There are so many unique places to ride when you really start hunting for them, and this was one of those rides. The Pensacola Bay Bridge (or three-mile bridge as it’s known locally) is a huge expanse over Pensacola Bay reaching 65 feet above the water. The best part is that they built this bridge with a fully separate bike and pedestrian lane on each side of the bridge, so you can safely ride from one end to the other without ever having to deal with Highway 98 traffic.
Where to Park
The Pensacola Bay Bridge is a beautiful, iconic sight to behold. It is not the biggest or tallest bridge in the world, but it is absolutely stunning in person. We drove down to ride a route that Scott had made that included the bridge and a short jaunt around Gulf Breeze, Florida, then back again.
We started the route at the Pensacola Bay Bridge Welcome Center parking lot. The center was open and did have restrooms and loads of brochures about things to do in the area, places to eat, etc. The staff were polite, but I would not go as far as friendly.
The parking lot was under construction, both this one and the one at the other end of the bridge. So, there were lots of fences and potholes to avoid. The one thing that I really did not like about this parking lot was the amazing number of stickers in the “grass” areas. It was extremely difficult for Edgar to walk anywhere without getting poked.
At least the lot was open for parking and we felt very safe in leaving the truck there while we rode the route.
New Saddlebags
I also took the time to try out my new saddle bags that I had made for my FX. They are fantastic! If you want to know how I made them, what pattern I used, etc. just let me know in the comments.
The Bridge
When we arrived at the start of the bridge, we were so stoked to find this sign. It was the perfect intro to the crossing. At the other end of the bridge, the construction was coming to completion and the sculpture you see below was equally as interesting.
The bridge has a bike lane in both directions that is seperated from motor traffic by a very nice concrete barrier the whole way. We felt very safe the whole ride over. Having the separated bikeway allowed us to stop along the bridge and admire the view without the danger of being run over by traffic. Well done Pensacola!
Should you attempt this route, be aware that once you leave the bridge and venture into Gulf Breeze, the ride is more sidewalks and traffic crossings. There is a nature trail in the route on Gulf Breeze that was wonderful, but once you emerge from the protection of the nature area, you are back in the thick of dealing with motorists and tourists galore.
Eating Out With Edgar
After our ride, we asked the agents in the welcome center about local places to eat that were dog friendly. They highly recommended The Oar House, which turned out to be fantastic! Edgar was able to walk in on his leash, we were seated outside, but the entire restaurant is dog friendly, so if it was raining we would have been able to eat inside.
We ate at the water’s edge and enjoyed looking all the boats, along with people watching, too. Edgar and I had a burger and the fries were fabulous! I can’t remember what Scott had, but I know it was delicious.
This was a full day trip, so after dinner we headed north to home. Overall, this was one of the most fun bike route/rides we have done to date that is close enough to get to and back in one day. Our ride info is below as always. Keep pedaling…
Ride with GPS Route
Below is the embed for our actual Ride with GPS profile ride from this trip, you can click on the title for more details.
