The forecast for our two days in town was iffy. Friday promised sun with a little wind while Saturday looked to be a washout. Perfect, we’ll ride to that restaurant on Friday when we arrive then get laundry done on Saturday while it rained.
We woke to bright sunshine Saturday morning and quickly pivoted to sightseeing while we had the chance. Laundry can be done later. We wanted to take advantage of the sunshine since we’d had so little of it on this trip.
We couldn’t move too fast because this day was also the annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day 5k. We had to wait until the roads were back open to venture into downtown. It sure looked like a fun time with festive green race shirts as far as the eye could see. We both remarked that it would have been fun to participate. Next time.
A gal named Monica posted pictures from her time in downtown Pensacola. We love walking around historic old towns. I excitedly took notes from her post, I was ready. I still wanted to do the walking tour even in the rain and was glad we didn’t have to.
It’s officially called America’s First Settlement Trail. It’s self-guided with a red paint line on the sidewalk to mark your path. You’ll also find QR codes on the sidewalk to get more information of each location.
We started our walk near the Old Christ Church on Adams Street. This beautiful church held it’s first service 1832 before moving to a new location in 1902. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The bright white paint was extra bright with the beautiful blue sky.
The Clara Barkley Dorr House is very close to Christ Church. Built in 1871, it housed Clara and her five children.
We found the Pfeiffer House as we followed the red line on the sidewalk. The color and name caught my eye. I texted the picture to my friend with the same surname. She started digging and found fascinating information about the family. The builder was a Bavarian immigrant with the same name as her dad who may have fled Bavaria due to social unrest in the 1840’s. The house was occupied by the original owners’ descendants until the 1990’s when it was donated to the Preservation Board. Her words, “A lot of Pfeiffers have lived in that home.” It’s currently being taken care of now by the Church of Christ.
Julee Cottage is another gem along the painted sidewalk trail. It was built in 1805. At first, it reminded me of a building you’d find in Boston. Its roots are closer to Creole and the French Quarter of New Orleans. One of the early owners was a free woman of color named Julee Panton.
We passed several trees with blue trunks on our walk. We were curious. Turns out it is an art exhibit designed to bring awareness to sustainability and deforestation.
Plaza Ferdinand VII, named for the Spanish King was a bustling place. It dates to 1813 and was given to Andrew Jackson in 1821. There was a farmers market/art fair during our visit with lots of race participants shopping and relaxing on the grass.
The Pensacola Museum of History is across the street and faces the plaza. This building was built in 1907 and served as the Pensacola City Hall.
The pink building on the corner across from the plaza intrigued us. It was originally the Germania Steam Fire Engine & Hose Company built in 1873. Now it’s the Quayside Art Gallery that showcases contemporary art and preservers the firehouse’s legacy.
We had a nice lunch at The Fish House, Mark eats there when he’s in town for work. We continued walking along the red line and found the Plaza de Luna with a statue of the Spanish Conquistador Don Tristan De Luna. We walked back toward Plaza Ferninand VII where more 5k participants were having a grand time at a pub facing the plaza. We continued along Palafox for a few blocks.
The clouds were getting thicker, the rain was coming. We headed back to the RV to tackle the laundry. As usual we didn’t plan enough time to do a deep dive into the area. As Mark says, we have to leave something for when we really retire. I’m okay with that because that means we’ll be going back!
Great pictures and article. Makes me want to go back to Pensacola and actually go into town to see all of the sights I missed on my other visits.