Wandering the Redneck Riviera!

I’ve always wanted to visit the coastal panhandle area of Florida, aka The Emerald Coast. The white sand beaches and emerald green waters that are so coveted along the southwestern coast of Florida can also be found in this more remote area of the Sunshine State. The area got its nickname back in the 1970s due to its proximity to the deep south states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Arkansas, but the area is now home to tourists from all parts of the country.

What I didn’t know was that just west of Florida sits LA. No, not Los Angeles. Far from it. LA down here means Lower Alabama. More specifically, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach – a couple of beach towns that have been off the beaten path of tourists – until somewhat recently. The nickname was in place in the early 1970s, but took off after two NFL QBs were known to vacation in Gulf Shores – the Raiders’ Kenny “Snake” Stabler and the NY Jets’ Richard Todd.

Alabama Journal
June 22, 1978

My sister and brother-in-law were looking for a place to escape that harsh Pennsylvania winters – and like most others from the Northeast, they explored their options in Florida. Until they discovered this hidden gem.

Part of the area’s recent popularity can be attributed to some of the country’s best-known beach bums, Jimmy Buffett, and another Kenny, Kenny Chesney. The two musicians take our minds on mental vacations with their lyrics and the sounds of steel drums.

Chesney’s 2014 hit, Flora-Bama, a song about the quintessential beach bar by the same name, shed more light on the area.

The bar opened in 1964 and has been THE place to visit on the Riviera ever since. It sits on the border, with parts of it in Florida and parts in Alabama – hence the name. The interior is a maze of rooms with bars and stages hosting different musical acts throughout the day. Across the street, two Flora-Bama restaurants sandwich a Waffle House to feed the revelers.

Some of the songs that were written about the bar are immortalized with the lyrics written in license plates from around the country.

Sure, the bars and music are great, but the reason you come to this area is for the pristine beaches! Sugar white sand and temperate emerald water from the Gulf of Mexico draw millions of tourists a year to relax along the beaches.

During this weekend, we were treated to the 50th Annual National Shrimp Festival. I’ll be honest, there wasn’t a lot of shrimp, but it seems it was just another reason to have a party along the beach. So, why not join in?

Arts and crafts vendors lined the streets, and in between, there were a couple of stages with live music. Of course, food vendors offered some unique tasty treats like this Cajun Pistol – a French roll filled with a cheesy mixture of cajun shrimp.

And yes! Down here, it’s always five o’clock! And better yet, this is Yuengling country. Every bar we visited offered up my favorite – some even offered it on tap!

One of the specialty drinks of the Island is the Bushwacker, part milkshake, part pina colada. While the recipe varies from bar to bar, it’s a rum or vodka-based drink combined with some other alcohol and mixed with some soft-serve ice cream. Dessert in a glass.

This area is also home to Naval Air Station Pensacola and the famed Blue Angels. The precision flight team often practices along the beach, providing a free show to lucky beachgoers. On occasion, they’ll even “buzz the beach” when they leave or return from a show. On this day, we heard them “buzz the beach”, but we only caught a glimpse. Thankfully, a local photographer grabbed this shot on the day we were there.

Courtesy JK Adams Photography https://www.jkadams.art/shop/emerald-buzz-no-1/

Another attraction at NAS Pensacola is the National Naval Aviation Museum. This place is a must-visit for any fan of planes or military history! And there’s no entrance fee – other than your Federal taxes, of course.

Inside two massive hangars are over 150 fully restored planes that served the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Everything from the early days of flight through more modern aircraft whose later versions are still serving today.

One that caught my eye was the TBM Avenger, a plane that my father had worked on at NAS Norfolk during World War II! Other displays showcased heroic and historic events and traditions. One exhibit was dedicated to the downing of the first African-American pilot Jesse L Brown in 1950, and another explained the tradition of the Homeward Bound Pennant.

They even had the glass-nosed B25 like the ones used by Doolittle’s Tokyo Raiders.

In addition to the aircraft, there were several dioramas that depicted scenes from American life during WWII.

And, of course, there were several Blue Angel planes on display.

Just outside the museum, but still on the NAS Base, sits the Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. Here you can walk through the building that once housed the lighthouse keeper. Each room is full of artifacts and displays about the lighthouse. The structure was built in 1859 and, like every other lighthouse in the country, is managed today by the US Coast Guard.

You can also climb the 177 circular stairs inside, and if there aren’t any winds, you can walk along the catwalk around the very top. We were able to climb to the top but couldn’t go out on the platform. Next time! Regardless, there are views along the way up.

The lighthouse actually came under fire during the Civil War and sustained some damage that is preserved to this day.

At the top, we were able to get a sneak peek inside the actual light housing. We learned that the Fresnel lens is like a highly efficient, lightweight, and powerful magnifying glass for light. It takes the light from the lighthouse’s lamp and bends it into a concentrated beam that can be seen from far away, helping ships and boats navigate safely, especially in the dark or during bad weather.

Boating in and around Gulf Shores is “next-level.” There is so much water and so many boats that the preferred mode of travel has to be via boat. There are all kinds of boats here. Everything from your basic, run-of-the-mill fishing boat, to sailboats, to luxury yachts.

Many of the bars and restaurants cater to the boating crowd – offering boat slips for hungry and thirsty mariners. Below is the dock outside of Flora-Bama’s restaurant collection. If you’d prefer, you can beach your boat and hop out directly onto the white sand beach along the water – just be careful to not run over any dolphins! We saw a few frolicking in the waters.

We toured the Intracoastal waterway into Bayou Saint John and Perdido Bay, then around and into Old River. This allowed us to circle Ono Island, a 5.5-mile barrier island that sits just north of Perdido Key, Florida, and Orange Beach, Alabama. Those two towns sit on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Ono is home to some of the area’s wealthy residents, even though it’s prone to what is called unabated hurricanes. For example, in 1997, Hurricane Danny reportedly dropped a whopping 35 inches of rain in the area. More recently, in 2020, Hurricane Sally tore through the Island and left devastation in its wake. Since then, many of the homes have been replaced with bigger and more structurally sound luxury homes,

While it was a short trip, we packed an awful lot into exploring the area and experiencing what it’s like to live a “boat life” thanks to the hospitality of Peggy and Dave!

Stop wondering. Start wandering!