Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I honestly find that the best beaches in Florida are in the panhandle. Destin, Miramar, Fort Walton area, Seaside, Laguna, Panama etc. have such nice beach areas in comparison to their counter parts on the eastern part of Florida. I do like Ft. Lauderdale, but I prefer the sands and water in the panhandle.
Agree 100%. Panhandle beaches are spectacular, and one of the best things about them, at certain times of the year at least, is that they're not nearly as crowded as beaches are in other parts of Florida.
When I go in May, there are often a few dozen people at most enjoying a big expanse of gorgeous beach. It's busier in summer, I believe, but locals have told me October/November is another good time to go for peace and quiet.
Culture: Pensacola of course is a military-oriented town on the coast-it receives many visitors from Alabama, the Panhandle, and around the south due to its beaches. Amarillo is a frontier town in Texas that maybe has more in common with "western" places like Wyoming, New Mexico, rural and eastern parts of Colorado, etc. than it does with Texas. It is more industrial than leisure-oriented by nature, known for cattle ranching, meatpacking, a nuclear weapons plant.. and it also has Route 66 running through it. Pensacola is known as Lower Alabama in parts, but with a Spanish history, whereas Amarillo (yellow rose), perhaps might be actually more Hispanic in nature (with 29% of the city being Hispanic vs. 5% for Pensacola.) So buzz words, not better or worse, for both, might be, Pensacola being more of a destination vs. Amarillo being a place people pass through and around (though those that live there may be more steady), Pensacola being a more leisure-oriented place vs. Amarillo being more work-oriented, Pensacola having more of a history vs. Amarillo perhaps being more relevant in the present day, and Amarillo being more arid and dry vs. Pensacola being more humid/lush. I know what many prefer from the poll and discussion, but I think there are people out there that would prefer Amarillo to Pensacola, honestly.
More things to Do: That is perhaps up for debate on a certain level too. As far as city attractions itself-Pensacola is much more of a destination though. Amarillo however, perhaps due to it's isolation, has certain things to do that Pensacola doesn't-like a small amusement park, and certain state museums/national heritage sites, plus quirk-like the Big Texan Steakhouse, Cadillac Ranch. Both have cities about 1-1.5 hrs. away (Mobile, Lubbock), that have certain offerings that they lack, but overall are similarly sized. Both also have larger historic cities that are in the weekend trip range (Pensacola is 4 hrs. from Birmingham, 3 hrs. from New Orleans and 5 hrs. from Atlanta-compared to Amarillo which is 5 hrs. from Dallas-Fort Worth, 4 hrs. from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and 4 hrs. from Oklahoma City/Norman. Pensacola has an obvious advantage to those who prefer beaches and watersports, and greenery-on the same token though, I think Amarillo has an obvious edge to those who prefer mountains, rugged landscapes, and visiting national parks. Amarillo is 30 minutes from Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest of it's kind in the US. You can also do things like find dino fossils and ancient petroglyphs within it's metropolitan region. Further out, you have places like Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, White Sands, and Taos plus other beautiful mountain, etc. landscapes of New Mexico and western TX.
More opportunities/Better Economic Future: I'd say it's comparable, and depends on what kind of industry you are in. Amarillo might have a lower COL, and more lucrative long term opportunities overall, though.
Climate: A lot of people think-Amarillo in the Texas desert-hot. But, honestly, it doesn't look so bad. Even during the summer, the evening lows are in the 60s and highs are only in 90s with lower humidity. It gives you a 4 season climate, without appearing to be particularly extreme on any end.
I'm playing devil's advocate here, and I'm not sure, but I'd say it's not the runaway for Pensacola many are saying it is here.
Amarillo is a long ways from the desert in Texas actually.I chose Pensacola because Amarillo is way too cold for me.
Amarillo is a long ways from the desert in Texas actually.I chose Pensacola because Amarillo is way too cold for me.
From legit deserts you are correct-though I think it would effectively feel like a desert to many in the Eastern US that haven’t seen one haha-
I can see where you’d say that-it looks like it does get somewhat cold in winters there... colder than Pensacola at least-though not bad by my standards-I guess winters get pretty cold at night.. but daytime highs in the low 50s with ample sunshine would still seem pretty comfortable overall. Dry cold also doesn’t feel as cold to me as wet cold, same as heat in that regard.
From legit deserts you are correct-though I think it would effectively feel like a desert to many in the Eastern US that haven’t seen one haha-
I can see where you’d say that-it looks like it does get somewhat cold in winters there... colder than Pensacola at least-though not bad by my standards-I guess winters get pretty cold at night.. but daytime highs in the low 50s with ample sunshine would still seem pretty comfortable overall. Dry cold also doesn’t feel as cold to me as wet cold, same as heat in that regard.
True....good point.The bad thing about Amarillo winters are the extreme windchill and blizzards but much milder winters than a lot of the US.I prefer daytime highs in the mid to upper 50's at least.
Anyone else potentially a hiking/national parks enthusiast that would pick Amarillo based upon that?
You have:
Palo Duro Canyon State Park 0:33
Lake Meredith NRA 0:38
Capulin Volcano NM 2:57
Cibola NF 4:06 (Including 10K peaks)
Carlsbad Caverns NP 4:41
Bandelier NM 4:51
Taos Pueblo NM and Taos Ski Valley (Including 13K peaks) 5:06
Guadalupe Mountains NP 5:13
Colorado Springs (+ surrounds) 5:19
Great Sand Dunes NP 5:21
I realize some of these are on the far end for a weekend trip... but I still think it's an amenity that doesn't quite get noticed or people are familiar with for Amarillo here. I'm not meaning to compare Amarillo to like Flagstaff or even Pueblo, CO.. but I do think that aspect of living here, as well as the economy related to COL, is underrated.
To be fair-I live in the Eastern US, and have lived in the Midwest or the South for my entire life-so part of the reason I think I'd pick Amarillo here other than the poll being perhaps overly lopsided-is that I'd be curious about having the ability to consistently access landscapes like this on weekends...
You are waaaaaaaay better off in Pensacola. There really is no comparison. This is actually a very odd comparison.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Trust me
