Welcome back to Mak & Lou’s Summer Adventures, where my 9 year old and I share our (mostly) free, local, and accessible experiences with you! Our hope is that our findings inspire your family to get outside, explore Pensacola, and have more fun.
This week we caught an epic sunset on the Pensacola Bay Bridge, also known as the “3 Mile Bridge”, a ginormous slab of concrete linking Pensacola and Gulf Breeze along Highway 98.
Our goal was simple. Lou said, “Let’s get outside, see a sunset, and take a few big deep breaths in some fresh air.” I said, “Get in the car!”
In preparing for this week’s post, I’d not thought about the impact that this bridge has made on my life. Since early childhood, someone has driven me or I have driven myself across this bridge thousands of times.
Memories surfaced from when I was young of eating french fries from McDonalds, looking out over the Pensacola Bay, and listening with my grandfather to a Simon and Garfunkel tape.
I remembered that one time tubing behind a boat in middle school and coming too close for comfort to the pilings at warped speed.
Now as a grown up, I’ve made memories like circumnavigating the bridge every day to get to work during Hurricane Sally recovery.
The more I thought about the 3 Mile Bridge, I realized that this is not only a link to two of our communities. It is a link in my overall story!
Maybe that is why it is such a special milestone to be able to walk safely. We now have a place to walk, sit, and watch the sunset. One of the better views in town if you ask us!
Hours: All day
Location: Highway 98 connecting the city of Pensacola to city of Gulf Breeze
Admission: FREE
When the bridge first opened up for pedestrians, we were scared. There was no desire from Lou or I to go walking along the traffic like that. “No mam.” We’d say as we would drive by pedestrians walking across. It wasn’t until a few months in when we started hearing through the community that the 10 ft multipurpose path felt safe and wide enough for both foot and bike traffic.
When thinking of the best place to catch the sunset, we both agreed that the 3 Mile Bridge was our best bet. With the new remodel of the bridge came a full parking lot on the Gulf Breeze side, and a roundabout on the Pensacola side. Both ends of the bridge allow access to the multipurpose path on either side.
In order to catch the best view, we parked closest to The Bridge Bar on the Gulf Breeze side. From here, there is no obstruction from the bridge, and your view goes off into the horizon of downtown Pensacola, NAS, and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
While we walked, we looked up different interesting facts about the bridge. We learned that:
- The Pensacola Bay Bridge is named after General Chappie James, the first African-American four-star general in the history of the USAF. He was born and raised here in Pensacola!
- Over 60,000 vehicles travel across the bridge each day.
- The bridge is 16,140 feet, approximately 3 miles.
A Quick Review:
Prior to Lou and I walking together, I’d taken a couple of walks with other adults to make sure that it would be safe for my child. I do recommend using your own discretion before bringing your children on the bridge path. There are bikers, walkers, and runners sharing the path with you, so it is important to use your best etiquette/judgement when allowing people to pass.
The bridge is clean, active though not too busy, and typically offers a breeze. We both agreed that sunrise or sunset were the best times to come during the day. The temperatures are cooler and the wildlife seems to be more active too! We have seen ospreys, dolphins, fish, and pelicans on our walks so far.
As the remodel continues, more areas for seating under the bridge and docking for boats will become available. For now, we enjoy catching the view from some of the observation spots along the bridge’s multipurpose path.
Mak & Lou Rating:
On a 5 star scale, we’d give the bridge walk a 4 out of 5.
Walking the bridge accomplished our goal of getting outside and catching a beautiful sunset. The commotion of the cars going by and the idea of walking over a big body of water may not be for everyone. We didn’t bring enough water to make it all the way to the turn around point, so be sure not to make that same mistake.
Stay hydrated, stay active, and stay tuned for next week’s adventure!
We hope you catch a beautiful sunset this week, no matter where you are.
Till next time,
Mak & Lou
