One of the most impressive Veterans Memorial I have seen lately (though the one in Paris TX is…read moredarned awesome), this park includes long lists of names (too many names), lists of conflicts (too many conflicts) and a number of sculptures that honor those who have fought and died for our country. Funded locally and even more impressive because Milton is absolutely not a big city. The memorial is a short walk from the center of the city and is located along the riverwalk next to the Blackwater River. If you are already here or just passing through on I-10, stop by and see. [Review 928 of 2024 - 1807 in Florida - 21957 overall]

A place to sit and reflect on war and lost lives and your personal freedom whatever that might mean…read moreto you. All the wars are commemorated on stone and blank stones positioned for future wars and inscriptions. As a design it is quite lovely and well thought out. It's position by the river is soothing.

The Navarre beach bridge is a nightmare to cross in summer if your a local & live in Navarre Beach…read more It's just a small two lane little bridge, wasn't built for mass traffic like it sees today. When I first moved here I rented a condo on Navarre Beach for 5 months till I found my home. At first, I wanted to live in Navarre beach, but that quickly all changed when I tried to cross this bridge every day to the shopping areas, groceries etc., as there is NO commercialism on Navarre Beach. You have to cross the Navarre bridge to purchase ANYTHING. AND in the summer season the traffic is backed up over it all the way across with traffic barely inching even thou the speed limit is 20MPH. It takes over an hour just to cross it, same thing on the way back. If you go the other way, the 7 mile stretch of beach thru the Santa Rosa Area to the Pensacola Bridge, the speed limit is also 25-35MPH & it's usually backed up & takes well over an hour to get to shopping over there. A nightmare situation. You basically have to schedule your entire life around getting to the grocery store before/after the traffic nightmare begins/ends. What's even worst is during the bird nesting season, the edges of this little bridge become roped off & protected so the birds can nest. They do not like the beach goers walking/jogging along near their babies. It's all very disturbing to their habitat. The moms constantly squeak & squawk it's heartbreaking. I stopped driving there. I do not go there anymore. Navarre beach used to be my favorite place. Now there are just too many people crossing this bridge. If you want to make a change in the world, start with the "man in the mirror." Navarre Bridge - Population minus me. Sometimes "Good-Bye" is the saddest word. Will never Return.

Why review a narrow bridge in the last sleepy beach town on the Emerald Coast? Well, this one can…read morebe considered a destination, as well as a landmark. There is a tight-but-protected, single-track pedestrian path on each side of the 2-lane roadway, so runners and walkers can have a decent workout taking the 1 mile distance from Navarre over to the beach (or 2 miles if out & back). The surface varies from sturdy concrete close to the bridge abutments to metal grates that allow a thrilling view of the distance between you and the water below. Once you hit the island, you'll find some great fishing and swimming spots just adjacent to the bridge. There are trash cans available to ensure litter is kept out of the water. Unlike the bridge to Pensacola Beach, the Navarre Beach Causeway currently is toll-free. That could change in the future, as plans are in the works to rebuild this bridge to make it wider and conform to current safety standards. There is also a controversial campaign in the works to rename it for the 45th President of the United States, but nothing has been settled yet. During the right season (April to September), watch out for nesting endangered sea birds including black skimmers and least terns. The area will be roped off and warning signs will indicate where you can't walk or park. The speed limit is also reduced to 20 MPH. If you are running or walking past, you'll hear these birds loudly squawking to stay away from their babies!

This marker has separate text on each side, standing in front of a beautiful 1847 home. It's…read moreprivate property so I did not tour the house but from the outside, the double porch looks amazing. The front of the marker reads, "This antebellum home, constructed ca. 1847 by Benjamin Woodson Thompson (1809 - 1876), partner in the Forsyth and Simpson sawmill enterprise in Bagdad, is the best remaining Florida Panhandle example of a symmetrical Greek Revival structure having a double verandah with balustrade and cantilevered gable roof. The house was built of local heart pine lumber with the structure of columns, windows and doors reflecting the Doric order. Interior walls are plaster reinforced with animal hair. Widow sashes with rolled glass are flanked by operable shutters. During the Civil War, Union troops from the 2nd Maine Cavalry, 1st Florida Cavalry, 19th Iowa Infantry and United States Colored Troops of the 25th, 82nd and 86th regiments raided Bagdad and Milton and camped in and around the house, leaving graffiti including drawings and signatures on the plaster walls. In 1913 the house, which originally faced the Blackwater River, was moved directly back to its present location when the Mill complex expanded." And the rear, "Confederates, evacuating Pensacola in the spring of 1862, burned the lumber mills of Bagdad. During the remainder of the war, both sides maintained a presence in Santa Rosa County. Union forces periodically conducted reconnaissance raids and captured building materials for use at the Pensacola Navy Yard. Confederates posted locally recruited cavalry troops to lookout for any Union movement towards the critical rail junction at Pollard, Alabama. During one such raid on October 18, 1864, Lt. Colonel A. B. Spurling commanding Union troops consisting of some 200 men of the 19th Iowa Infantry Regiment and a section of the locally recruited 1st Florida Battery aboard the steamer Planter landed 3.5 miles south of here to salvage logs intended for the Bagdad mills. Some 300 Confederates including Company I, 15th CSA Cavalry Regiment and local militia were alerted and engaged Spurling's force. After a two-hour skirmish, the Confederates withdrew and Spurling's men sustaining minor casualties re-embarked while managing to salvage 140 logs. One week later Spurling again raided Bagdad and Milton routing Confederates in a running battle through town. Afterward, Union troops briefly occupied Bagdad and the Thompson House." This is marker number F-671 and it was erected in 2009 by the Bagdad Village Preservation Association and the Florida Department of State. [Review 924 of 2024 - 1804 in Florida - 21953 overall]

I found this plaque while visiting the Milton Riverwalk. It is hard to imagine such terrible…read moreincidents happened in such a tranquil spot. History is often written in blood and this tragic incident should not be forgotten. The story on the sign is from another era, but we must remember.

This landfill is very well organized!! Have been twice! Will definitely use it again.read more

There are many American Bald Eagles at the landfill fill. The white heads are fully grown. The…read moreothers are juvinal eagles. Also, many sea birds and crows.

The W.C. Holmes Memorial Bridge is a fixed bridge carrying Gulf Shores Parkway (aka AL-59) over…read morePortage Creek (aka the Intracoastal Waterway). It is a deck plate girder bridge that was built in 1972. The main span is 180.1 feet long and the total bridge is 1762.2 feet long. It has a vertical clearance of 73 feet, which is tall enough for most sailboats and other traffic. A very busy bridge, it carries more than 10 million vehicles a year. That's a lot - a tenth as many as the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson in New York City! It is named for Doctor William C. Holmes, who opened Baldwin County's first hospital and ran it for 22 years before South Baldwin Regional Medical Center opened its doors. (Don't miss the W. C. Holmes Medical Museum.) Three lanes northbound and two lanes southbound, the southbound side has a breakdown/bicycle lane. There is no stopping on the bridge and I don't know about pedestrians, so I wouldn't recommend popping out for a photo of the Intracoastal. There is no toll to cross the bridge. [Review 915 of 2024 - 235 in Alabama - 21944 overall]

This sign remembers the original location of Pensacola Junior College. The school opened its doors…read moreon September 13. 1948. It is interesting to wonder what Peter looked like then. Both Pensacola and the world have changed so much in the seventy-five years since those young adults of that first class walked beyond those doors seeking higher education and to pursue their dreams. These historical markers are important to us as a people. They bring to us the path that led us to our todays.

On the edge of the park stands a live oak that serves as a living monument to all those who have…read moreserved in the United States military. The live oak was planted on February 1, 1953 and was dedicated on the 4th of July in 1946. This is a beautiful tribute in Foley, Alabama and definitely worth checking out.