Pensacola, Florida

From the historical village we walked over to Plaza Ferdinand V11.  On this path we saw more of the Colonial Archeological Trail.  Trailside exhibits relate to features that were a part of the town and forts.  To recapitulate what I wrote in the last posting,  land here was first occupied by the Spanish in 1754, who built Fort San Miguel.  Sites of that fort's structures are marked on the trail, as well as the British government buildings which were built later.  Florida's colonial period ended when Andrew Jackson took over as governor of  Florida in 1821.  There is a site marked on the trail where the flag of Spain was lowered for the last time and the American flag raised.  A bust of Andrew Jackson is located in the plaza.

 

Colorful pelicans can be found on street corners and in front of stores all over Pensacola.  The one pictured above is in front of the Florida State Museum, which is on the archeological trail we had been following.  It is titled  "In Tribute to our First Nations".  It is in honor of the first people in Florida, Native Americans.

We next took a detour from the historical area and wandered down a street toward Pensacola Bay.  The port has been important part of Pensacola's economy.  Over the years million of tons of lumber, bricks, fish and other products have passed through these waters since the first recorded shipment in 1743.  That information I learned in the wonderful Museum of Industry located at the historical village.

Our next destination was the Sevillle Quarter where some of the buildings have French Creole architecture, which we have seen in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  That particular architecture we also saw in other areas of downtown Pensacola.  In the Seville Quarter we saw more historical homes from the mid 1800s.  Outside one of those homes I was drawn to a tall blooming tree with a sweet floral scent.  The leaves feel like velvet.  And I have so far failed to find out what it is!  The flowers are pictured below.

Walking through Fountain Park we chanced to come upon some wooden sculptures holding up sagging branches of a live oak.  They are quite weather-worn, loosing their paint and cracking- but still very charming.  Tomorrow, Thursday, we will continue our trek northward.