Spring into Pensacola

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The Blue Angels perform aerial stunts over Pensacola from March to November.

Photo Credit: Lynne R. Christen

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A view of the welcoming beaches of Pensacola Beach

Photo Credit: Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

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Learn about the Blue Angels at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

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Lounge at Pensacola Beach.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

Take a much-needed break in one of Florida’s prettiest and most family-friendly beach destinations.

When the daily grind of work and school starts to wear you down, it’s time to ditch it. The perfect place for you and the family to escape? The Pensacola Bay area. Check your calendars, pack your bags and head to the beach for Spring Break. 

Sunlight sparkles like diamonds on Gulf of Mexico waters brushing Gulf Islands National Seashore, the nation’s largest tract of protected coastline. Picture beaches with sand so soft and white, it warms the toes and the soul. Days and nights are filled with old-fashioned family fun, and there’s always something to celebrate.

Choosing Where to Stay

With more than 8,700 lodging units and well-run campgrounds in the Pensacola Bay area, it’s easy to find family-friendly accommodations for all budgets and interests. Get a jumpstart on savings with spring specials at visitpensacola.com. Sleep under the stars at campgrounds on Gulf Islands National Seashore or Big Lagoon State Park, Gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail. Stay in style at a condominium or vacation home with room for the whole clan on laidback Perdido Key. Opt for familiar brands, such as Hilton Pensacola Beach, Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn, packed with family perks on Pensacola Beach.

Spring into Fun

Soaking up sunshine and playing in the surf make the top of any multi-generation family to-do list. Avid anglers hook dinner right from the sea on the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier, the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico. Teens get their fill of fun at Portofino’s Adventure Beach, Sam’s Fun and Surf City and Fast Eddie’s. Save a day for the amazing (and free) National Naval Aviation Museum and get wowed watching a Blue Angel precision-flying team practice session (March-November).

Picture beaches with sand so soft and white, it warms the toes and the soul. Days and nights are filled with old-fashioned family fun, and there’s always something to celebrate.

History comes to life at Pensacola Historic Village and T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. On the spirited side, have lunch at a “haunted” restaurant in Seville Square.

For a night of alcohol-free and smoke-free family fun, it’s Chumuckla’s Family Opry. For grown-up fun, mellow out at trendy clubs around Seville Quarter or boogie to beach music on Pensacola Beach. Tradition on your last night in town: A moonlight beach walk.

Worth the Trip

The 2010 spring calendar is filled with family-friendly events. Runners will want to get in shape for McGuire’s 5K Prediction Run on March 13. It’s one of the nation’s largest prediction runs (a prediction run is where runners guess their finish times before the race and win prizes for being the most accurate). And it’s a good reason to join the party at McGuire’s Irish Pub. Gallery Night (March 19) is an enchanted evening of arts and culture at downtown shops, eateries and galleries. Pensacola Wine Festival and Pensacola JazzFest both on April 10-11 bring a full weekend of wine and music. And, on April 24, Goombay Gulf Coast moves to a Caribbean beat with reggae, calypso, steel drum bands and more. Looks like you’ll need more than one Spring Break in Pensacola!

This article is sponsored by the Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more information about the Pensacola Bay Area, go to www.visitpensacola.com.