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STOP 1:The area’s beautiful beaches
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía ofSpain visited ourshores and saw firsthand the emerald-green water and sugar-white sand.FUN FACT:This cross on Pensacola Beach commemorates thefirst Catholic Mass held in the United States on August 15,1559 shortly after the Spanish sailors arrived.The king and queen stayed in separate luxury suites at the HiltonPensacola Beach GulfFront. He stayed in a king-size bed, whileshe stayed in a queen-size bed.
STOP 2:Galvezmonument at Fort George
The Battle ofPensacolain 1781 was very importantto the American cause in theRevolutionary War. When theBritish lost to the Spanish at FortGeorge, Florida was given back toSpain, weakening Great Britain’shold on the United States.The king and queen paid tributeto the victorious SpanishGeneral Galvez at the FortGeorge monument onPalafox Street.
STOP 3:Plaza de Luna on Pensacola Bay
The royal couple drove down Palafox Street to Avenida Juan Carlos I to dedicate a plaque at Plaza de Luna.Today, a 6-foot-tall conquistador statue representsDon Tristan de Luna. Plaza de Luna on Pensacola Bay isa popular park for residents and visitors, with asprayground for children, fishing access, and free movienights and concerts hosted by the city.
STOP 4: Plaza Ferdinand in Downtown Pensacola
Plaza Ferdinand is named for Spain’s king in 1781, King Ferdinand.Ironically, Plaza Ferdinand is where Gen. Andrew Jackson transferredFlorida from Spain to the United States in 1821. Plaza Ferdinand,which connects the Palafox district with the Pensacola HistoricDistrict is an ideal place to rest from a day oftouring DowntownPensacola. Visitors can also stop in Jackson’s Steakhouse on the plazafor an elegant meal.
Stop 5: T.T. Wentworth Jr.,Florida State Museum
The University ofWest Floridaarchaeology department recentlyuncovered a 1559 shipwreck in PensacolaBay. Artifacts and an anchor believedto be de Luna’s can be seen at theT.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum.
STOP 6:Historic Pensacola Village
The royal couple drove throughHistoric Pensacola Village, whichfeatures furnished homes from theColonial era to the Victorian age. Theywere greeted by costumed guides whodepict life from long ago.FUN FACT:The names ofSpanish cities can be foundthroughout downtown on streets such as Zaragoza, Tarragonaand Cervantes, and Seville Square.In 1559, Spanish sailor Don Tristan de Luna sailed into Pensacola Bay to establish one of the first major European settlements in North America. A hurricane and lost supplieseventually doomed the settlement, and within a few years the explorers fled. In 1698, theSpanish returned and established Presidio Santa María de Galve, the first permanentsettlement in Northwest Florida.
STOP 7:National NavalAviation Museumat NAS Pensacola
The National NavalAviation Museum, oneofthe world’s largestair and space museums, features more than 150 vintageaircraft, including the first plane to cross the Atlantic andthe first to land on the South Pole.FUN FACT:The PensacolaCelebrity Chefs prepared a meal forthe king and queen, Florida GovernorCharlie Crist and 500 guests in themuseum’s atrium. Guests dined onshrimp salad, cheese grits with grilledgrouper and lump crab sauce and achocolate cheesecake topped with local pecans and berries.Enjoy a feast fit for a king (or queen) at Global Grill, FishHouse, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Skopelos on the Bay or H2O.Royal recipes at www.PensacolaCelebrityChefs.com.
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