Post by ogeezer on Jun 4, 2007 10:23:19 GMT -6
The Dry Tortugas
Principle attractions Fort Jefferson in foreground & Loggerhead Key Lighthouse in background.
In 1995, nearing completion of my 30 year service in the USArmy, 24 years in military construction, I volunteered to work in joint partnership with the Nat'l Park Service on the restoration of one America's most exotic and beautiful forts. Today Fort Jefferson is a nat'l park.
Fort Jefferson, the largest brick building in the western hemisphere.
After the war of 1812 the United Sates of America began construction of a chain of coastal defense forts stretching from Maine to Texas. Construction of Fort Jefferson began in 1846 on Garden Key, 68 miles west of Key West. The United States knew it could control navigation to the Gulf of Mexico and protect Atlantic bound Mississippi River trade by fortifying the Tortugas. Construction continued for over 30 years but the Fort, which covers 11 of the key’s 16 acres, was never completely finished.
During the Civil War the fort was a military prison for captured deserters. It also held the 4 men convicted of complicity in President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the most famous being Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who treated John Wilkes Boothe. The Fort was plagued with construction problems and Yellow Fever epidemics. The invention of the rifled cannon made the Fort obsolete, as its thick walls could then be penetrated. The Army finally abandoned Fort Jefferson in 1874.
The Islands were first discovered by Spaniard Ponce De Leon in 1513. He named them Las Tortugas (The Turtles) due to the abundance of sea turtles. The word ‘Dry’ was soon added to mariners’ charts to warn of the lack of fresh water. The first construction on Garden Key, in 1825, was a lighthouse to warn sailors of rocky shoals. A non-functioning lighthouse still remains there ...
BUT the lighthouse beacon on Loggerhead Key, the island (key) where military construction volunteers and national park personnel stayed during the Ft Jefferson restoration project.
When the fort was originally built, a hexagon-design was chosen b/c it was the most defensible structural salient of that era of long, heavy cannons. At each corner, there is a staircase leading to other floors, and built into the stairway structure, huge cisterns collected tropical rains channeled downward from a unique system of collectors with rock and sand filters for purifying the water.
To get to the Dry Tortugas, you can go by seaplane or tour boat. For the price of a day to DisneyWorld and overnight accomodations in Orlando, FL, you could:
- Round-trip price for your Dry Tortugas seaplane adventure is: $199 per adult, $149 per child 6-12 years old, and $119 per child under 6 years old; or
- for round-trip aboard the Yankee Freedom ferry: $134 adults/$94 kids 16 & under/$124 seniors; or
- travel round-trip on the Sunny Days - $120 adults/$80 kids 16 & under/$105 seniors.
There is a $5 park entrance fee for guests 17 and older. This fee will be collected at check-in.
And you don't need a passport since technically you're still in the United States even though not on the mainland portion thereof.
For a primitive camping experience, there are sites on the key for overnight stays. Campers must provide for all of their basic needs, including food, water, shelter, medication, and other essentials. Composting toilets are available, but all trash and garbage must be packed out. There are no showers. Camping: $3.00 per person per night. Sites are located just outside of the fort.
There are no concessions. Pets are not allowed. And a multitude of packages to this area are available from Key West that include camping and snorkel packages. If you come by private boat, there are presently no anchorage fees.
For an unique experience, instead of hassling with all the tourists you flock to Orlanda, get off the beaten trail, and take an exotic detour to Fort Jefferson. You will not be disappointed.