ashley Chisholm
800.874.1234/850.438.4015
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