Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Goofy Golf - Pensacola Florida

The Dinosaur From Course 1
We all have those fond memories of places we use to visit and things that we use to do as kids. For me one of those memories is that of Goofy Golf located in Pensacola Florida. Goofy Golf is a small place that you can go to play put put. There are two courses and they don't have the typical theme that most places these days have. When I was little I use to always ask my parents if Goofy Golf was open, the reason was that they were not open at all times of the year so I was thrilled when they were open and I could go and take some swings. While this little place has changed through the years and it does not seem as new and sparkly as it once did to me, (or perhaps its always been that way but I'm older now) it still holds the same appeal and love as it always did.

There are still two courses and they still hold the same interest with funky characters at each turn. In one course you can start with the Mad Hatters Hat, and work your way through a pumpkin head, cemetery, octopus (this one always took me forever to get), skee ball which looks like a skee ball game, spook house, a tiki hut, a cave, grandmother's house, the dinosaur this one was always my favorite he use to be orange but they have since painted him green I still miss the orange version, da bear who is wearing what looks a lot like a Chicago Bears jersey, shoe, hollywood, candy lane, gator one of my other favorites as a kid the eyes of the gator light up and the mouth opens and closes, chinese dragon, hat and then finally the lion's den.

The Owl From Course 2
If you want to go on the second course you will start with Humpty Dumpty this is a classic, then go on to space battle, cogsworth, sky rocket, captain james, shrek this one was not there when i was little it was added on, lighthouse, perisa, the knight, wormy one my favorites as a kid but I think I just liked to play on the worm, ancient greece, owl, slow poke who has been repainted to look a lot like a koopa trooper from
Mario, Koopa's Castle from Mario, roswell, secret garden, graffiti ramp, and then you can finish up with the igloo.

While I still love both course course two has taken a few more turns and changes over the years so I prefer the first course. They are both still a ton of fun and whenever I go there even now I have to do both courses. It's not the newest or the fanciest of places but it's different and something that you won't find other places, this is the  original Goofy Golf and I don't care if it sounds silly I still think that its something that the entire family can enjoy. If you live in town and have never been or if you are just visiting I would recommend this place. They usually aren't too busy but if you can go in the afternoon or on a weekend you are less likely to run into crowds. If you are looking for one course the second course is a little easier than the first one, in my opinion but I would still recommend if you have the time doing both.

They also have a small arcade and batting cages as well as a couple pool tables that you can use.

Slow Poke From Course 2
Phone Number: 850-456-6794
Address: 3924 W Navy Blvd  Pensacola, FL 32507
Hours:  Mon-Fri 2PM - 10PM 
            Sat&Sun 12Noon - 10PM 
 Four years and older $5 for one course or $8 for both
Three years and under free

Friday, July 12, 2013

St. Petersburg Museum of History - St. Petersburg Florida

A few years ago I went on a trip with a friend and he insisted that we head down to St. Petersburg. One of the things that we did while we were there was head to the St. Petersburg Museum of History. From the outside it's a pretty small unassuming building and more than likely doesn't get a lot of traffic from tourists. I love museums so of course I was all for seeing what it was like. When I first walked in I wasn't really expecting much but to my surprise I ended up really the museum.

Replica of the Benoist Airboat
It's not that big, but that doesn't mean that if you decide you want to see it  that you shouldn't make sure that you give yourself plenty of time. They have a ton of great exhibits and artifacts and always have some sort of temporary exhibit on display. I personally like a few things that stood out, the The World's First Commercial Airline is an exhibit that always stays at the museum. It has a lot of information and artifacts but it included a full sized replica that works, of the Benoist Airboat, which I found very interesting.

There are little things throughout the museum that are fun, including a figure of what the height of the average man was during a certain time frame. It's fun to stand up all your friends next to it and see how they measure
The Sarcophagus of the Mummy
up. I'm sure that for most grown people they will be taller than the figure, I was surprised to see they weren't all that tall. I have to admit that my favorite piece in the entire museum was a mummy and the sarcophagus that belongs to the mummy. This 3,000 year old mummy was the highlight of my trip to the museum. I have always been interested in these things and found it wonderful that I got to see one in person. Actually I was surprised that the sarcophagus was not behind a glass case or anything at all, it was just sitting out next to the display case that holds the actual mummy. I could have leaned up against it or touched it if I had wanted to. (Although let's be honest, that would be more than a little creepy and I had no desire to touch another person's used coffin).

In all the museum has been around for 90 years and has it's own history it was founded in 1920 as the St. Petersburg Memorial Historical Society. In 1922 the museum moved to the site where it is currently located, and has been there every since. With over 30,000 artifacts it will hold your attention and is well worth the visit. Visitors can take advantage of self guided tours or of guided tours if wanted. Visit the museum's website for more information.

Admission

General admission: $12 Senior citizens 60 and up: $9 Students with ID: $6 Children 8-17: $6 Children under 8: FREE

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM- 5 PM


Closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year's Day