My Perdido

Perdido Key Chamber Hosts Spring Golf Tournament

 

 
In conjunction with Escambia County Waterways Month and the Perdido Rotary’s Wet and Wild Weekend, the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce will host their Spring Golf Tournament on Monday, May 3^rd. 

The four person scramble will be held at the prestigious Lost Key Golf Course on the beautiful island of Perdido Key, Florida.  Entry fee is $75 per person or $300 for a foursome. Entry fee includes greens fee, cart, range balls, goody bag, lunch, free drink holes and prizes.  Mulligans and 50/50 Raffle Tickets will be available for purchase on the day.

Lost Key’s Clubhouse Restaurant will be providing lunch of Mahi-Mahi Topped with a Fruit Salsa or Herb Roasted Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Cookies.

Vann Milheim of Edward Jones is once again sponsoring a $5000 Hole in One Prize!!

Hole Sponsorships are available for $100 and we provide the sign!  All sponsorships are tax deductible.

Come out and enjoy the best weather of the year on this Arnold Palmer Signature Designed Course.  Call 850.492.4660 today to sign up!

Blue Angels Elementary to Celebrate 10 years

Blue Angels Elementary next month will celebrate its 10-year anniversary, and is hosting a celebration for former faculty and staff.

The celebration will take place from noon to 3 p.m. April 10. Scheduled guest speakers will include Malcolm Thomas, Superintendent of Escambia County Schools, Karen Montgomery, principal of Blue Angels Elementary, and Karen Owen, former principal of Blue Angels. Robert Walls and his son Stephen Walls, former property owners of the land where the school was built, will give a brief history of the land now occupied by the school.

Details: Call 457-6356.

Kiwanis Club Plans Egg Hunt

The Kiwanis Club of Big Lagoon 24th annual Easter Egg Hunt will be hosted at Perdido Kid's Park Playground on Gulf Beach Highway on April 3.  The event begins at 10 a.m.

Children are invited to gather and find eggs placed in areas designed for each age group from ages 2 to 6, ensuring the younger children have an opportunity to find their eggs.

For details, call Curtis Brotherton at 341-0740 .

Big Lagoon State Park, Another Perdido Key Area Gem

Perdido Key is Graced with 3 Parks

The Perdido Key area is blessed with two state parks and a National Sea Shore.  I have written about the great walks available thru the National Sea Shore, affectionately known as Johnson Beach and I wrote about the Perdido Key State Park with its pristine beaches.  Our third gem in the crown is Big Lagoon.

Named for the waters on it southern shore, Big Lagoon is accessed from Old Gulf Beach Highway.  Turn east from Sorrento at the light by Burger King onto Old Gulf Beach Hwy and you will be traveling along the northern edge of the park.  The entrance is a mile or so down the road on the right.  You can pay the nominal $3 fee for each vehicle at the guard gate.  This is one one of the best values in our area. Check out this additional web site for interesting facts about this magnificent facility.

I will let the park manager David Colbert introduce you to his domain:

"The weather is finally warming after a long, cold winter! Spring and summer are excellent months for your outdoor adventures. Big Lagoon State Park has much to offer in the way of hiking trails, canoe and kayak rentals, fishing and boat launching. Our three story observation tower overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and the National Seashore.

Day visitors to Big Lagoon State Park often enjoy a picnic at one of our many shelters or just relax while shorebirds play and small waves lap the shore. Rental pavilions are also available for large gatherings such as reunions and birthday parties.

Celebrate the warm weather by reserving a site in our campground and gather your family around a campfire for an evening meal and marshmallows. Camping reservations are only a mouse click away. Utilize the link provided on our web page or call 1-800-326-3521.

Take advantage of the Gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail here at Big Lagoon. Migrating birds are now passing through, others are here year-round. If you would like to borrow a pair of binoculars, stop by the Ranger Station and check out a pair. These binoculars are provided by corporate sponsors and the Florida Wildlife Commission to help make your visit more enjoyable."

  
 

Florida State Parks- Perdido Key

Two State Parks Grace Perdido Key Area

Today I want to introduce you to the state park directly on Perdido Key that carries our name.  I will follow up with a blog on Big Lagoon State Park, just over the Theo Baars Bridge on Gulf Beach Highway to the north of Perdido Key in the coming days. I will highlight these two treasures of the lost key in honor of the upcoming Celebrate Escambia Waterways Month upcoming in May.

About halfway between the Theo Baars Bridge from the Florida side and the Perdido Pass Bridge on the Alabama side is the state park. There are two main entrances to the Gulf side for parking, with dune walk-overs and pavillions.  You will find picnic benches, rest rooms and showers on the Gulf side facilities.  These facilities come with a $3 fee per vehicle but are well worth the couple of bucks.  Do not park along Perdido Key Dr. and attempt to cross the dunes as there are fences and if you are caught by a ranger you will be fined.  The dunes are of course protected.  They have indigenous vegetation and even nesting areas for birds and in some cases turtles in their season.  The Old River side of the park north of Perdido Key Dr. has a hiking trail  that parallels the back water area. 

The covered pavillions are one of the nicest features of the park for families.  Bring your picnic and get out of the sun for a time with incredible views and pleasant breezes.

The trick at the park is to do a little waliking once you step off the walk-over onto the beach.  The further away you get from the boardwalk the better for finding shells and driftwood and of course the more private your beach time.  It is never crowded but weekends and holidays of course will find the highest population of mostly locals who utilize the state park beaches.  It is virtually a given that you will see dolfin and a variety of sea birds.  The kids will have a blast chasing the sandpipers and piping plovers that scurry out ahead of beach combers.  You will probably see pelicans gliding and osprey soaring and hunting the waters just off the beach.  The inevitable great blue heron will probably be parked near the closest surf caster hoping for a free meal of trash fish or left over bait.  He will patiently wait for the intrepid fisherman for hours as they both hope for a successful day of fishing. 

A real surprise to many is the variety of vegetation but one of the reason the monarch butterfly stops along our shores is the flowering shrubs we have. For instance the  spider wort pictured to the left.  We also have wild rosemary and lantana.  I will leave the master gardners to find out more about this subject.

Shelling is very popular especially in the winter months when waves are a little more prone to wash things ashore and visitors are sparse so more shells are left on the beach.  Cockle shells, Florida jewelbox, sea scallops and quahogs crowd a typical winter beach after a storm. As wave height decreases, shells are cast ashore for early morning visitors. Remember, hermit crabs may occupy whelks and other shells. Small sand dollars can be found in the spring and early summer months.

Pets are not permitted on Florida beaches so leave fido home unfortunately.

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Perdido Key Area Community Service

Be part of the Community and Serve

Its Spring Cleaning time at Perdido Kids Park
Come give us a hand!
Saturday March 27 9-12am
Bring rakes,shovels, etc
It takes a community to keep up this park, please participate

Community service hours available questions davis3453@aol.com

Perdido Key Area Theatre

New Theatre and Repertory Company for West Enders

Sanctuary in the Groves—Theatre West was established to provide the southwest area of Pensacola, Florida and the coastal region of Alabama with a showplace of the arts. Our mission is "to bring our diverse community together to learn about, experience, and celebrate the joys of quality theatre.”  Our goal is to help everyone in our community share in the excitement of participating in theatre—as actors, technicians, or audience members.

Celebrating its inaugural year, Sanctuary in the Groves—Theatre West will cast its first performance during the Spring of 2010 and will create and sustain a year-long season of repertory performances. 
The web site describes the first production "Always Patsy Cline":

Written and originally directed by Ted Swindlley-based on a true story and licensed by the family and estate of Patsy Cline. All rights reserved.

This is a  hugely popular musical about the legendary country singer, Patsy Cline and her most devoted  fan, Louise Seger  whom she befriended in a Texas honky-tonk. Complete with down home country humor, true emotion and even some audience participation, Always…Patsy Cline includes unforgettable hits such as “Crazy,” “Sweet Dreams,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Walkin' After Midnight” and more of your favorites. Perfect for music lovers everywhere.www.sanctuarytheatrewest.com

Here is your contact info:

9732 Sidney Road Pensacola, FL 32507
Phone: (850) 912-4087  Fax: (850) 912-4092
Directions:
The theatre is located approximately one mile from the intersection of Sorrento Road and Blue Angel Parkway. Traveling south on Blue Angel Parkway, take the first left at Country Wood Apartments after crossing Sorrento. This is Loop Road. From Loop Road,
take the first Left on Sidney Road. The theatre is on the left after the first curve.

Additional New Air Service Affects Perdido Key

Perdido Key Chamber Helps Coordinate Condo "Packages"

American Eagle Airlines will begin nonstop Saturday and Sunday weekend service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport on June 12. 
American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will operate the service with 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 jets.

"American Eagle's new service from Chicago is sweetened with summer hotel and condo specials on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key and the added seat capacity to Chicago and the Midwest is a welcomed addition," said Melinda C. Crawford, Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport Director.

American Eagle spokesman Gary Foss said the service to Chicago comes on the heels of its new nonstop, twice-daily service to Miami beginning April 6. American also provides six daily nonstop flight to and from Dallas/Fort Worth.

The schedule for flights between Chicago and Pensacola is:

-- Chicago O'Hare to Pensacola departing at 11 a.m. and arriving at 1:05 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

-- Flights from Pensacola to Chicago will depart on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and arrive in Chicago at 3:55 p.m.

The Perdido Chamber of Commerce gathered the various rental agencies of the Key last Wednesday to help coordinate packaging of accomodations with these and other other airline flights into the Pensacola airport.  Call your airline for details.

Blue Angels Schedule for Perdido Key Visitors

15 Minute Drive to Free Blue Angels Practice

If you were on the beach on Perdido Key last Sunday about 5 PM you saw the familiar Blue Angel six-ship formation screaming across the Gulf of Mexico at mere hundreds of feet above the water.  They are home, home to Naval Air Station Pensacola, just 15 minutes from the sugar white sands of Perdido Key.  The Blues have just returned from their winter digs in the desert practice fields out west where the Navy's flight demonstration team perfects the distinctive aerial show of formation and flight demonstrations that are second to none in the world of aviation.  If you are visiting our area you have to go see the "Blues" as the locals affectionately call our favorite aviators and supporting crewmembers.  You will see the exact show, up close and personal, that they perform all over the world.  If you go on Wednesday you will even have a chance at meeting some of the crew and pilots and getting autographs.  The kids will love it ( and so will the grown-ups).

The Blues travel nearly every weekend to big shows all over the country but practice at least twice every week, weather permitting, at the Naval Air Station that is literally minutes by car to the east of Perdido Key.  Take a right onto Gulf Beach Highway after you cross over the Theo Baars Bridge from Perdido Key and then right onto Blue Angel Parkway (very clever eh!).  You will see the entry gate to the Navy base a few hundred yards ahead.  Tell the guard you are going to the Blue Angel practice at the National Naval Aviation Museum.  By the way the museum is a terrific day trip all by itself.  It is world reknowned for the display of restored aircraft flown by Naval Aviators in support of our country around the world.  There is so much more including an Imax theatre for that super-sized movie experience.  I can't begin to give it justice but check out the web link I have provided.

If it is the Blue Angel practice that is your priority I recommend you get to the museum no later than 8AM for the 8:30 practice that will last about 45 minutes. A shuttle bus will take you to the practice area where bleachers are set up for the best viewing.  Note the big white bus in the middle of the runways from your vantage point.  That is the center point around which the Blues will orient all of their formations and demonstrations. All of the solo demonstrations of thrilling nose-to-nose and crossing maneuvers will use that land mark and much of the break ups and formations will also have "centerpoint" always as the reference.

Check out all of the links I have provided and if you want more detailed information on the Blue Angels see their site here:  Blue Angels Official Web Site 

Spring Break Perdido Key Style

Night-life and Party Spots

Saturday is the first day of spring, and it's also officially the start of the spring break season along the Alabama Gulf Coast. The usual spring break hot spots are hopping, and watering holes, juke joints and honky tonks all over the island are teeming with those zany spring breakers. Some of the spring break highlights include:

The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road, Orange Beach, Ala., welcomes spring breakers   of all ages with its annual Spring Break Extravaganza this weekend and throughout March.

Hub Stacey's on the Point, 5851 Galvez Road, invites spring breakers from Perdido Key each Wednesday night through March for spring break madness, featuring live entertainment by Perdido's dynamic duo Lyden Up, 50-cent wings and draft beer specials. If you're looking to meet other spring breakers, this is a hot spot. Details: 497-0071.

Jellyfish Bar, 13700 Perdido Key Drive, welcomes spring breakers with a spring break bash. But you'll want to get there early to try the sushi menu at the Jellyfish. And since this martini lounge is right across from the street from the beach and tourist condominiums, it's definitely a place to meet girls and guys. Details: (850) 332-6532.

If you're still upright, the next leg of the journey has to be the Flora-Bama Lounge and Package, 17401 Perdido Key Drive, home of the annual Interstate Mullet Toss. That event is next month, but for now, the 'Bama's doors are open to those spring breakers ages 21 and older — and by now, it's where you'll most definitely meet guys and girls from schools all over the Southeast.

No need to eat fast food before going to the legendary roadhouse, what with the Oyster Bar serving up oysters, burgers and other chow that goes great with the Flora-Bama's signature cocktail, the Bushwacker. With two stages of rocking live bands, the 'Bama is a great place to rub elbows with spring breakers from all over the Southeast. Details: 492-0611, or visit www.florabama.com.