Kibitka Escape: Pensacola and Fort Pickens, Part 1

26 Feb 2013

Joe Patti’s in Pensacola came highly recommended, so promptly after getting our fridge door examined we stopped at this popular fish market before heading for our campground at Fort Pickens. At Joe Patti’s we bought our dinner to microwave in the camper, some fresh grouper from the Gulf of Mexico.

We arrived at the entrance gate to the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island a bit before 5 p.m. Hanging on the gate was an ominous sign saying “Road Closed.” We had learned during our planning of the trip that this road could be closed due to flooding. And in the window of the entrance station was another sign “Closed.” Great Husband presumed we were out of luck, and would not be able to proceed to the campground. My immediate reaction, however, being Pollyanna, was that the signs were not to be taken seriously and it would all work out somehow. Sure enough, there was a National Park Service employee in the “closed” entrance station who confirmed our camping reservation and opened the gate so we could use the road. As we drove all alone down the “closed” road, skirting some rainwater that had nowhere to drain, we enjoyed an incredible pastel sunset and white quartz sand drifting and blowing across the road, looking exactly like snow back home.