Pensacola Beach throws one of the most spectacular 4th of July Celebrations in the country with fireworks exploding dramatically over the Gulf of Mexico. Pensacola Beach hurls thousands of awesome fireworks into the night sky, beginning right after dusk. The sight of the explosions reflected off the water is worth the trip alone. While generally cooler than most of peninsular Florida, Pensacola Beach maintains a more stable temperature year round than inland areas of Pensacola and Escambia County. As such, winter lows are several degrees warmer than Pensacola proper and summer highs are generally cooler as a result of the surrounding waters. As with many islands, Pensacola Beach enjoys sea breezes which begin around noon and end around sunset in the summer.
The Quieter Beach Boardwalk is on the Santa Rosa Sound side of the island, directly across from Casino Beach. Retail shops, restaurants, nightclubs, street musicians and sidewalk artists line it. The Boardwalk has a large sea shell stage where concerts are held several times a year. Most events are held here, including The Lobster Fest, DeLuna Fest, Bushwacker Fest, and the Independence Day fireworks. Behind the beach there is a boat dock where anyone can park their boats free of charge. Fort Pickens was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, so take the self-guided tour and peel back the layers of history. You'll see the plaster-lined rooms that were intended as officers' quarters, and later used to house Apache prisoners. The most famous resident, Geronimo, lived in identical rooms along the south wall, which have since collapsed. Fort Pickens now houses an auditorium, a museum, and a visitors center offering information about the area.
The Fort itself is only part of the National Seashore's attractions: the boundary stretches back seven miles (11 km). (Fodor's rates Ft. Pickens' beaches the best in Florida.) So whether you take the bike trail or the highway, you'll find campgrounds, nature trails, and miles and miles of protected beaches perfect for sand dollar and sea shell hunting, and for picking through flotsam washed ashore from the high seas and exotic foreign ports. The road out to the fort was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, and was closed until it re-opened on 22 May 2009 . There is still much work to be accomplished within Fort Pickens Area and full visitor services will not be available. Initially, utilities (electric, water and dump stations) will not be available in the Fort Pickens Campground. This is scheduled to be repaired in the fall of 2009. Reservations will not start up until 2010.
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