A Summer on the Emerald Coast

Our family loves to travel together. This past summer my husband was on orders at Pensacola Naval Air Station for seven weeks and we went with him. Yes, our quarters were tight-- but we made so many memories during our simple, carefree beach adventure. Here are some highlights of our time on the Emerald Coast:

Our home for most of the summer was at the Navy Inn and Suites on base. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite that included a small kitchen, living room, bath, and a washer/dryer. Rob and I slept in the main bedroom while the kiddos slept on a pull-out couch and a cot we purchased upon arrival. It was small-- but it was paid for! And, for the most part no one complained about the close quarters. I actually enjoyed having such a small space to manage. Not to mention this was our dinner view most nights:

Yep. Not too shabby. Shortly after we arrived on base we discovered Barrancas Bay Beach. It has several covered pavilions with picnic tables and grills. We quickly decided that we would try to eat as many dinners there as possible. And, we did!

 It was the perfect "dining room." During our evenings at the bay beach, we also enjoyed countless sunsets--each one beautifully unique.

Usually while one of us was making dinner, the other was watching the kiddos swim and explore.  

Speaking of food--one of our favorite places to get fish to grill was at Joe Patti's Seafood Market.

We made many trips to Joe Patti's! It's a huge seafood market that my in-laws, who live in Boca Raton, called the best market they've seen in the state! We did our best to try as many new fish as possible due to their large selection and reasonable prices. Just purchasing the fish is a fun experience.

If you're ever in the Pensacola area we highly recommend stopping by Joe Patti's.  Here's our youngest trying out an oyster:

Our daily routine was very simple and usually included a trip to the beach. It was the perfect ground hog day!  Our favorite beach to visit was at Perdido Key state park, which was about a 10-15 minute drive from the back gate of the base. There was hardly ever a crowd and the beach had a very pristine feel.  We loved it!  We even had some family pictures taken there...

Rachel Yunker Photography

Rachel Yunker Photography

Rachel Yunker Photography

It was just beautiful!  Here are more snapshots from Perdido Key State Park beach.  This was on a Saturday and about as crowded as it got for us!

Our little lady loves finding sea creatures!

Perdido beach also has nice covered picnic areas that we used for many lunches!

I could get used to this life! Another fun stop near Perdido Key State Park was this cute snow cone shop.  The kiddos couldn't get enough of this place!

We also enjoyed time at Pensacola Beach.  Although it was more crowded and had a different overall feel, it's still gorgeous!!

One of my favorite memories from the summer was on Pensacola Beach. While my parents were in town we enjoyed watching the Blue Angels practice on the beach before their big air show. We brought coffee and donuts and enjoyed a show like none other! It was spectacular!

Another perk of Pensacola Beach is that there are restaurants right on the water!

Speaking of the Blue Angels, we were blessed to see them perform several times as Pensacola NAS is their home base.  Oh, how I've missed that sweet sound of freedom!

We also enjoyed the phenomenal National Naval Aviation museum on base.

We were delighted that my parents, in-laws, and Aunt's family were in town for some of our time Pensacola!

And, it was a joy to see my husband in uniform again! The kiddos were so proud of him.

There's so much more share, but these are some of the highlights of our summer in Florida.  All in all, we found great joy in having few things and lots of time to spend together! Ahhh, the simple life!

Rachel Yunker Photography

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