As I explained in my previous post, we decided to postpone a visit outside the park due to possible road flooding. We made that trip on Sunday.
Sunday was beautiful, warm and sunny, the first really nice day since Friday. Everybody was out and about.
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After driving east out of Pensacola beach to Opal beach, we headed to the mainland. After we got on to the approach for the Toll Bridge off Santa Rosa Island and Pensacola Beach, we found incoming traffic was bumper to bumper and we were beyond the point of no return. Out going traffic was a breeze. Well there was nothing to do but go and have a good time and hoped that when we were heading back, traffic may be less.
We had two goals. To go to Joe Patti’s Seafood Market and have lunch at McGuire's Irish Pub, both recommended by friends. We first went to Joe Patti’s Fish Market. I do not like the smell of fresh fish, so the initial assault to my nostrils really hit me.
Joe Patti’s is a full service fish market, deli, gift shop, sushi bar and restaurant. We didn’t buy fish but we did buy some crab spread which they packed in ice for us, and a loaf of French bread. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday but we did stop at the little trailer out front where we purchased freshly-made beignets.
Our next stop was McGuire’s Irish Pub, a steakhouse and brewery. To add to the atmosphere, over one million dollar bills cover the ceiling. It was a sight to see.
We did experience bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way back. The traffic was backed up all the way to the mainland. There are two bridges, totaling 4-miles of bridges and causeway. This is where my cup-half-empty side showed itself. When these bridges/causeways were designed, did they anticipate bumper-to-bumper traffic? Just wondering.
Approach to the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
On the Pensacola Bay Bridge/causeway.
After we got back to the trailer we walked the dogs and checked out the new neighbors. This is a large campground with over 200 sites and every morning folks leave and new folks come in. It is fun to watch the parade of campers coming in and out. Saturday we watched two guys set up their tents in the high wind. They got them set up and they even stayed put.
A funny thing happened on one of our dog walks. Funny to me anyway, after the initial shock of course. I was walking Quark in a spot that we have walked many times already when he stepped on something. My first thought was fire ants, however we they really have not been an issue as it has been too cold. My next thought was some other of Florida’s heinous critters. So when he let out a yelp and was holding his paw up, I went to examine it and saw something dangling from his foot. I screamed before I really knew what it was. After a closer look it was a 1/2 x 1” section of prickley pear cactus stuck in one of his pads. I quickly had it plucked from Quark’s foot and all was well again.
Later Tom wanted to go fishing, so I went along. There is a free fishing pier on the bay side of the island. Earlier in the day a guy caught a 4 ft. shark. All Tom caught were some sunfish-like fish, which he threw back. He was just there to have fun. The pelicans were trying to get the fish as you threw them back.
I took this photo of a particularly handsome pelican waiting near the pier for discarded fish.
As you can see in the above two photos, the pelicans get quite close to people if they think they can get a meal.
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