Do it because you can.

Yesterday, to get out of the hum drums of Thanksgiving, we all traveled to Pensacola, Florida for the day. It's not a bad drive - only 3 hours. Besides a person needs to go just because you can. We left early in the morning for an adventure of touring historical sights, playing in the sand, eating good seafood and touring a museum. Not bad plans for a last minute trip thrown together.
Our first stop was Fort Pickens at the end of Pensacola Beach. It's a civil war fort that almost feels like it is frozen in time. The kids had a lot of fun finding the different historical markers and reading about the sites. The adults did their best to work off that Thanksgiving meal with all of the stairs. Apparently, there weren't any elevators installed when this place was built in 1834.
We made a quick stop later to enjoy some time on the sand and watch the waves. There was a hazardous warning for strong tides and jellyfish. Kind of kills the mood to play. The strong cold wind didn't help matters either. The kids did get to gather various shells and the beautiful white sand. If you want to see a perfect beach, I would recommend Pensacola Beach just for the white sands and blue water.
Our travels continued to one of the best seafood places on the beach - Flounders. This place is consumed with atmosphere and the food ain't bad either. It's basically an open air (or slightly enclosed) dining area that opens to the Coastal Waterways side of the peninsula. My kids love playing in the sand while waiting on their meals. If you ever get a chance to go - definitely order the key lime pie.
Our journey continue to Pensacola Naval Base and the Naval Air Museum. We just visited there over Labor Day and there were more exhibits added since then. My brother-in-law had served in the Navy so I think he enjoyed taking his daughters around showing them exhibits he knew something about. Family connection makes things more interesting.
We managed to make it back home by 8:30 after all of that touring. We still had time to enjoy some beverages, watch Polka Party on RFTV and just share some laughs. All in all, I think it was a nice end to a great family time. My husband and I firmly believe you need to keep yourself open to all options everyday. You never know when something fun may step in front of you. Maybe that's our "seize the day" philosophy.