Visit Pensacola Invites Nashville to Experience Pensacola’s History and Culture for All Ages
Pensacola, Florida (PRWEB) March 11, 2014 -- According to the 2014 travel study by American Express, more extended and multi-generational families will vacation together this year, selecting destinations that will please everyone in the family, such as the Pensacola Bay Area.
“Pensacola, Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach are such three-dimensional vacation destinations,” said Visit Pensacola President Steve Hayes. “Of course the beaches are fun for all ages, and our museums, special events and cultural offerings appeal to several generations. Mom and Dad might sneak off on a date to Gallery Night, while the grandparents take the kids to the naval aviation museum. It makes for a really special spring break, Easter or Mother’s Day weekend.”
To celebrate families this spring, Visit Pensacola is offering a getaway for four. The vacation package includes four round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines, beach accommodations, and vouchers for popular restaurants and attractions. In November, Southwest Airlines began offering nonstop service from Nashville to Pensacola twice daily.
Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key are part of the longest stretch of protected seashore in the country, the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Pensacola, whose Spanish roots trace back to 1559, is home to many cultural and historic attractions, such as the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, the Native Paths Culture and Heritage Center, Historic Pensacola Village, the Pensacola Lighthouse, the Pensacola MESS Hall and the world-renowned National Naval Aviation Museum, which offers free admission and a new WWII exhibit.
“Most people don’t realize that Pensacola was the first European settlement in the United States,” said Margo Stringfield of the University of West Florida’s archaeology program. “We precede St. Augustine by six years, Jamestown by 48 years and Plymouth Rock by 60 years. There are so many ways to explore our history by taking a guided tour, visiting our significant sites and museums as well as participating in an actual archaeological dig.”
Downtown Pensacola celebrates its artistic side with exhibits at the Pensacola Museum of Art located inside a refurbished jail, glass blowing classes at First City Art Center and concerts at Vinyl Music Hall, a hip venue for up-and-coming musicians before they even set their sights on Nashville. The city is also home to aballet, symphony and opera with performances inside the beautifully restored Saenger Theatre. Also downtown is the Rex Theatre, Florida’s oldest art deco theater that’s undergoing restoration, and experience Gallery Night, where local artists showcase their work and musicians perform at one big street party.
With near-perfect temperatures and off-season lodging rates, spring is a popular time for events. Families can enjoy free outdoor concerts during the Pensacola JazzFest, Perdido Key Wine & Art Festival, Evenings in Olde Seville or Bands on the Beach. Close enough to New Orleans to catch a little Cajun fever, the area also hosts two crawfish festivals.
With historic sites, cultural offerings and special events alongside beautiful white-sand beaches, families are sure to create lasting memories during their spring getaway in the Pensacola Bay Area.
To enter to win the family vacation package or to request a free Visitor Guide, go to http://www.visitpensacola.com/nashville. Registration ends March 30.
###
Susi Robichaux, EW Bullock Associates, +1 (850) 438-4015, [email protected]
Share this article