The weather is warming up. It is the perfect time to pull out the fishing poles and try your hand at the age old past time while enjoying your stay at your Navarre Beach vacation rental. 

Since last August there has been one change regarding fishing licenses. Now any Florida resident who fishes from the shore or a structure attached to the shore is required to have a license.

Non-residents, good news, nothing has changed. Non-residents have always required a fishing license. Unless you are fishing from a commercial fishing pier or from a charter boat, in which case the business has a license to cover their clientele.

When in Navarre Beach, a good place to stop by and pick up a fishing license is Half-Hitch Tackle located off of Hwy 98/ Navarre Parkway. Or if you want to plan ahead and get one before your vacation, go online to myfwc.com to purchase your license.

So pack the tackle box and your pole and head to Navarre Beach to enjoy the sand, sun, and surf while fishing Florida’s Gulf Coast waters.

Navarre Beach Pier

The demolition of the old Navarre Beach pier is starting now.  In this picture you can see the work on the old pier with the new pier in the background.  The new Navarre Beach Pier will be opening in May.  Call Navarre Properties 866-936-1312 to reserve a place to stay and enjoy our new pier.

Keep the kids busy when staying at Navarre Beach for your family vacation. Navarre Beach Marine Science Station offers a “Saturday by the Sea” program from 9:45 a.m. until 2 p.m. Your student will learn about fish and marine mammals, dip nets/cast nets, kayaking and fishing skills.

Through March the focus is on marine vertebrates. April will be marine invertebrates, and in May the subject will be sharks.

If your student desires to participate, print out a NBMSS waiver and bring it with you along with $25 for costs. Find the form located on the www.navarresciencestation.org under Sat. by the Sea.

Also, he or she needs to bring sun block, hat, sun glasses, water shoes - something that can get worn in the water, beach towel and a change of clothes.

Please e-mail Charlene Mauro, project director, if you’d like your child to participate:  mauroc@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us. Saturday by the Sea is open to all students whether local or out-of-towners. Certain Saturdays are geared toward certain age groups, so make sure to inquire which is best for the age of your child.

So escape to Navarre Beach, relax in the sand, sun and surf, and enjoy.

Does it ever amaze you how a potter can take a lump of insignificant clay and turn it into something useful and beautiful?

Feb. 11-13 will be the Gulf Coast Clay Conference hosted primarily at Pensacola Junior College, but it finishes the last day as a festival in Navarre at the Kiln Walk Site. During this three day conference one can participate in work shops and view demonstrations and exhibits.

Conference participants must register and the cost is $95 or $25 for full time students. To register call 850.939.7972.

The Festival in Navarre is open to the public with demos, exhibits, and pieces for sale. So enjoy an afternoon out and see what pottery you might find.

February is here at Navarre Beach, and along the Gulf Coast that means Mardi Gras and the colors of the festivity: purple, green, and gold. It means king cakes and parades; smiles and fun.

Mardi Gras is a time of carnival or merrymaking, as many a definition will say, which leads up to Ash Wednesday and Lent. It began in New Orleans but has spread throughout the Gulf Coast region through the years.

Here at Navarre Beach, we have our own Mardi Gras parade. This year the parade will be held Feb. 13 on the beach. At Mardi Gras parades people line the street to watch the colorful floats and hope to catch the beaded necklaces or doubloons being given away.

Even though it is time of “merrymaking” in Navarre we keep it deliberately family oriented. We like to make sure that the kids can have as much fun catching beads from the passing floats as the grown ups.

So take a vacation down to the Florida Gulf Coast and experience the revelry of Mardi Gras.

The holidays are over. The cooler temps have set in, even here at the Gulf coast. However, we still have things to do- like a trip back in time.

Fort Barrancus located at Pensacola NAS , is offering candlelight tours lead by costumed civil war-era characters to explain the entire fort’s history.  Learn about the men who served within its walls, their duties,  and their battles.

The tours will be held 5 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 30 and Feb. 13, 2010.  Participants must make reservations by calling 850.455.5167.  And since it is located on the base, it is requested that you enter through the back gate on Blue Angel Parkway.

So while staying at Navarre Beach, prepare for a trip to the past in attending Fort Barrancus and its candlelight tours.

Navarre Beach will have its own coldwater dip on Jan. 1, 2010 to welcome in the New Year. The event is taking place outside of Juana’s Pagoda and Sailor’s Grill, and it will last from noon to 2 p.m. with door prizes, free food and drinks for participants. And for the true penguins out there, try “The Wave of Challenge” where you can ride a tube behind a jet ski.

To take part in the festivities, whether you decide to jump in the water or not, you must register either online (active.com) or in person, and the cost is $25. The motto is “Freezing for a Reason.” And what is the reason, you may ask. Well, all benefits are going to support The Escarosa Coalition for the Homeless.

What a way to welcome in the new year with good food and good fun. But after all that is said and done, just think of your warm condo awaiting you with a fully furnished kitchen ready to make hot coffee or hot cocoa.

It’s 2010. It’s a new year. Get away and take the plunge, or sit back and watch those who do. Happy New Year!

Effects from Tropical Storm Ida temporarily closed J. Earle Bowden Way from Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach this month.  Crews worked hard to remove sand from the road.  We are happy to report that the road re-opened on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Navarre Beach is now home to the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station! With the generous donation of the new Marine Science Station (NBMSS), students of all ages have the unique invitation to discover the many wonders of marine life in environmentally rich Santa Rosa County. Navarre Beach Park offers 130 acres of sandy white beaches, lush wetlands, and native vegetation. This year, the Science Station hosted a fantastic summer camp- activities included fishing, kayaking, and learning about out amazing marine ecosystem here on Navarre Beach. During the school year, the Science Station hosts local school classes for field trips and hands-on learning opportunities. High School Dual-Enrollment students can even take classes in Marine Biology and Oceanography. The program is spearheaded by Charlene Mauro Fearon, an award-winning and devoted science teacher at Navarre High School.

Want to get involved? Help keep our beaches clean! September 19th, NBMSS will host the International Coastal Clean Up from 8 AM-12 PM at the Navarre Beach Park. Then, see the science station first-hand at the Coastal Encounters Open House, Saturday October 3rd from 8 AM-12 PM. Admission in free! Explore the touch tank, discover the truth about shark myths, and learn to identify seashells. Arts and crafts activities include fish painting, create your own shark necklace, and sea turtle maracas! Donations to the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station are greatly appreciated. Contact the Navarre Beach Marine Science Staion to learn more!