Florida & Alabama Beaches
Located in the Florida Panhandle, Pensacola Beach offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of a city center with its pristine beaches and coastal atmosphere. Take a dolphin tour, enjoy free yoga in the park, or spend a leisurely day at the beach. There’s more to Pensacola than sugar-white sands. They have their own ballet company and symphony orchestra that offer performances year-round at the historical Saenger Theater. A stroll through Seville Square will take you under an expansive canopy of century-old oak trees. Downtown is where you’ll find the heart of Pensacola's palette, featuring an array of food trucks, cafes, and fine dining establishments housed in beautiful 19th-century buildings.
Beaches
Located in Perdido Key on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, this designated recreational area provides lifeguards, facilities, and is ideal for water-based recreational activities and hiking. The popular feature of the area is the Discovery Nature Trail, a raised boardwalk that is about half a mile, taking visitors through dunes, pine trees, and salt marsh outlooks.
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Stretching from shore to shore, this 8.5-mile trail invites visitors to walk, bike, drive, run and even swim to the 29 stops dotted across Pensacola Beach. Each stop tells a different story about the flora and fauna of the region. Whether you want to go bird watching or take a dolphin-spotting cruise, the eco-trail offers a variety of activities for the curious beach-goer.
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The crystal clear waters and sugar-white sand make Pensacola Beach the defining relaxation spot in the Bay Area, and it’s considered to be one of Florida’s best beaches. Horizon Beach Service provides paddle boards, surf boards, boogie boards, and kayaks. If reading a book while listening to the waves is more your style, they offer chairs and umbrellas for rent as well.
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Located on a narrow strip of land stretching along the western shores of Florida and the eastern shores of Alabama, Perdido Key, “lost island”, is a natural beauty. Explore the abundant wetlands, estuaries, and wildlife to the north, or swim the Perdido Key Snorkeling Reef. The Perdido Key Reef was built in 2014 and comprises 24 modules of ecosystem.
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Considered a secret Northwest Florida gem, Opal Beach is a great place to fish, swim, and picnic. Parking, restrooms, pavilions, and beach showers are available both Gulf-side and sound-side. Visitors can purchase a seven-day pass at the park’s entrance.
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Located in Perdido Key on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, this designated recreational area provides lifeguards, facilities, and is ideal for water-based recreational activities and hiking. The popular feature of the area is the Discovery Nature Trail, a raised boardwalk that is about half a mile, taking visitors through dunes, pine trees, and salt marsh outlooks.
Visit website
Stretching from shore to shore, this 8.5-mile trail invites visitors to walk, bike, drive, run and even swim to the 29 stops dotted across Pensacola Beach. Each stop tells a different story about the flora and fauna of the region. Whether you want to go bird watching or take a dolphin-spotting cruise, the eco-trail offers a variety of activities for the curious beach-goer.
Visit website
The crystal clear waters and sugar-white sand make Pensacola Beach the defining relaxation spot in the Bay Area, and it’s considered to be one of Florida’s best beaches. Horizon Beach Service provides paddle boards, surf boards, boogie boards, and kayaks. If reading a book while listening to the waves is more your style, they offer chairs and umbrellas for rent as well.
Visit website
Located on a narrow strip of land stretching along the western shores of Florida and the eastern shores of Alabama, Perdido Key, “lost island”, is a natural beauty. Explore the abundant wetlands, estuaries, and wildlife to the north, or swim the Perdido Key Snorkeling Reef. The Perdido Key Reef was built in 2014 and comprises 24 modules of ecosystem.
Visit website
Considered a secret Northwest Florida gem, Opal Beach is a great place to fish, swim, and picnic. Parking, restrooms, pavilions, and beach showers are available both Gulf-side and sound-side. Visitors can purchase a seven-day pass at the park’s entrance.
Visit websiteParks/Gardens
What began as a memorial garden in 2003 for his wife Peggy, owner Danny has since developed the memorial into a combination garden and nursery that features a lush abundance of bamboo and other unique and hard-to-find plants suited for tropical climates. The garden’s epic display helps to sell the bamboo, showing visitors the full potential of this beautiful giant grass plant.
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Located in the Historic District of downtown Pensacola, Seville Square features paved walkways where you can stroll under an expansive canopy of century-old oak trees. The gazebo is the central fixture of the park, around which various festivals gather every year.
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Embark on a 1,515-mile kayaking journey around the entire state, or go bird watching, where you’ll find more than 23 species of wood-warbler and a variety of ducks, sandpipers and black-bellied plovers. Whether you’re biking, birding, boating, camping, or fishing–the list goes on, Big Lagoon State Park promises big outdoor adventures.
With over 4000 acres, visitors can view carnivorous white-topped pitcher plants and other rare and endangered plant species from a boardwalk that winds its way through the wetlands. This park features birding, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
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Have a picnic in Plaza Ferdinand, a cozy garden with majestic oak trees and a fountain at its center. It’s also the site of the formal transfer of Florida to the United States in 1821.
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What began as a memorial garden in 2003 for his wife Peggy, owner Danny has since developed the memorial into a combination garden and nursery that features a lush abundance of bamboo and other unique and hard-to-find plants suited for tropical climates. The garden’s epic display helps to sell the bamboo, showing visitors the full potential of this beautiful giant grass plant.
Visit website
Located in the Historic District of downtown Pensacola, Seville Square features paved walkways where you can stroll under an expansive canopy of century-old oak trees. The gazebo is the central fixture of the park, around which various festivals gather every year.
Visit website
Embark on a 1,515-mile kayaking journey around the entire state, or go bird watching, where you’ll find more than 23 species of wood-warbler and a variety of ducks, sandpipers and black-bellied plovers. Whether you’re biking, birding, boating, camping, or fishing–the list goes on, Big Lagoon State Park promises big outdoor adventures.
With over 4000 acres, visitors can view carnivorous white-topped pitcher plants and other rare and endangered plant species from a boardwalk that winds its way through the wetlands. This park features birding, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
Visit website
Have a picnic in Plaza Ferdinand, a cozy garden with majestic oak trees and a fountain at its center. It’s also the site of the formal transfer of Florida to the United States in 1821.
Visit websiteRestaurants
Overlooking the Santa Rosa Sound and adorned with red and blue sun umbrellas, this beachside establishment makes fresh seafood dishes with a southern flare. Their signature dishes include seafood gumbo, fried shrimp po’boy, and braised short rib. Finish off your meal with a slice of southern pecan cheesecake.
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With over 80 types of tequila, this downtown taqueria serves up a delicious array of tacos. Highlights include the spicy krab tacos, chicken street tacos, and pink tacos–made with a mix of ahi tuna, spicy slaw, and avocado.
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Chef Briscione’s menu brings creative Southern touches to classic Italian cuisine. Think handmade pastas and thoughtfully prepared vegetable dishes served alongside an abundance of Gulf seafood. The dining room’s wood-fired oven lends flavor to everything from Neapolitan-style pizzas to meatballs and desserts.
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This downtown cafe is a brunch spot that serves breakfast wraps, omelets, build-your-own Acai bowls, alongside handcrafted coffees and teas. You can also sign up for seasonal craft and cooking classes, like a Nutcracker-themed wine dinner, or wreath-making workshop.
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Opened in 1945, this diner is the best of classic Americana dining, replete with vinyl booths and white porcelain coffee cups. A local landmark, and beloved by its regulars, the restaurant is known for its delicious grits, especially its "Nassau" variety, which is a dish featuring a combination of grits, bacon, ham, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and seasonings.
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Overlooking the Santa Rosa Sound and adorned with red and blue sun umbrellas, this beachside establishment makes fresh seafood dishes with a southern flare. Their signature dishes include seafood gumbo, fried shrimp po’boy, and braised short rib. Finish off your meal with a slice of southern pecan cheesecake.
Visit website
With over 80 types of tequila, this downtown taqueria serves up a delicious array of tacos. Highlights include the spicy krab tacos, chicken street tacos, and pink tacos–made with a mix of ahi tuna, spicy slaw, and avocado.
Visit website
Chef Briscione’s menu brings creative Southern touches to classic Italian cuisine. Think handmade pastas and thoughtfully prepared vegetable dishes served alongside an abundance of Gulf seafood. The dining room’s wood-fired oven lends flavor to everything from Neapolitan-style pizzas to meatballs and desserts.
Visit website
This downtown cafe is a brunch spot that serves breakfast wraps, omelets, build-your-own Acai bowls, alongside handcrafted coffees and teas. You can also sign up for seasonal craft and cooking classes, like a Nutcracker-themed wine dinner, or wreath-making workshop.
Visit website
Opened in 1945, this diner is the best of classic Americana dining, replete with vinyl booths and white porcelain coffee cups. A local landmark, and beloved by its regulars, the restaurant is known for its delicious grits, especially its "Nassau" variety, which is a dish featuring a combination of grits, bacon, ham, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and seasonings.
Visit websiteArts/Culture
Mixing art education with immersive exhibits, the Pensacola Museum of Art has been in operation since 1954 and features a growing collection of modern and contemporary art from the 19th century to the present.
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With a calendar that features world-class guest artists and beloved music, there are a variety of performances to choose from. Classical programming includes Dvořák, Mozart, and Verdi. For something contemporary, the Cirque Spectacular features cirque acrobatics, classical dance, and contemporary theater.
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At this multi-purpose theater, you can see a popular Broadway show, like the Book of Mormon, or catch a seasonal viewing of a classic holiday movie, such as A Christmas Story.
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Ballet Pensacola presents four major productions each season: a fall show, The Nutcracker in December, a winter show, and a spring show, and is known for its fine artistic quality and innovative productions showcasing classical and contemporary choreography.
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Every November, Downtown Pensacola comes alive with live music, food, and art shows. Drawing more than 200 painters, potters, sculptors, graphic artists, and craftsmen year after year, Foo Foo Festival is a celebration of art and culture.
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Mixing art education with immersive exhibits, the Pensacola Museum of Art has been in operation since 1954 and features a growing collection of modern and contemporary art from the 19th century to the present.
Visit website
With a calendar that features world-class guest artists and beloved music, there are a variety of performances to choose from. Classical programming includes Dvořák, Mozart, and Verdi. For something contemporary, the Cirque Spectacular features cirque acrobatics, classical dance, and contemporary theater.
Visit website
At this multi-purpose theater, you can see a popular Broadway show, like the Book of Mormon, or catch a seasonal viewing of a classic holiday movie, such as A Christmas Story.
Visit website
Ballet Pensacola presents four major productions each season: a fall show, The Nutcracker in December, a winter show, and a spring show, and is known for its fine artistic quality and innovative productions showcasing classical and contemporary choreography.
Visit website
Every November, Downtown Pensacola comes alive with live music, food, and art shows. Drawing more than 200 painters, potters, sculptors, graphic artists, and craftsmen year after year, Foo Foo Festival is a celebration of art and culture.
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Q
How big is Memphis?
We’re growing and expanding all the time, but we still have a small-town feel.
Alex Switzer
Sous Chef Manager
Sherwood Forest
I love music and the free concerts at Overton Park; when I’m there, I feel a sense of belonging—families hanging out together and kids running around.
Chenchen Sun
Project Coordinator
Germantown
There are lots of different options for extracurricular activities. Both of my kids played tennis just a few minutes from my house.
Mondira Kundu
Member
East Memphis