Pensacola

FRI June 18

Last night I learned that the RV campground is REAL close to the flight-line and the helicopter area but the REALLY LOUD noises come from the engine test cells; the sound of freedom can get REALLY LOUD

Also the RV campground beach is closed but open about a quarter mile in either direction.

The last time I was here was about 30 years ago with Dianna and Mickey for Gerry’s wedding, don’t remember a thing.

They have a great Naval Aviation museum here and I really enjoyed it. Lots of refurbished old planes and explanatory movies and posters, very Navy aviation educational. In addition they advertise that they have the old NAS Cubi Point Officer’s Club plaque bar that is incorporated into their café. I had been to the original bar in the Philippines many times and can’t attest that this is the original because there was a lot more light in the museum than there was in the Philippines Cubi bar.

There is also the early American Fort Barrancas that incorporated an earlier Spanish fort for the protection of Pensacola Bay and its Navy Yard. The earlier Spanish fort is called the Water Battery because the Spanish built it to skip cannon balls over the surface of the bay to hit ships at the waterline.

NAS Pensacola is the most squared away Naval Station I have seen in decades. They have really put a lot of work into keeping the buildings and grounds in great shape, wish I could have been stationed here.

I saw something at the O'Club that I havent's seen before, two parking places reserved for Veterans, cool.

I went to the beach today only to arrive shortly after a clap of thunder and that meant they chased everyone out of the water for 30-minutes and restarted the 30 clock with ever new clap; I went back and worked on my new trailer door window and drank a Coors.