The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were playing the Mobile BayBears. While the home team lost, it was still an awesome evening, partly due to the fact that it was Elvis night. I've been told that he had died on 16 August 1977. But how can that be, if he was right there at the Bayfront Stadium? The King lives! Here is proof!
Also contributing to the awesomeness was the stadium itself. With the gulf in the background, and a flock of pelicans flying overhead, it was one of the most romantic stadiums we've been to so far.
And just when I thought things couldn't get any better. Bam! They serve oysters & craft beer. Cheers!
The game was followed by fireworks. To me, they belong to summer in America, like Bratwurst belongs to Germany. At times I am quite torn about me liking them. (I'm talking about fireworks here, moving on from the Bratwurst.) How can I be enjoying something so much, when it should make my environmental bristles stand up at the back of my neck? But there they are, beautiful and embodying everything about summer. The long evenings outdoors, the promise of fall just around the corner, new beginnings. All of that wrapped up in colorful blasts in the night sky. All that was missing was a slice of apple pie.
We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand Hotel. Not knowing what to expect from Downtown Pensacola, we were greeted by a beautiful hotel, built inside an old train station. It had a lot of charm and exceeded our expectations greatly. The onsite library didn't hurt!
Before heading back home we stopped at Open Books, a non-profit bookstore that sends books to prisoners. We were positively surprised by their well-rounded selection, and were really glad we were driving and not flying.
http://www.openbookspcola.org/
I also learned a new word on this trip. Along Highway 65 we saw a sign for picked scuppernongs. Since neither of us knew what they were trying to sell us, we just kept on driving. We weren't really in the mood for any kind of dead animal. Turns out, scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine, a species of grape native to the Southern United States. There you go.
Thank you for traveling with me today!
Until next time,
Nadine
Well, it looks like I have a lot of reading to catch up on since I have been gone!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great. And so nice they had good food - not all stadiums do, sadly.
I really wanted to see the SF Giants play while we were away, but there were no home games on those days. I did see the stadium (from the street) and it is really nice. Red brick, backs right up against the Bay.