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

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

Old Town Alabama - Montgomery Alabama

Old Town Alabama is one of the many things that is in Montgomery that can often be overlooked by the traveler. However this particular historic tour is something that I think everyone should make the time to see. While it is considered a tour you do not have to actually go with a tour group to see all the buildings and sites on the tour. You can do a self guided tour. When you buy your tickets you will be given a map of the sites included in your ticket. What I found very interesting is that they have people in costumes that are placed throughout the tour and you can stop and talk to them and ask questions, and the are very informative. You can also leave and come back throughout the day if you need to take a break or go get something to eat and come back.

I do recommend making sure that you check the weather when you are planning to go because this is an outdoor tour. While you can go inside many of the buildings you will be walking from one to another and they are not always that close together. They also have some gardens that are around some of the old homes and those are worth looking at, especially if you have hit the right time of year so the flowers are in bloom. I found when I went that it was nice to go see a few of the buildings and then find a cool place to sit. Me and the person that I was with were actually lucky enough to be able to find a cool place where someone that worked there was,
so we were talking with him and asking him questions and learned a lot. It was really something that I enjoyed. There are all kinds of little things that you can learn by asking a lot of questions if you aren't too shy.

You are free to roam in and out of all the buildings and can look at your own pace but the Ordeman
House is the only one that you have to have a guided tour of. That is included in your admission so it is not extra, but I would make sure that you look to see what times the tours are when you get your tickets and do it. The inside is amazing, but the outside and the garden are even better. If you are planning to try and see all the buildings and sites then I would make sure that you have the ablity to go for an entire day. It's very nice and relaxing and the more time you have and the better the weather is the more fun you will have. It's also a good idea to make sure that you wear clothes that are comfy and shoes for walking. It's not like a hike would be but it's a fair amoung of walking.

Overall this was something that I though might be nice, but it was much better than I thought it would be, and I wish that I had alloted more time to see the tour. I plan on going back and seeing the tour in a more relaxed timeframe, and I recommend that should you find yourself in the Montgomery area you make sure that you check out this tour, and bring your camera.

Hours are Mon.-Sat. 9AM-4PM last ticket sold at 3PM Mon.-Fri. and 2:30PM on Sat.
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Admission is $10 for adults and children are $5, children under 6 are free

The list of complete buildings on the tour can be found at The Old Town Alabama's Website.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival - Montgomery Alabama

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is located in Montgomery Alabama. It's something that many people around the south have heard of, but few have actually been there and fewer know the history behind this great treasure. The Festival was orginally located in Aniston Alabama and was in a high school and only ran plays six weeks out of the year. In the early 80s the festival faced financial problems, which is when the new building was built in Montgomery on a 250 acre park, by a lover of the arts. Thus creating the Shakespeare Festival that we know today. This Festival will show about 14 different plays each year and at least three will be some of Shakespeare's works, the other stages will perform other classics from writers such as Shaw, Chekhov, Wilder, and many more.

I myself have been to this Festival two times, when I was younger and once when I was older. The

first two trips that I took, were as school trips and I had fun but didn't truly appreciate it until I was a

little older. The building itself is something to see, but also the grounds. The festival sits on 250 acres of land that is a site to see just driving to the stages. The park is open from dusk until dawn every day, and well worth seeing and it's a great place to picnic and even bring your dog, (but dogs must be on a leash). The normal rules do apply, things like do not harm the wildlife, or mess up the pieces of art that are on the property, pick up after yourself, things that are not only rules but just the right things to do. It's a good idea to make sure that you check the weather schedule before heading out as the more beautiful the day the better.

It's easy to purchase tickets if you wish to see a show at the Festival it's best to contact them through their website. However a few things that you should note, children under the age of six are not permitted in the shows, there might be a show at some point for children but this rule is to ensure the performers safety and the patrons enjoyment of the show. Casual attire is what a lot of people wear to the shows they attend, a wide range of attire can be seen when you go. However the times that I went I worn a casual dress, and felt comfortable and thought it was appropriate, so I would recommend nice, but casual. If you are interested to learn more about the performance or ask the actors any questions you might want to know that after each afternoon performance there is a short question and answer with the cast. I had the pleasure of going to a show that had this and I found out so much about the performances. If you want to know even more about the festival you can book a behind the scenes tour. You should contact the box office to find out when it is available and pricing, I have always wanted to do that, but have not had the chance to yet. Seeing a show here is something that I would highly recommend to anyone.


The Alabama Shakespeare Festival website will have all the information on tickets and shows.