I can’t enter 2026 without sharing the best food and travel finds that made 2025 one to remember. Besides discovering some true gems on supermarket shelves that I’ll use in ’26, The past year also filled with delicious restaurant meals and amazing travel adventures. Here are a few of my favorites from ’25;
1. Pleasures await in Pensacola – I’m ashamed to say that I had allowed several years to elapse between my last visit to this island paradise and my visit in early summer. Pensacola is amazingly easy to get to, thanks to an enviable location just off Interstates 10 and 110. Within minutes of exiting the interstate, visitors find themselves in downtown Pensacola and the beach. And here’s a fun fact; visitors staying directly on Pensacola Beach are actually on Santa Rosa Island. So, yes, those who like to brag that they enjoyed an “island getaway” get their wish when visiting Pensacola, a nearly 40-mile stretch of breathtaking beaches that includes Perdido Key Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
And here’s the primary element that sets Pensacola apart from most beach destinations – there are so many interesting things to do and places to explore besides lounging on the beach, shopping and eating fried shrimp, the highlights of most of my past beach trips. Just a few highlights included visiting the museum at the Naval Air Station, home of the world-famous Blue Angels; soaking in the private, peaceful beauty of the national seashore and experiencing world-class museums and historic sights in downtown Pensacola. Add amazing cuisine at a few of literally hundreds of area restaurants and it was a trip I’m longing to repeat…