Pensacola--Beach safety after oil spill & things to do with a toddler and 5 yo

[heybulldog]

My family is planning to take a trip to Pensacola, in part to visit with my brother.  What activities might you suggest for an almost 2 year old and/or a 5 year old?  Any parks you might recommend?  Are there any indoor playgrounds (at the mall, bouncy place, etc) where we can beat the heat?  I am pregnant and I want to make sure that we have some things planned besides trips to the pool to wear my dd and her cousin out! 

Also, I am very nervous about going to the actual beach.  I still feel really uncomfortable about the water in the gulf after the oil spill.  Even if there are no tar balls (which I don't know if there are or not) I am worried about dispersants in the water.  Also with me being pregnant I feel extra protective of myself.  I am 100% ok with missing the beach, not even playing on the sand, but I also don't want to be paranoid and then miss out on taking my dd to enjoy the ocean.  What do folks think about the situation?

[folkgirl]

I am from Pensacola originally and visit there several times a year. Both of my best friends and their kids live there. There's a whole blog devoted to Pensacola With Kids. Admittedly I usually don't do very much touristy stuff, we mostly just go to the pool and hang out with friends and family. However, off the top of my head I can suggest the museum of Naval Aviation and Fort Pickens as two fun things to do. Bonus points for NAS because it's indoors. :) The mall does not have any soft play area that I know of. ChickFilA and similar fast food places do, though. Several local theaters have free movies for kids in the summer and we usually go to one if the timing works out. We go to the Roger Scott pool, which was remodeled about a year ago and has two kiddie pools, including a pretty sizable zero entry area and a wading pool with splashy all kinds of splashy/squirty stuff. There's also a "splash pad" downtown at Plaza de Luna, which is good for cooling off I guess, but pretty unimpressive overall (I hate to say). It's very small and when I was there, the water was shooting about knee high at the highest.

As far as the beach goes, I would go with your gut. I didn't go this year or last and I doubt I will go any time in the near future. My gut says no. But everyone I know who lives down there is going and getting in the water and taking their kids. It certainly looks fine to the eye and there has been some testing that claims it is safe.