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From atop the ramparts we can see the choppy waters of Pensacola
Inlet and the narrow cut to Big Lagoon, separated from the sea
by Perdido Key. We sail through the cut, careful to avoid
oncoming traffic, and marvel at the white-sand cliffs.
The chart shows depths in the protected cove at Spanish
Point run 2 to 3 feet, but locals say there's at least 10,
so we head there for the night. The glow of Pensacola
Light, a dark-painted 191-foot lighthouse, and the
occasional roar of a jet fighter landing at the Pensacola
Naval Air Station are the only intrusions on nature's stage
set. Dinner is, of course, cheeseburgers in paradise.
After dark, a fisherman poles a skiff in the shallows, the
hull fitted with flashing lights to attract the flounder he
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Juana's Pagoda is a sailor's hangout offering cold beer, frozen
drinks, shrimp, grouper, and ribs and steak on the grill.
Owners Steve and Juana Rudzki are cruisers, as are Steve's brother
Ken, and his wife, Cheryl, who bakes the pastries and breads.
Ken claims hurricanes rip apart buildings with corners, but
tend to swirl around pagodas. "These pagodas are a
Seminole Indian design," he says, noting that Valjawan Deer, a
Choctaw Indian, erected them with a Seminole crew. "It's a lot
of work to repair the thatch, so we're experimenting with some different
materials, but keeping the design." The Rudzkis want to maintain
the low-key atmosphere, but like residents of Pensacola Beach and other
enclaves along Florida's Panhandle, they fear encroaching high-rises
will forever change their world. |
