Discovering Pensacola
For July’s theme, Explore, it feels especially fitting as I reflect on my first year living and working in Pensacola, a year filled with new experiences, meaningful connections, and a growing appreciation for this community..
A little over a year ago, I moved to Pensacola, not knowing just how much this community would draw me in. At the same time, I stepped into my role with this magazine, which has since evolved from Publisher’s Assistant to Publication Manager. Looking back now, it feels like both journeys began together. What started as a move to Pensacola quickly became an opportunity to truly explore not just the city itself, but the people, stories, and experiences that make this community so special.
One of the greatest privileges of working with this magazine has been getting to know Pensacola beyond the surface. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people who each contribute to the unique spirit of this city in their own way. Some of my favorite moments have come over the last two months while working on our Men’s and Women’s issues. From the planning and photoshoots to finally meeting everyone involved, reading the thoughtful articles contributed by Will, our publication director, and Suzanne, our publisher, and ultimately unveiling the covers, every step of the process reminded me how meaningful connection can be.
There is something incredibly special about bringing together a group of people who may share one common thread, yet all come from entirely different backgrounds, experiences, and walks of life. Those moments of connection and storytelling are what continue to make this work so rewarding.
As I reflect on this first year, I’m grateful not only for the experiences I’ve had but for the perspective they’ve given me. Coming from Oregon, getting to explore Pensacola has been nothing short of special. I still catch myself at the beach thinking, “Is this really where I live?” It’s a feeling of gratitude and appreciation that still hasn’t worn off.
In this month’s Explore issue, we hope to inspire you to embrace that same spirit of discovery in your own way, whether that means visiting somewhere new nearby, supporting a local business, meeting someone new, or simply slowing down enough to appreciate the beauty and stories all around you.
Happy exploring!
SYDNEY STEFFEN, PUBLICATION MANAGER @PENSACOLACITYLIFESTYLE
July 2026
PUBLISHER
Suzanne Pope | Suzanne.Pope@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Will Estell | Will.Estell@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION MANAGER
Sydney Steffen | Sydney.Steffen@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Will Estell, Suzanne Pope, Kali Kasprzyk
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Addie J Photography, Melissa Torrez Photography, Shaun West, Will Estell, Sydney Steffen, Laura Munro, Janie Jones, Hayleigh T Photo, UWF Historic Trust
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Brandy Thomas
WHERE
THE GULF COAST COMES TO PLAY
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PIER SUITE EVENTS: WHERE MOMENTS MATTER
MICHELLE WARDLAW AND LAURA PINZONE ARE QUIETLY CREATING THE BACKDROP FOR LIFE’S MOST MEANINGFUL MOMENTS HIGH ABOVE PENSACOLA BEACH.
ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE
There are moments in life that deserve more than a reservation. The kind we remember years later, a rehearsal dinner filled with anticipation before forever begins, a milestone birthday surrounded by generations, a nonprofit gathering around a mission that changes lives, or a sunset toast where no one is quite ready for the evening to end. Michelle Wardlaw and Laura Pinzone understand this intimately, which may be why Pier Suite Events feels different.
Photo Credit: Sydney Steffen
Perched above Pensacola Beach, the Gulf-front venue immediately captures your attention. Floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows frame crystal-blue water and stretches of white sand, while an open-air balcony offers sweeping views that somehow make the world feel quieter, calmer, and more connected. Suspended between sky and sea, Pier Suite feels elevated in every sense of the word.
Michelle and Laura have strong ideas of what makes the space special, when asked the answer is not simply the view. It is the feeling. Unlike larger venues where celebrations can feel transactional, Michelle and Laura remain personally involved in every event, helping consult, design, and thoughtfully curate experiences that feel intentional and deeply personal. They understand something many overlook: these are not simply events on a calendar. They are markers in someone’s life.
While Pier Suite has become known for destination weddings, Michelle and Laura believe one of Pensacola Beach’s best-kept secrets is that the space was always meant to be much more. The venue has hosted nonprofit fundraisers, educational gatherings, receptions, and milestone celebrations, while the owners envision locals discovering new possibilities rehearsal dinners, engagement parties, anniversary celebrations, networking luncheons, donor events, curated business gatherings, and intimate celebrations that deserve something extraordinary.
Perhaps one of Pier Suite’s most appealing qualities is that it offers everything people love about the beach without the sand. Guests experience the beauty of the Gulf as part of the atmosphere itself while remaining comfortably elevated
above it all. It feels refined without being formal, breathtaking without feeling untouchable, and uniquely Pensacola in a way that instantly reminds guests why so many fall in love with living here.
For locals who may assume a waterfront venue feels out of reach, Michelle and Laura are also changing perceptions. Specialty pricing for shorter events and select bookings within 60 days helps make meaningful celebrations more accessible, opening the door for milestone moments that deserve more than an ordinary setting.
For Michelle and Laura, success is not simply measured by a calendar filled with events. It is measured in memories the laughter shared, milestones honored, connections strengthened, and moments people carry with them long after the evening ends.
In the end, people rarely remember the timeline. They remember the toast. The people gathered close. The sunset they could not stop staring at. And how, for just a few hours, time slowed down. Above the shoreline of Pensacola Beach, Michelle Wardlaw and Laura Pinzone are quietly creating the kind of moments people hold onto long after the tide rolls back.
Photo Credit: Melissa Torrez Photography
Photo Credit: Hayleigh T Photo
THE COURAGE WITHIN
to
ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADDIE J PHOTOGRAPHY
From soldier to healer, Matthew Jeffries helps others find hope again. Army Sergeant, Afghanistan & Kuwait Veteran | Former Law Enforcement Officer and Founder of Warfighter Fitness Matthew Jeffries has worn many uniforms: police officer, soldier, mentor, and coach. But the hardest battle of
From Soldier
Healer, Matthew Jeffries Helps Others Find Hope Again
“I’m not there to fix anyone. I’m there for the moment someone decides to stop avoiding themselves.”
his life began after the uniform came off. Matthew had to confront the unraveling of his own life. A former police officer and Army Sergeant who served in Afghanistan and Kuwait, he spent years protecting communities and serving his country. Strength, discipline, and resilience shaped him. After military life ended, so did the identity he had built. “I had lost a family, lost a sense of self, and honestly, I felt broken,” he says. “On the outside, you wouldn’t know it. But inside, I was at the lowest point of my life.”
Matthew quietly carried grief, trauma, fear, and depression while still showing up for his children. Meditation, fitness, therapy, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) helped. Nothing fully lifted the emotional “rucksack” he had carried for years. For the first time in years, Matthew began asking whether healing was possible. After attending a retreat, something shifted. Healing became real months later while standing in church. As a pastor
called people carrying guilt, shame, and fear to come forward, Matthew remained seated. “For the first time,” he says, “those things weren’t holding me down anymore.”
Pensacola remains home for Matthew, where his children and grandchild are rooted and where much of his heart still lives. Today, he spends much of the year in Costa Rica as Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator of his own retreat, guiding small-group wellness retreats for veterans, first responders, trauma survivors, and individuals seeking deeper healing. The retreat blends guided experiences, group support, reflection, accountability, and integration, designed to help participants confront emotional wounds they may have carried for years. “I’m not there to fix anyone,” he says. “I’m there for the moment someone decides to stop avoiding themselves.”
Matthew understands the invisible weight many veterans and public servants quietly carry:
hypervigilance, fear, loss of identity, and emotional exhaustion hidden behind strength and service. “When you wear a uniform, it becomes part of who you are,” he explains. “Then one day that identity is gone, and you have to face yourself.”
“PTSD, trauma, depression at the core of it, it’s fear,” he says. “Fear of loss. Fear of pain. Fear of facing things we’ve avoided.” Many people quietly carry burdens they rarely discuss. “People are functioning,” he says. “They’re showing up for work, showing up for family, smiling in public. Deep inside, they’re hurting.” For many, the struggle is invisible, hidden behind careers and responsibilities.
Over time, Matthew noticed something universal among nearly everyone who came seeking help. “No one acknowledges the good they’ve done,” he says. “People tell themselves stories about failure, guilt, shame, but they forget the lives they’ve touched.”
For Matthew, healing is not about becoming someone new. It is about remembering who you were before fear, grief, and pain shaped the story you told yourself. “People are stronger than they realize,” he says. “Sometimes they just need someone to remind them of that.”
Service remains central to his life, only now, it looks different. The former soldier who once carried invisible burdens now spends his days helping others put theirs down. For all the titles he has carried, this work feels closest to purpose.
What Matthew wants people to know is simple: You are not alone. “Whatever you’re carrying,” he says, “you are loved. The stories you tell yourself about who you are — they’re not always true. I believe in you. Sometimes healing begins the moment someone finally believes they deserve it.
Taste Pensacola, One
DISCOVER GULF COAST STATE PARKS
With tens of millions of visitors annually, these nearby wilderness getaways make the ideal weekend adventure
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL ESTELL
While many of us love to spend our days off work basking at the beach or by the pool, there is so much to discover by visiting one of our regional state parks. In my two decades as a tourism and lifestyle editor for numerous publications I have been surprised by how many people live along
Henderson Beach State Park
Perdido Key State Park
the coastal communities of Northwest Florida’s and Alabama’s Gulf Coast, yet don’t take advantage of our beautiful state parks.
The five parks I’ve chosen here are just a few of our regionally accessible state parks that make for the idyllic day or weekend jaunt from the Pensacola area, but trust me, when you go to one, you’re likely to want to try them all!
Henderson Beach State Park
Situated along the white sands of nearby Destin, Henderson Beach State Park is often referred to as “The Gem of the Emerald Coast.” And once you drive through this park’s gates, you will quickly understand why. Because of its location smack dab in the middle of Destin,
this park is easily accessible for day trips and camping alike. Henderson Beach State Park features a pristine footprint of 1.2 miles of white sand and emerald waters, alongside wooded areas, trees, coastal vegetation and trails. The remarkable Gulf side retreat is tucked away inside the small confines of “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” and offers its visitors an ideal refuge.
Henderson Beach State Park offers 60 campsites that can accommodate everything from a small tent to a 60-foot-long camper or motorcoach. These campsites include water and electric hookups, bathing facilities, and a ¾ mile pet-friendly hiking trail that meanders through the park's Northwest Florida scrub and coastal sand dunes. All of this is just an hour away from Pensacola and makes for a perfect few days in paradise. CONTINUED >
The state parks along Northwest Florida’s and Alabama’s Gulf Coast are among the most beautiful in the entire country.
Blackwater River State Park
If your idea of a state park visit includes more wild and wilderness than sand and surf then nearby Blackwater River State Park, located south of I-10 in Holt, Florida is about a 45-minute drive from Pensacola. This back-to-nature state park is home to one of the most pristine rivers in the nation, Blackwater River, designated as a Florida Canoe Trail and part of the statewide system of greenways and trails. Besides canoeing and kayaking, you can bring a tube and float along at a slow easy speed as you explore the scenery and wildlife along the popular winding river.
Blackwater River State Park is home to multiple small crescent-shaped lakes that were created over thousands of years’ time as the river changed courses. Trust me, the explorer in you will want to discover them all.
If you’re into hiking, you will most definitely enjoy exploring the many trails that wind through the park’s almost 600 acres. The park is home to white-tailed deer, bear, wild turkey, bobcats, Blue Heron and river otter -along with a few snakes and smaller creatures too. Nature enthusiasts will take note of Florida’s Champion Tree, one of the largest and oldest Atlantic White Cedars along the Blackwater River’s banks.
Perdido Key State Park
Big Lagoon State Park
A short jaunt from Pensacola is another oasis of Northwest Florida’s Gulf, Perdido Key State Park. This 247-acre wilderness preserve is a tranquil haven for visitors. Perdido Key State Park is complemented with the same sugar-white sand that graces all of our Gulf Coast beaches. As a day trip Perdido Key State Park is perfect for sunbathing, paddle boarding, surfing, and even shelling.
As for interesting wildlife, the endangered beach mouse and the loggerhead sea turtle are two species that call Perdido Key State Park home and can be seen at times along the park’s shores.
This 678-acre state park features nine distinct natural communities ranging from tidal salt marshes to pine flatwoods, each attracting a wide variety of ducks, shorebirds, and marsh birds.
Big Lagoon State Park’s day visitors are invited to bring (or rent) a pair of binoculars for the best views from the park’s unique four- story observation tower.
Big Lagoon State Park is considered one of Florida’s best water parks due to its narrow sands, shallow bays, and coastal dune lakes. Grand Lagoon, the park’s namesake, snakes its way eastward toward Pensacola Bay while the smaller, freshwater Long Pond rests to the west side of the park. It’s common to catch a glimpse of alligators, deer, fox, and raccoons making themselves at home. Because it is their home!
CONTINUED >
Rocky Bayou State Park
Perdido Key State Park
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
This incredible state park is located in Niceville, about an hour’s drive from the Pensacola area.
The park is located along the north shore and is bordered by the Rocky Bayou Aquatic Preserve. At this tranquil state park you can see dolphins, birds, bears, otters, and even the occasional bald eagle. All coexisting within the ecosystem of the estuarine sea grass beds that cover parts of the park. The park’s lake is home to saltwater fish like mullet, flounder, trout and other coastal
favorites. The lake is also a wonderful place to paddleboard, kayak, swim and explore.
If you fancy a hike, you’ll really like Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park, as it’s home to a series of popular hiking trials, each one with a distinct feature to explore from The Red Cedar Trail to Sand Pine Trail, and Rocky Bayou Trail. The park is also home to remarkable longleaf pine trees, many in excess of 350 years old. Everything about this nearby state park is ideal for a quick day or weekend getaway.
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WOMEN DRIVING The Tide
LAUREN CHAPMAN’S WOMEN’S SAILING COLLECTIVE HELPS GULF COAST WOMEN BUILD CONFIDENCE, CONNECTION, AND COURAGE
ARTICLE BY SUZANNE POPE
For many women, sailing can feel like a world reserved for those who grew up around boats, yacht clubs, or generations of nautical tradition. But along the Gulf Coast, a growing movement is quietly changing that narrative, one woman, one sail, and one shared experience at a time.
At the center of that movement is the Women’s Sailing Collective, founded in 2026 by Lauren Chapman alongside Linda Thompson and Lorrie Berry after recognizing a need for a more connected, accessible hub for women interested in sailing. Their mission was simple: create a place where women could learn, ask questions, build confidence, and feel welcomed into a sport that can often feel intimidating to newcomers. The response exceeded every expectation.
When the Collective hosted its first gathering at Pensacola Beach Yacht Club in January, organizers hoped perhaps 20 women might attend. Nearly 70 women showed up, confirming what many had quietly felt: there was a hunger for connection, mentorship, and opportunity on the water. Since then, the group has continued meeting monthly, welcoming everyone from curious beginners to seasoned racers with decades of experience.
Programming has quickly grown into something remarkable. Since launching, the Collective has created a diverse menu of experiences designed to meet women wherever they are in their sailing journey. Members have gathered for Caribbean cruising presentations, participated in introductory racing workshops, toured the cutting-edge American Magic facility at the Port of Pensacola, and taken part in hands-on sailing education opportunities designed specifically for women.
One particularly meaningful collaboration has emerged through the Satori Foundation, which hosted an exclusive sailing fundamentals course for Women’s Sailing Collective members, an opportunity that quickly filled and reinforced the growing demand for accessible, women-centered sailing education.
CONTINUED >
Photo Credit: Shaun West
The impact is already being felt across the region. Participation in the annual Ladies’ Trilogy regattas, a long-standing series of women-only races across the Gulf Coast, has doubled since the Collective’s launch, breathing fresh energy into a beloved tradition and inspiring more women to step confidently into competitive sailing.
Yet beyond sailing itself, what’s emerging may be something even more meaningful: community.
For women like me, the Collective has become something unexpected: permission to begin.
Despite a demanding career and years spent leading in other spaces, I stepped into sailing as a complete beginner, curious, excited, and admittedly intimidated. Like many women, I assumed sailing belonged to people who had grown up around boats or already knew the language of the water. I was wrong.
What I found instead was something many women are quietly searching for at this stage of life: the courage to begin again in a room full of women cheering you on.
For many women, especially those balancing careers, families, caregiving, or simply the weight of everyday life, trying something entirely new can feel intimidating. Yet the Collective offers something rare: a reminder that reinvention does not have an expiration date and that growth often begins the moment we allow ourselves to be beginners again.
Through the Women’s Sailing Collective, I found encouragement, mentorship, and a community that welcomed beginners without hesitation. In just a short time, I’ve already participated
in two races, something I never imagined I would do while still very much considering myself a novice.
And perhaps that is exactly the magic of what Lauren Chapman and this growing collective have built.
No one expects perfection. No one asks if you know enough before you begin. You simply show up.
Some women arrive hoping to race competitively. Others want to learn the basics. Many simply want a community to connect with women who share a willingness to try something new. That openness has become the heartbeat of the organization.
Future collaborations with organizations like the Magenta Project may eventually open doors for local women to explore competitive sailing on national and global levels. Even the support system surrounding the Collective reflects its spirit. A lighthearted “Men’s Auxiliary” made up of spouses, partners, and supporters has emerged organically, volunteering behind the scenes as event organizers, bartenders, and enthusiastic cheerleaders for the cause.
As the Women’s Sailing Collective grows toward 501(c)(3) status in early 2027, Chapman hopes to empower passionate members to step into leadership roles, ensuring the Collective remains shaped by the women it serves. Its mission remains refreshingly simple: expand opportunities for women in sailing at every level and create space for women to discover confidence, community, and possibility on the water.
Because sometimes the bravest thing a woman can do is step into something unfamiliar and discover she was capable of navigating it all along.
Photo Credit: Laura Munro
Photos: Melissa Wilson Photography
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
The 10% Target Mindset
Jen Cohen ON THE PRACTICE OF ASKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Winnipeg in the winter, and a 17-year-old waits 45 minutes in the cold for Keanu Reeves. Her fingers are numb. She is not there for an autograph. She is there to ask him to appear in her audition tape for MuchMusic, Canada’s MTV. When he finally agrees, she writes her number on a gum wrapper with a borrowed lip liner.
He calls days later.
That 17-year-old was Jen Cohen — fitness expert, host of the Habits & Hustle podcast, and best-selling author. She has built a career on the premise her frostbitten afternoon proved. She calls the practice the 10% Target: 10 attempts at whatever you want most in life.
The premise is simple. Most people never make one attempt. Almost nobody makes two. The math works in favor of the person who keeps going.
The top-rated Habits & Hustle podcast has logged hundreds of conversations with high performers and the people who study what the body does to the mind. Her TEDx talk, The Secret to Getting Anything You Want in Life, has traveled widely inside Fortune 500 sales-training rooms. On the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Cohen sits down to share the working rules that are the foundation of her latest book, Bigger, Better, Bolder.
“You have to be the CEO of your own life.”
FEATURING JEN COHEN
Discover the full 10% Target Mindset framework.
1 2
MAKE TEN ATTEMPTS
The door opens, or another door does. The unmade attempt and the refused one leave you in the same place — except one of them teaches you something.
STACK THE DECK
Cohen frames her habits as a wager: How do I stack the deck so I win more than I lose? The workout happens first, and the food decisions follow. The email follow-up gets sent, and the answer arrives. The choices compound in a single direction.
3
DISCIPLINE IS A PRACTICED SKILL, NOT AN INHERITANCE
No one is born with it. The people who look disciplined are running a routine they have rehearsed long enough that it no longer feels like effort. The reps are the skill. Miss them, and the skill fades, the same as any other.
4
SELF-TALK ONLY WORKS WHEN THE BODY BACKS IT UP
Confidence does not arrive by repeating the word. It arrives after the body has done the thing — the workout finished, the cold walk endured, the email sent. The mind takes its cues from what the body proves it can do. Talk follows action, not the other way around.
5
NEVER MISS A MONDAY
The first decision sets the slope of the rest. Skip the Monday workout, and the rest of the week tends to follow. Hold the line on Monday, and the slope tilts the other way.
PENSACOLA
Inspiration for your best local life.
Locally-inspired food & drink recipes.
Pensacola
ARTICLE
HISTORY Awaits
Step Back in Time at Pensacola’s Historic Village
Tucked away in a beautifully shaded area within the heart of downtown Pensacola lies one of the area’s most fascinating hidden treasures: The Historic Pensacola Village, managed by University of West Florida’s Historic Trust. For visitors and locals alike, the village offers a remarkable walk through more than two centuries of Pensacola’s history, architecture, culture, and contributions to Northwest Florida’s people, industries, growth and history.
I recently met up with Education and Interpretations Supervisor, Phillip Mayhair, and Group and School Coordinator, Matt Santillo for a guided in-depth tour of the eight-acre village situated near Seville Square, in view of beautiful Pensacola Bay. The two well-versed historians shared some of the unique details of the village with remarkable knowledge of the buildings, period history and people that inhabited this intriguing Pensacola landmark.
The Historic Village features museums, preserved homes, a church, nostalgic cottages, a boarding house, and multiple interpretive exhibits that tell the story of one of America’s oldest settlements. The collection includes over 30 historic structures representing Colonial, Victorian, French Creole, and early Gulf Coast architecture, creating the feeling of stepping into another era entirely.
Among the village’s most fascinating landmarks is the historic Julee Cottage, a modest but incredibly important structure tied to Pensacola’s African American history. Built in the early 1800s, the cottage was once owned by Julee Panton, a free woman of
color who became known locally for selling baked goods and candles. According to local history, she also helped purchase freedom for enslaved African Americans during that era. Today, the cottage stands as a tribute to resilience, entrepreneurship, and the often-overlooked stories that helped shape early Pensacola.
Another highlight is the beautifully restored Lavalle House, one of the oldest surviving homes in Pensacola and one of the few remaining examples of French Creole architecture in Florida. Originally built in 1805, the home reflects the city’s early Spanish and French influences and offers visitors a glimpse into life during Pensacola’s territorial period. Its raised design, broad porches, and historic furnishings make it one of the village’s architectural gems.
A short walk away stands Old Christ Church, widely regarded as the oldest standing church building in all of Florida. Constructed in 1832, the church remains one of Pensacola’s most iconic historic landmarks. Over the decades, it has survived wars, hurricanes, and changing governments while continuing to serve as both a spiritual and historical centerpiece of the city. During the Civil War, the church was even occupied by federal troops. Today, its soaring windows, historic cemetery, and quiet sanctuary transport visitors back to another century, while it also serves as one of the city’s most coveted wedding venues.
Perhaps the village’s most colorful story belongs to the Tivoli High House. Originally dating back to 1805 and reconstructed using archaeological and photographic evidence, the building
once operated as a boarding house, tavern, gaming hall, and gathering place for Pensacola society. During Prohibition-era lore, the structure also gained a reputation for hidden speakeasy activity, adding another intriguing chapter to its already lively history.
The village also includes the fascinating Museum of Industry, where guests can learn how fishing, lumber, brickmaking, shipping, and rail transportation helped build early Pensacola into an important Gulf Coast port city. Historic artifacts, industrial equipment, and exhibits help showcase the industries that once fueled the local economy. You can even see a restored vintage locomotive that was used to carry brick and lumber across Northwest Florida and parts of Alabama.
Other attractions throughout the village include the Museum of Commerce, Pensacola Museum of History, Voices of Pensacola, the Children’s Museum, and several beautifully restored homes and cottages. Guided tours are offered by reservation, while self-guided exploration allows visitors to move at their own pace throughout the district.
Historic Pensacola Village is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with select Sunday hours for some museums. Tickets may be purchased at the Tivoli High House or online through the HistoricPensacola.org site.
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