Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge - Simply Weird

"Weird" Graffiti on Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/6/13.

I happen to live just a few miles across the bay from Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge. I drive under the bridge at least a couple times a week and usually stop to take photos of all the cool graffiti which changes daily.

Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/6/13.

Well, last week there was some "Weird" graffiti on the bridge. A collection of eyeballs and signed by Weird. I have no clue about this latest "artist" but I couldn't resist taking some photos that day and posting them here.

Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/4/13.

Maybe I'm a strange bird, but I enjoy all that weird, strange, cool, awesome graffiti. It could have something to do with growing up in Southern California, in Los Angeles County, where graffiti was, well, everywhere.

Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/4/13.

I'm a sometimes artist (I paint in oils and acrylics) and whenever I pass the graffiti bridge I'm sorely tempted to add a bit of my own artistic touch. On the other hand, since it's technically illegal to graffiti the bridge I've never ventured to add to the ever changing display of graffiti.

Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/4/13.

Gee, what would my grandkids think of their Nana getting arrested for painting graffiti? So no, I won't become a graffiti artist any time soon.

If you love graffiti and happen to be anywhere near Pensacola, Florida you'll want to visit the graffiti bridge (aka the 17th Street Bridge).

The Graffiti Bridge, Pensacola Florida




I've never actually heard of anyone getting arrested for adding graffiti to the bridge. Though I've seen police vehicles there on many occasions. Maybe the cops just stop by to check out the latest graffiti? From time to time someone adds a tasteless bit of graffiti which is quickly painted out.

Here's Looking At You - Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge on 9/4/13.

Periodically a group of citizens come along and paint out all the graffiti. However, by the next day there's a whole new display of graffiti adorning the bridge. If nothing else, graffiti artists are a determined lot who do most of their artistic creations in the middle of the night.

Just so you know, from time to time I post photos of the graffiti bridge. Hey, what can I say? I happen to love Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge.




Note - My latest photos of Pensacola's Graffiti bridge were taken two different days last week, on 9/4/13 and 9/6/13. There were a few subtle changes from one day to the next.

WARNING - Do not drive a big truck (aka a semi) under the bridge as you'll get stuck and have to be towed out. They also issue traffic citations for that. In spite of the warning signs, it still happens now and then.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Happy Valentine's Day on Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge.

In the words of Tina Turner, "What's love got to do, got to do with it ..." I'm sure that's a question we all ask, over and over again. Romance, lust, like, longing, love, get all mixed up together. Why do we want it? Why do we need it? Well, heck if I know, but when Valentine's Day rolls around we all get reminded of it real fast.

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (on YouTube with Lyrics)

Turn on the telly and we're bombarded with "Buy her this, buy her that ... perfumes, flowers, chocolates." Chocolates??? Now we're talking. I absolutely LOVE chocolate! So am I going to complain about Valentine's Day? No way! Will my "Dear Hubby" buy me chocolates? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is it wise for him to forget to buy me chocolates? Probably not. And what about flowers? Yep, I love flowers too, but particularly the live variety that I can plant in my flowers pots or garden.

It's all about hearts and love on the Graffiti Bridge.

Now I'm a realist. I've been married for ever so long. The shine has worn off all that romance. So I don't expect flowers, chocolates, diamonds or perfumes (by the way, I'm allergic to perfumes). But I do expect friendship, love and a bit of romance now and then. Hey girls, don't we all?

On the other hand, I'm a dreamer and I dream about love, romance, the whole nine yards. I love diamonds and yes, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." I swear that's true. Do I have diamonds? "You betcha!" Do I want more? Girls, what do you think? "Heck, yeah!" Will I get some this Valentine's Day? Of course not! I'm a realist, remember? I'm practical. I want more important things, like BOOKS.

Yep, I said BOOKS. Ask me any time of day or night if there's something I want and I'll tell you, "I want books. Lots and lots of books." But here's where you ask, "Don't you already have lots and lots of books?" Well, of course, darling, but there's no such thing as too many books. I love romance novels, historical fiction, short story collections, poetry, history books and everything in between. I definitely love books!

I read romances and I write them too. So if you all get a chance, I hope you'll check out my books and add a little more romance and love into your life. My books are all about love, in one form or another. Oh, and there's some adventure, laughs, a little sorrow, and a good amount of romance in there too. So here they are: Outback Love, Jetting Away, Moon Over Madness, Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows. Won't you "give love a chance" and read my books?

Now, as I was saying, I read romances too. Lots of them. Here's an assortment you might want to try for Valentine's Day!

On my Kindles (Read or TBR):

Candy Valentine (A Sensual Short Story) by (my BFF) Ruth D. Kerce
Kiss Me (A Contemporary Romantic Comedy) by Jan Romes
The Trouble With Valentine's Day (Chinooks Hockey Team) by Rachel Gibson
Candy Store (A Contemporary Romance) by Bella Andre
Cupid's Cupcake (A Romantic Comedy) by Ivy Sinclair
Chocolate Kisses  (A Contemporary Romance) by Judith Arnold

Some other Valentine's Day Romances that caught my eye (all available as eBooks and in no particular order):

Be My Texas Valentine by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday & Phyllis Miranda
Valentine Babies (Holiday Babies) by Mona Risk
A Romantic Comedy Duo by Talli Roland
Cupid on Deck by Nancy Serofano
Tripping on Love by Carrie Stone
A Valentine Surprise by Lisa Page
Valentine Collection (Anthology) by Jennifer Conner
It Happened on Valentine's Day (An Avon Romance Sampler) by Eloisa James, et al.
Valentines Say "I Love You" (Anthology) by Denise L. Wyant, et al.
My Vegas Valentine by R. A. Lee
A Cupid Kind of Day by L. A. Dale
Stirred with Love by Marcie Steele
The WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine by Talli Roland, et al.
Heart Bouquets (Romantic Short Stories) by Stephanie Craig, et al.
The Valentine's Day Ball by Julia Parks
Kiss Me (An Avon Valentine's Day Anthology) by Codi Gary, et al.
Love is in the Air (A Valentine's Day Collection) by Carolyn McCray
Valentine's Dream by Sandra Kitt, Carmen Green & Felicia Mason
Burning Hearts by K. L. Morisen
Duping Cupid by Gina Ardito
Un-Valentine's Day by Kristine Cayne
Cupid's Revenge (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
Heart Stealers by Patricia McLinn, Judith Arnold, Julie Ortolon & Kathryn Shay
Valentines (A Trio of Regency Love Stories) by Barbara Metzger
Straight from the Heart by Janelle Taylor
One More Valentine by Anne Stuart

Valentine presents from my Dear Hubby. <smile>

I'm sure I've missed listing lots of cool/great/fun/romantic reads for Valentine's Day, so please feel free to list more in the comments below.

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day! And just for the record, LOVE has everything to do with it.

OMG, It's 12/12/12

The graffiti says it all.

This is one of those days of supposedly great portent, 12/12/12. Something is supposed to happen today, but what? Hopefully this will be a day of good things, good happenings, good memories.

A "scary" warning on Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge?

Some people believe this is an apocalyptic day. Or is that supposed to be on 12/21/12? Gee, I hope not. I kind of like this world, flaws and all, and hope it stays around a good long while. Just sayin'...

Another warning on the Graffiti Bridge?

It seemed to me this might be just the time to list apocalyptic and dystopian books that I've read or would like to read. (Most of these books are available in eBook format.)

* = Books I've read and recommend.
** = Books TBR on my Kindle.




Apocalyptic and Dystopian Fiction (in no particular order):

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood*
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins*
Wool (Omnibus Ed.) by Hugh Howey*
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury*
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury*
Sullivan's War (The Complete Adventure) by Michael K. Rose*
Logan's Run by William F. Nolan & George Clayton Johnson*
He, She and It by Marge Piercy*
Anthem by Ayn Rand*
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand*
1984 by George Orwell*
Brave New World by Aldoux Huxley*
The Postman by David Brin*
Soylent Green by Harry Harrison*
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein*
Neuromancer by William Gibson*
Hollowland (The Hollows, Book 1) by Amanda Hocking**
Since Tomorrow by Morgan Nyberg**
Dark Grid by David C. Waldron**
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells**
Season of the Harvest (Harvest Trilogy, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks**
No Shelter Trilogy (Omnibus Ed.) by T. S. Welti**
Darklandia by T. S. Welti
We by YevgenyZamyatin
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
The Running Man by Stephen King
The Stand by Stephen King
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Angelfall (Penryn & The End of Days) by Susan Ee
Outside (A Post-Apocalyptic Novel, Outside Series, Book 1) by Shalini Boland
The Next Tomorrow (A Tag Stevens Novel) by J. R. Madsen
At the End (The Road to Extinction, Book 1) by John Hennessy
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
One Second After by William F. Forstchen
Yesterday's Gone (The Post-Apocalyptic Serial Thriller) by Sean Platt & David Wright
Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Manel Loureiro
Collapse (New America, Book 1) by Richard Stephenson
77 Days in September by Ray Gorham
Land (A Stranded Novel, Book 1) by Theresa Shaver
And the Heavens Shall Fall by Jacqueline Druga
Free Falling by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
A Distant Eden by Lloyd Tackitt


I'm sure I've left off a lot of great apocalyptic and dystopian books, so please feel free to add your favorites in the comments below. Thanks again for stopping by. Let's hope that 12/12/12 is just another day.

The Graffiti Bridge in Pensacola

The Graffiti Bridge (photos taken today, 10/2/12)

The Graffiti Bridge, aka the 17th Avenue Railroad Trestle, is one of my favorite Pensacola landmarks. I always enjoy visiting the bridge to see the latest graffiti. This is a work of pop art that changes day to day, night to night.

There is a great deal of controversy over this bridge. Some locals are horrified over the concept of graffiti in general and even more so in having it grace a railroad bridge in their city.





Periodically they create an uproar over the graffiti and then go out as a group to cover all the graffiti under a fresh coat of  white paint.

No sooner is the bridge painted and the local and visiting "artists" repaint it with colorful graffiti. Then another group comes along and paints out all the graffiti with a coat of purple paint, or green paint, or as seen in today's photos, striped pink and yellow paint. Then the graffiti is started all over again.






I love the changing nature of the graffiti on this bridge. Sometimes there are small murals, other times profound statements, other times someone is declaring their love for someone else.


People come from far and wide, me included, to see and photograph Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge.

A search on the Internet will turn up link after link with photos taken through the years. The oldest photo I found online is one taken in 1935. You can see that photo in the link below.

The Graffiti Bridge - 1935 Photo

Other Internet images of the Graffiti Bridge:

Images for Pensacola Graffiti Bridge







For anyone wanting to see the Graffiti Bridge, it's located on 17th Avenue, along Bayou Texar, near Bayfront Parkway in SE Pensacola. You can pinpoint the location with Google Map.

When I first moved to Florida over thirty years ago, I fell in love with the Graffiti Bridge. I've taken quite a number of photos of it through the years. The photos in this post are all ones I took today.

I've always had a special fascination, interest, in graffiti. Maybe it goes back to growing up in southern California where graffiti art covers a wide range, from tagging to beautiful murals and everything in between.

Through the years I've taken photographs of graffiti in major cities across the country. I think my favorite cities for graffiti are Los Angeles, San Francisco and New Orleans. Yes, I'm one of those people who even admires graffiti on railroad boxcars.


I have to admit that I've never painted graffiti anywhere in my lifetime. However, it is one of the item's on my Bucket List. Maybe someday my "art" will appear on the Graffiti Bridge?

For those of you who know I love to put together lists of interesting books, please check below for some graffiti fiction and non-fiction. I haven't read any of these books, but if you have a fascination for graffiti you might find these books of interest. (Books listed in no particular order. All are available in eBook format.)

Graffiti Fiction:

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra
The Graffiti Sculptor by Latham Shinder
Graffiti Grandma by Jo Barney
Hollywood Graffiti by Arelo Sederberg
Night Artist by Geoff Sutton
The Graffiti Genius by D. S. Carrell
The Walls by Jay Fox
Tagger by Mary A. Monroe (YA)
Graffiti Heaven by Marita A. Hansen (YA)
Tag by Michael Coleman (YA)

Graffiti Non-Fiction:

The Golden Age of Graffiti by Nigel Rees
Graffiti by Lou Savelli, Robert Cekada & Anthony Mottola
Street Scene - How to Draw Graffiti Style by John Lee
Graff2: Next Level Graffiti Techniques by Scape Martinez
The Mammoth Book of Street Art by JAKe
Graffiti Art Styles by Lisa Gottlieb
Seven Year With Bansky by Robert Clarke
Bansky: The Man Behind the Wall by Will Ellsworth-Jones

I have to add a disclaimer here. Although I have a fondness for graffiti, there is a time and a place where it can be admired. On the other hand, I don't agree with tagging people's houses, cars, walls, fences, signs, where it becomes an eyesore instead of art.

As always, please feel free to add comments below.