The rest of the First Week of 2006

4 January 2006

Today we went back to Pensacola. I wanted Bob to see CSY Joshua - a Bottom Liner that was at the Pensacola Shipyard.

CSY Joshua

We finally found it and it was astonishing- almost completely different from others I've seen.

CSY Joshua

This was a boat that was set up to fish under sail, and instead of a big comfy cabin, the main part of the boat was originally taken up with a refrigerated holding tank for the fish. I took 84 pictures of it and Bob took 12. After we gave back the keys, we went to find someplace to eat, and ended up at Atlas Oyster, an expensive yuppie kind of place on the water.

Atlas Oyster and Fish House facade

(The Fish House and Atlas Oyster are owned by the same people and have virtually identical menus.)

Corner of Atlas Oyster

Eating outside at Atlas Oyster

They had sushi - not exactly down home cooking. They served things in big square plates. Bob had

Gumbo - Cup $4.00

And I think I had two sides and dessert.

Asparagus- each side was $3.25

This might be corn fritters (a side)

Hawkshaw Bread Pudding $4.50

Then we drove around historic Pensacola while I took pictures.

Masonic Temple

Escambia County Courthouse

Interesting building

State wide Street Paving

There is a Historic Walking Trail in Pensacola too which starts at

• 1 T.T. Wentworth Museum

T.T. Wentworth Museum

This is the "flagship museum" which is housed in the three-story Mediterranean Revival architecture of the former Pensacola City Hall and was built in 1907.

• 2 Pensacola Children's Museum

Children's Museum

• 3 Museum of Commerce - a brick turn of the century warehouse.

Museum of Commerce

Museum of Commerce

Inside is a reconstructed 1890 streetscape

• 4 Museum of Industry

Museum of Industry

• 5 Old Christ Church - completed in 1832, this is one of the oldest surviving church buildings in Florida.

Old Christ Church

Old Christ Church

It sits on Seville Square around which is Historic Pensacola Village.

Seville Square

• 6 Tivoli High House - reconstructed for the bicentennial in 1976,

Tivoli High House

the 1805 Tivoli House was a boarding and gaming house and a tavern

• 7 Lavalle House - the oldest standing example of French Creole colonial architecture in Pensacola,

LaValle House

the Lavalle house was built during Florida's second Spanish period.

• 8 Lear/Rocheblave House - built c 1889 with spacious rooms and jigsaw porches, this is a two story Folk Victorian home.

Lear/Rocheblave House

It was built for the Lears but they never lived there. It was owned for many years by Captain Benito Rocheblave.

• 9 Dorr House - built by Clara Barkley Dorr in 1871,

Dorr House

this is an example of Greek Revival that faces Seville Square

• 10 Manuel Barrios Cottage - the Pyramidal roof Gulf Coast cottage built around 1888 was once a common sight in Pensacola.

Manuel Barrios Cottage

The small houses had only two rooms which were often rented separately

• 11 Julee Cottage - Built around 1805, the cottage was named for one of the earliest owners, Julee Panton, a free woman of color.

The back of Julee Cottage

The cottage is an early example of platform frame construction reminiscent of the Creole cottages of the New Orleans French Quarter

Plaza Ferdinand VII

Quayside Art Gallery

Cute cottage next to the Commerce Museum

Historic marker for the original site of the First Baptist Church

House with a banner for the Florida Public Archeology Network

The Rex Theater

I also took photos of things and buildings that I thought were interesting.

A big fiberglass roller skate

The Mustang Man

Then we went aboard the base

NAS airplane

so I could take a picture of the Water Battery from the road

Water battery at Fort Barrancas

and drove home.

Driving back to Gulf Shores

We drove out Gulf Shores Parkway in search of something that had lights to show that was open at this time of year and after the hurricanes.

Jake's at night

There were several restaurants right together in this complex including Doc's Seafood Shack,

Doc's Seafood Shack sign

but at the moment, I didn't want seafood. We ate at Jake's Steakhouse, Although actually Jake's Steakhouse ALSO has seafood. There are two locations of Jake's - one in Gulf Shores and one in Orange Beach.

Tin ceiling

They had early bird specials (which I don't think we were in time for - they were 3-6 pm) of Seafood Platter or Shrimp Alfredo for $8.95 each and Grilled Chicken with rice for $6.95

Jake's menu

They also had All You Can Eat Specials of Popcorn Shrimp ($10.95) or Fried Grouper ($8.95). Take-out is available.

Specials menu

There were a lot of family groups there, and they had TV sets up near the ceilings and were watching one of the bowl games. Beer, wine and specialty drinks (like Big Jake's Margarita - $6.95) are available.

Lighthouse picture in the restaurant

Bob had a half rack of ribs ($13.99), and I had "Jake's Special" 10 oz. sirloin for $14.95 which came with onion rings on it.

Jake's special

Jake's Special is a regular menu item, and not an actual special. The steak came with a choice of house or Caesar salad and one side. I picked baked spiced apples, but I could also have had Sweet Potato, Baked Potato, Steak Fries, Sweet Potato Chips, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Ranch Beans, Corn-on-the-cob, or steamed vegetables. They gave us little cheese biscuit balls to eat before the food came.

Little cheese biscuits

The total before tip was $31.54.

Escaped Free range rabbits in the parking lot

There were domestic rabbits all over the parking lot - I was told that they were pet refugees from the hurricane.

5 January 2006

We are preparing to leave tomorrow. I cut Bob's hair but he thought I didn't do it evenly. We drove around Gulf Shores

Souvenir City

After Ivan

Honk if you like Hooters

The Cactus Cafe is closed

The Fish Net restaurant which is nothing but the foundation with the inset of the sign

Intersection

and out to Orange Beach.

Driving to Orange Beach

Orange Beach water tower

Construction Zone

We went to the Orange Beach Welcome Center.

Fountain outside the Orange Beach Welcome Center

Reflections in the door of the Orange Beach Welcome Center

Alabama Coastal Birding Trail

Exhibit Outside the Orange Beach Welcome Center

Hotel from the car

Condo under construction

Orange Beach Construction Zone

Biker by the Beach

We went to DeSotos for dinner. It was kind of hidden behind other places (that is, it isn't on the main highway), but was apparently a long term local favorite. The prices were most reasonable, and they offer a coupon that you can print off their website for

$1 Off Any Dinner Entree
Valid only during Dinner Hours
Excludes Senior Menu
Not valid with any other offer

They had Senior Specials. They also had a children's menu, daily lunch specials, and a very extensive and beautiful salt water aquarium.

Fish and anemone in their fish tank

Yellow tang

Aquarium

We both ate off the Senior menu. I had the

My grilled chicken and yellow rice $6.99

and then had

Key Lime Pie

for dessert.

Bob had

Fried oysters cole slaw and sweet potato