Pensacola: History, heritage, nature and exploration

For an itinerary that balances history and heritage with nature and exploration, a quick trip to Pensacola meets every need. With over 450 years of history, historic neighborhoods like North Hill and Old Pensacola are dotted with architectural anomalies preserving a bygone way of life.

A recent admittance into the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, the city’s historical Fort Pickens was a Civil War-era refuge for freed Black people and was defended by members of the 25th U.S. Colored Troops in 1864. The cabin belonging to free Black business woman Julee Panton, who sold candles and pastries using the income to free other Black people from bondage, is preserved as another testament to freedom in the city.

To escape the trappings of brick and mortar, visitors can check out the beginning of the highly beloved Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, or check out sea life at night in glass bottomed kayaks where jellyfish, stingrays, and fish abound. A part of the Atlantic Flyway, the trail sees thousands of species that rotate throughout the year on their way from the Arctic to the Caribbean, making for prized sites like the manatees and dolphins sometimes spotted on kayaking expeditions.

This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 3:00 AM.