Rail Museum

It was forecast as a possibly rainy day. It was overcast but barely rained at all.  Puttering camp chores in the morning, then we found the west Florida Railroad Museum in Milton.  It is t very large but we enjoyed it.  It’s the old Milton Station refurbished to the 1930 s setting. They have good displays in the warehouse and several rail cars. 

After that we found a very short trail a couple miles away.  The Old River Trail is only a half mile long but we went out and back. Skye was happy to get out walking but being beside the water and not allowed to swim was torture, so she said.  It was too late in the day to have her soaking wet.  She didn’t have time to dry off before she’d insist on getting on the bed.  

Off to Tallahassee tomorrow for two nights at an HH automobile museum 

I was out in college when this museum exhibit calendar notebook was made.  Geez.

Train dispatch system

Much later than 1930s

Dining car

Available to book for parties

Inside the caboose

The seats in the caboose lookout

This caboose has bay windows on the side instead of on top for watching the train for problems 

The beach

With a forecast of rain in the coming days this was the day for the beach.  We looked up all sorts of info online and the 3 of us headed to Santa Rosa Island.  That’s a barrier island  beyond Garçon Point.  It certainly has miles and miles of beautiful white sand beaches!  Over 50 miles of sand.  We discovered that they like to brag, and sometimes without cause.  All that beach and they have 100 yards of beach for dogs on leash.  And they brag about being pet friendly.  We like to walk the beaches, for a mile or more.  

The surf was heavy with the effects of the incoming rain.  The beach was washed in a way I have not seen before.  It cut a rough edge in the sand.  Att he point where the tide washed up there was a 1-2 foot drop from the dry sand to the surf washed sand.

We hung out with Skye for a short while.  She was not interested in jumping off the sand into the surf.  She’s not really used to surf anyway.  She kind of looks at us as if to say “hey there’s something wrong with the water”.

Back in the truck and we drive on out to the National Seashore and on to Fort Pickens.  The fort was originally built in 1834 and then updated several times.  It was a Union fort in the Civil War.  That’s pretty deep in the outhouse to remain in union hands.  The Confederates tried to take it but gave up and went on to higher priorities.  It was upgraded in the late 1800s and again for WWI and again for WWII.

Where we stopped for lunch we hit the beach again.  The found a piece of the Florida National Scenic Trail and hiked a part of that.  Out there we met a young woman who was an half mile from finishing the trail!  Her husband would pick her up tomorrow.  She started the trail on Jan 3, the day we left home.  

We also watched some birds, saw several Osprey and Carlene saw an eagle   one osprey came over us with a fish in his talons.  He landed in a tree where his mate was on a nest.

We didn’t get home until after 5.  Had a fine day exploring.  Tomorrow we’ll see just how much rain really comes here.  There is a Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola that we may check out.

To Joe, excellent choice to leave New England before the storm!

We went to that narrow strip of island at the bottom of the map

Ft Pickens is on the west end of that island

A lousy 100 yards of beach

Osprey in a tree, nest below

On the Florida Trail

On a bridge on the trail we saw this snapping turtle

This sighting was pointed out by a guy on a recumbent tricycle; he said he has lived all over the country.  Originally from upstate NY.  He’s been visiting his brother in Pensacola for 1.5 years.  

He called it kind of a long visit.

And another turtle

Ft Pickens

The placement of the big guns in this pit is described in the next photo