Pensacola Naval Air Station. 8:30 a.m. Blue Angels will be at the Naval Museum after the practice for autographs. Call 850-452-2583. Web site: www.navalaviationmuseum.org.

Pensacola Naval Air Station. 8:30 a.m. Call 850-452-2583. Web site: www.navalaviationmuseum.org.

Lighthouse, Naval Air Station. Climb the lighthouse after dark and see the magnificent Fresnel lens in operation. Ghost stories will be told inside the Keeper’s Quarters. Children must be at least 7 years old to climb. 8 p.m., 9:15 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. Cost: $10 (cash only). Call 850-457-7095. Web site: www.pensacolalighthouse.org.

Blue Angels Air Show aboard NAS Pensacola. NAS Pensacola. Free admission. Call 850-452-2583. Web site: www.blueangels.navy.mil.

The tours begin at noon and the last tour is at 4 p.m. at NAS Pensacola. Adults $5, Children 7-11 $3. Call 850-712-1037.

     Welcome to one of the most pristine and beautiful coasts in the nation. Year-round mild temperatures and 52 miles of sugar white beaches, laced with the emerald water of the northern Gulf of Mexico, draw millions of visitors worldwide each year just as it attracted the first European in 1559.

     Don Tristan de Luna knew he found the crown jewel of the Gulf of Mexico when he scanned the breathtaking coast. No question, beaches are the area's main attraction. Just like de Luna realized, Pensacola has much more to offer than sun, surf and sand. Modern-day visitors are discovering this, too.

Take in a Broadway musical, symphony or outdoor concert. Explore Civil War-era forts. Experience soaring with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels at the IMAX theater in the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Or, discover why Pensacola is nicknamed the "City of Five Flags.''

     These are just a few attractions found in Pensacola that is just a few minutes drive from area beaches.

     It's a microcosm of a big city without the big city rush.Vibrant and eclectic, the city is brimming with cultural events and restaurants, museums, shops, and nightclubs to make anyone's vacation more than a day at the beach. There's no place better to start sampling the city's offerings than downtown, which is easily walkable or horse-drawn carriage for a fascinating tour of the port city shaped by a 400-year history. Architecture and street names reveal the influence of the five countries of Spain, France, England, the Confederacy and the United States that laid claim to the city through the centuries.

     Get a closer look of the types of people who settled here at the Historic Pensacola Village where visitors are transported back to the time of the "Spanish explorers, Victorian ladies, and Creole women." A few steps away are more historic offerings including the T.T. Wentworth Museum, Jr. Florida State Museum, Colonial Archaeological Trail, and Museum of Commerce and Museum of Industry. A tour of the historic homes of Seville Square completes the package.

    The people of Pensacola love to celebrate its history and the arts, music, seafood…well just about anything that they create a festival around. No matter the time of the year, visitors will likely be able to catch one, like the Crawfish Festival in the spring, Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival in the fall, or Mardi Gras festivities in the winter, to name a few.

     Even without a festival there's plenty of excitement in Pensacola. With downtown experiencing unprecedented revitalization, many new eateries and businesses are springing up frequently. Return visitors will be delighted to discover new places, like Rag Tyme Grill on South Jefferson street. They'll be thrilled to revisit some of their favorite spots, such as Dharma Blue overlooking Seville Square. Pensacola is best known for its Coastal Southern cuisine from a Fish House original, "Grits a Ya Ya,'' to sumptuous shrimp prepared every way imaginable and found in nearly every restaurant in town.

    The area's diverse population is reflected in the ethnic food eateries that abound around town: Greek, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Mediterranean, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese. Some of the best fare is found in homegrown eateries that are Pensacola institutions.

     Want to play? Disney World theme parks are eight hours away, but just a short drive northwest of downtown is the Rocky and Bullwinkle theme park, Sam's Fun City. The amusement park features an arcade, laser tag, water bumper boats, miniature golf, go-carts a ferris wheel and many other rides to entertain a family for a day.

     The area's largest multi-screen, stadium-seating theater is located right next door to Sam's. Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge, that parallels the three-mile bridge, offers great bay fishing and a fun day outdoors.

    Just across the highway on Pensacola Bay, birding enthusiasts can spot rare and common birds of the region along the shore on Bayfront Parkway. Among them, Osprey. The eagle of the sea nearly vanished from the area but is rebounding after efforts to restore its habitat and provide nesting sites.