gulf of mexico

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  Gulf Breeze is located between Pensacola on the north and Santa Rosa Island on the south.
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  The house faces Pensacola Bay.
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  This view of the home faces west on Pensacola Bay.
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  The Phoenix is the name of the Levin Estate. The home is 26,000 square feet with 47 rooms. An extensive art collection fatures works by Savador Dali and Leroy Neiman.
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  Dave Henke is swing man for the shoot. He is part of the local crew and has extensive experience in San Diego working on films such as Austin Powers and Silk Stalkings.
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  Dave Henke pulls cable on the set.
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  The great room has a view overlooking Escambia Bay facing north.
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  The small boat house can be seen in the center of the photograph. Dead Man's Island is a narrow strip of land separating Escambia Bay from the channel.
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  The stairs are located on the east side of the house. The boat ramp for access to the bay can be seen on the right of the picture.
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  The walkway to the bay and a view of Dead Man's Island can be seen in the center of the photograph.
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  The house is visible in the upper right of the frame. The photograph is taken from the vantage point of the channel, facing southeast. The swing is on the lower right of the frame.
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  A small boat is visible in the center frame. Small rocks form a retaining wall along the south side of the channel.
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  The cove is on the sound side of Naval Live Oaks Preserve.
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  Saw palmettos are among the ground cover plants in the preserve.
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  The cove is part of Escambia Bay at the National Seashore.
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  The cove is part of Naval Live Oaks Preservation at the National Seashore.
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  Long-leaf pine trees grow along the beach on the bay.
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  A diversity of gulls, terns and various shorebirds can be found year-round feeding at the shore.
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  The initial step in restoration of deflated sand dunes is to use structures that can accumulate sand. Dune building fences can be erected in order to trap sand and reconstruct new dunes.
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  The sound side of the barrier islands is sheltered from the battering of storms.
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  Fort Pickens is located at the wide tip of the barrier island. Runways at the Naval Air Station can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the photograph.
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  The small lake is approximately seven acres in size. It borders Escambia Bay.
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  The lake is bordered by sand dunes and marsh grass. It is located about 2 miles from the main gate of Fort Pickens on the north side of the road.
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  This view of the Ranger Station is taken near the wreck of the Norweigan bark, the Catherine, which is located in 15 feet of water where it sank on August 7, 1894. The outline of the vessel can be seen as a dark shadow on the surface.
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  This the picnic area at Langdon Beach in Ft. Pickens National Park.
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  This is the largest shelter on the beach, suitable for family gatherings and parties.
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  The boardwalk can be seen from the interior of the building.
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  Battery Langdon is directly across Fort Pickens Road from the shelter and walkway leading to the gulf.
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  The boardwalk begins at the parking lot and ends over the ridge of dunes.
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  The fence is located at the Opal Beach sign, three miles from the Opal Beach boardwalk.
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  This is one of the entrance walkways to the picnic area at Opal Beach.
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  There are a number of picnic shelters at the beach service area.
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  The fence on the right of the photograph is put in place to promote dune formation.
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  The walkway leads through the dunes to the beach.
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  The boardwalk is typical of the crossovers at parking bays along the coast.
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  This is a short run boardwalk from the parking lot over the dunes.
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  Boardwalks aid beach preservation by making a path to the water and lessening impact on the dune formations.
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  The national seashore maintains boardwalks and parking bays along Via de Luna Drive on Santa Rosa Island
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  The boardwalk aids in the formation of its own dune alongside of the walkway.
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  The boardwalk ends in a larger staging area across the dunes.
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  Gulf Islands National Seashore is open year-round. A dune crossover is recommended to save vegetation and wearing down of the dune.
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  There is a boardwalk on the Gulf side of the turn-around leading to the beach.
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  For nature lovers, the park is a good place to begin an exploration of the barrier island ecosystem.
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  The south view from the second level deck shows the path to the 165 foot pier with Santa Rosa Sound and military preserve on Santa Rosa Island with the Gulf of Mexico beyond.
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  The staircase bisects the deck leading to the downstairs living area.
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  The master bedroom and bath is separated by closets.
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  Bamboo Willie's faces the sound side of the Gulf.
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  Bamboo Willie's and Hooters are located on the north end of the Quietwater boardwalk.
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  The hut can be opened to utilize the offshore breeze.
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  Bamboo Willie's is located on the right side of the Quietwater Beach shopping and entertainment complex. The photograph is taken from the offshore boardwalk and dock.
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  The water on the soundside is very shallow for 100 yards. The thatched roof of Bamboo Willie's can be seen in the upper center of the photograph.
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  Bamboo Willie's is located on the right of the Quietwater shopping area.
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  The sun sets on Pensacola Beach as the waves from Tropical Storm Hanna lures surfers to the beach. .
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  The snack bar is the oldest business in the area.
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  Tom Roush, film officer, observes the Wrangler photo shoot at the beach.
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  The beach road bisects Santa Rosa Island.
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  The dunes form undulating ridges along the north side of the beach road. This area is across the road from Parking Lot 10 at the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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  Sparse vegetation holds the dunes in place.
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  Some of dune formations on the north side of the beach road rise to a height of about 30 feet.
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  The Gulf can be seen on the far right of the photograph.
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  Beach grasses have long roots that form a subsurface net, keeping the dunes from disintegrating.
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  Beach elder accumulates sand rapidly and produces low rounded dunes.
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  Beach elder (Iva imbricata) has sparse, woody, upright stems and fleshy narrow bright green leaves. Small lavender flowers occur in late summer.
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  East Park is located at the farthest point within the jurisdiction of Escambia County. It is adjacent to the Gulf Island National Seashore.
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  This is the west gate of the park. The shelter and bathhouse area is to the far left of the parking lot.
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  Escambia County and the Santa Rosa Island Authority have built eleven crossover boardwalks similar to the one shown above from Fort Pickens to the Santa Rosa Gulf Islands National Seashore park area.
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  Flounders is part of the Quietwater Beach complex which can be seen from the boardwalk.
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  Surfers gather at Casino Beach in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hanna.
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  The end of the pier widens into a large bay where fishermen gather.
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  This is a view of Casino Beach from the pier.
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  Hamilton poses on the pier during a photo shot for Wrangler Jeans fall 2002 campaign. Photographer, Michael Toth can be seen in the lower right of the picture.
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  One of the 10-year old models poses on the fishing pier during a photo shoot for Wrangler Jeans.
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  This is a streetside view of the last three homes on the the Gulf side of Santa Rosa Island in Escambia County.
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  The bandshell is the site of concerts and events throughout the year.
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  The boardwalk area adjacent to the bandshell features small shops and restaurants.
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  The bandshell is in the center of the boardwalk shopping area. Bamboo Willie's can be seen in the center of the photo at the far end of the walkway.
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  The shallow water on the soundside is ideal for young children and water sports.
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  The walkway on the left of the frame leads to the bandshell.
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  The seed heads mature in August.
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  Sea Oats provide long term protection against beach erosion and add natural beauty to coastal ecosystems.
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  The plants grow to 6 feet high and they function to trap wind-blown sands that eventually mound to begin dune formation.
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  This photo features Sugar The Wonder Dog. Dogs are not allowed on the beach so it was a surprise to see a golden retriver playing in the sand.
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  Sea oats have a deep stem that may reach several feet below the surface of the dune. As the dune continues to grow, this stem send out vigorous branching rhizomes at or just below ground level. As a result a sea oat may reach to the very base of the dune that supports it with a laybrinth of rootlike structures.
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  The tall brown stalks that form wheat-like seed heads are called sea oats.
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  This aerial shows the road that goes the length of Santa Rosa Island. All beach areas can be reached by road, but the road can't be seen from the water.
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  The white sand actually traveled from the Appalachian mountains from local rivers. The dunes are tops with a smattering of sea oats.
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  The short fences were installed after recent storms to promote dune formation by trapping blowing sand.
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  Some of the large dunes are likely the remains of ancient beach ridges that formed during a higher stand of the sea.
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  This is a sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico.
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  The shoreline along the coast is uniform throughout the gulf side of the island.
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  A two lane road runs through the middle of the island.
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  Grand Lagoon can be seen from the boardwalk. The Gulf coast of northwest Florida is blessed with large stretches of protected saltmarsh which are important marine-life nursery areas and heralded for their biological productivity.
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  Escambia County marine specialist, Robert Turpin follows Adventure Crusoe TV host, Darian Voyle on a canoe adventure through the Big Lagoon park that is separated from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico by the narrow strip of sandy land that makes up Perdido Key. Marsh areas are generally confined to inland bays and the landward sides of barrier islands.
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  Valued as wetlands, the salt marshes attract and provide important habitat for numerouse birds and animals.
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  This is the street view of a home located on Perdido Key Drive.
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  This north view shows the facade of the house which faces the Gulf of Mexico
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  The home is surrounded by dunes. Sea oats, lichens and cacti are ground cover.
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  This is a southern view of the gothic beach house from the vantage point of Perdido Key Drive.
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  The gazebo overlooks the Gulf of Mexico on the beachfront.
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  The walkway extends from the house to the beachfront gazebo.
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  The home is located approximately 200 feet from Perdido Key Drive.
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  There are several large condo units located to the east of the gothic house on Perdido Key Drive.
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  A photo shoot sets up near the gazebo. Wrangler Jeans choose the house as a location for its fall advertising campaign.
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  A Wrangler model poses under the boardwalk.
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  Photos from the shoot will be used to establish a point-of-puchase campaign at WalMart stores.
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  Several walkways lead across the dunes to the beachfront. There is an ample parking bay adjacent to the area.
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  Boardwalks from the parking lot allow visitors to access the beach without causing damage to the fragile dunes and beach vegetation.
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  Several paths lead across the dunes to the gulf.
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  Visitors can view native plants and animals in the natural environment.
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  The red clay bluffs fade into the pink sandy beach. The colored sand is a stark contrast to the glimming white quartz sand along the Gulf of Mexico on nearby Pensacola Beach.
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  Repairs to J. Earle Bowden Way, the 12-mile road through Gulf Islands National Seashore connecting Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach, are complete. The route is clear and open for the first time since July 2005, when Hurricane Dennis destroyed recently completed repairs from 2004’s Hurricane Ivan.