Pensacola is one of the greatest cities, located just inside the panhandle of Florida. It has the whitest sand, warm weather, and best seafood. There's nowhere else that has the unique lifestyle this city has to offer. Therefore, you know you're from Pensacola if...
1.Your phone number starts with 850.
A true resident will even refer to the area itself as the 850. Many will even put it in their social media bios.
2. You know not to feed the seagulls.
Tourists should all learn this very valuable lesson. If there’s one thing you don’t do on the beach, it feeds the seagulls. It will make them flock to you, and once that happens, there’s no getting rid of those pesky squealing birds.
3. You thought the dolphin water tanks had actual dolphins in them.
As a kid, you always assumed they painted those dolphins on there because there were real ones inside. Growing up was a real disappointment because you found out it was just a water tank.
4. Going on the boat or to the beach was a weekly occurrence.
My family went out on the boat every Sunday, and as a kid, it almost got boring. Weekend plans always consisted of sand and sun.
5. Winter isn’t a thing.
The longest winter usually lasts two weeks. Temperatures rarely get cold enough for long sleeves. My mom once referred to a cold front as the temperature dropping to 68.
6. Because of number 4, beach days happen in January.
No month is off limits for beach days. The unpredictable temperature changes can make any day perfect for laying out, just stay away from the icy water.
7. You will never find a better sunset.
I’ve been many places, but no sunset compares to the ones in the panhandle. I don’t know if it’s because anything looks beautiful on a beach, but you just can’t beat how picture perfect the sky is.
8. BLUE ANGELS
It’s pretty much a holiday. There’s just something so appealing about laying on beach and watching planes do insane tricks that is sure to draw a huge crowd every year.
9. Hurricanes are almost a joke.
Key word: almost. Sure you have your bad ones like Ivan and Dennis, but most times even the words category two aren’t enough to make you worried about putting up the hurricane shutters. Plus, hurricane season was always fun as a kid when the names list came out because you wanted to see if they named one after you.
10. You love crawfish boils and GOOD seafood.
Pensacola is home to some of the very best seafood restaurants, not to mention Joe Patty’s. If you’re in the mood for seafood, you have your pick of top notch restaurants. However, most people enjoy simply catching their own. Even crawfish boils are common at restaurants on the beach or just in your neighbor's backyard.
11. Once you leave, you realize it’s the greatest place you’ll ever live.
Growing up in the panhandle is often taken for granted. Leaving makes you realize that there really is nothing better than living “where people vacation.”