Day 7 of our trip to Key West Dry Tortugas National Park

2013_04_15_06_01_20_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:35:51 2015

Waiting for the Ferry for the trip to the Dry Torgugas

2013_04_15_06_01_25_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:24:25 2015

Boarding the ferry

2013_04_15_06_33_20_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:40:22 2015

Departing from Key West Ferry Terminal, 100 Grinnell Street, at the Historic Seaport. Passing some pretty cool boats docked here.

2013_04_15_07_00_34_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:45:11 2015

On our way. It's a 68 mile boat trip of open sea ahead of us.

2013_04_15_07_25_14_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:48:56 2015

We are aboard the Yankee Freedom III, a 110' x 36' catamaran that holds 150 passengers. The Yankee Freedom III is a high speed, state-of-the-art, all aluminum catamaran recognized world wide for safety, performance and passenger comfort. Built in New England in 2012, she entered service in Key West in the fall of 2012. It is equipped with the latest and most sophisticated safety, navigation, and communication equipment. The Yankee Freedom III has undergone a thorough U.S. Coast Guard inspection and will do so each year.

2013_04_15_07_27_32_10 - Mon Feb 2 09:58:14 2015

The Yankee Freedom III catamaran is powered by twin Caterpillar engines that give her a speed of over 30 miles per hour, making Yankee Freedom III catamaran the fastest vessel of her size out of Key West. Also, below decks are two generators plus a multitude of machinery and equipment to operate the vessel in the safest, quietest, and most dependable manner possible.

2013_04_15_08_57_44_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:00:22 2015

Passing the time reading about the Dry Tortugas

2013_04_15_08_58_43_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:01:11 2015

Almost there.

2013_04_15_09_19_41_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:01:43 2015

Getting closer

2013_04_15_09_25_28_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:02:11 2015

and closer . . .

2013_04_15_09_25_47_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:02:43 2015

and closer . . .

2013_04_15_09_26_04_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:09:15 2015

and closer . . .

2013_04_15_09_27_25_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:09:41 2015

Robots? Sea monsters? What the . . .?

2013_04_15_09_28_05_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:10:38 2015

Bird perches !!!

2013_04_15_09_28_15_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:11:14 2015

Getting ready to dock.

2013_04_15_09_28_58_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:11:53 2015

Lighthouse

2013_04_15_09_29_20_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:12:29 2015

Tickets, tickets please, tickets . . .

2013_04_15_09_30_25_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:13:12 2015

Better yet, fish, fish please, fish . . .

2013_04_15_09_30_26_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:14:03 2015

Everyone "off the boat"!

2013_04_15_09_33_13_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:14:53 2015

Looks like Denny is ready for the tour.

2013_04_15_09_33_51_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:15:43 2015

Ginny is ready for the tour.

2013_04_15_09_34_08_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:16:32 2015

Almost 70 miles west of Key West, Fla., lies a cluster of seven islands composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. With the surrounding shoals and water, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park, an area noted for bird and marine life and shipwrecks. Fort Jefferson, its cultural feature, is the nation's largest 1800s masonry fort.

2013_04_15_09_42_17_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:20:55 2015

Don't forget where we parked the boat!

2013_04_15_09_42_47_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:21:51 2015

A plane would be faster . . . but no lunch service.

2013_04_15_09_43_11_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:22:41 2015

Must have coffee first.

2013_04_15_09_45_29_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:23:38 2015

Ginny is ready

2013_04_15_09_45_55_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:26:35 2015

Across the moat that surrounds the fort.The Moat Wall offers an easy hike (0.6) miles around the fort.

2013_04_15_09_46_05_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:51:14 2015

First named Las Tortugas (The Turtles) in 1513, by Spaniard Ponce de Leon, the reefs soon read "Dry Tortugas" on mariners' charts, to show they offered no fresh water. In 1825 a lighthouse was built on Garden Key to warn sailors of coral shoals. The light that now stands on Loggerhead Key was built in 1857.

2013_04_15_10_20_57_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:35:21 2015

Nearly thirty years in the making (1846-1875), Fort Jefferson was never finished nor fully armed. Yet it was a vital link in a chain of coastal forts that stretched from Maine to California. Fort Jefferson, the most sophisticated of these, was a brilliant and undeniable symbol that the United States wanted to be left alone. Though never attacked, the fort fulfilled its intended role. Abandoned by the Army in 1874 the fort was later used as a coaling station for warships.

2013_04_15_10_21_02_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:46:39 2015

Large quantities of brick, stone, cement, iron and lumber were shipped here from around the United States. Most of the bricks were made in the Pensacola area, a four-day journey by sailing schooner. But when Florida left the Union in 1861, bricks could no longer be obtained from these brickyards. Instead they had to be shipped from as far away as Main. These dark, red-colored Northern bricks are easily visible along the top of the fort's walls.

2013_04_15_10_32_38_10 - Mon Feb 2 10:57:22 2015

2013_04_15_10_33_23_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:01:18 2015

2013_04_15_10_33_58_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:02:02 2015

Casements, or gunrooms, form the backbone of the fort. In essence, they are the fort. large cannons mounted inside these rooms could fire through special openings known as embrasures. To construct these rooms, carpenters first built heavy wooden arches or frames. Next, masons laid brick and mortar on top of the frames, creating the brick arches that are common throughout the fort.

2013_04_15_10_50_22_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:00:36 2015

2013_04_15_10_50_54_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:02:19 2015

Soldiers barracks. This once impressive building was designed to house ten companies of soldiers, or 1,000 men. More than a football field in length, the barracks were destroyed by a fire in 1912.

2013_04_15_10_51_19_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:04:53 2015

2013_04_15_10_51_31_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:05:18 2015

420 Heavy Guns. To protect the Tortugas anchorage,mm Fort Jefferson featured some of the largest and most advanced weapons of its age. The fort's largest guns, known as 15-inch Rodman smooth bores, weighed 25 tons apiece. With a crew of seven men, they could fire a 432-pound projectile a distance of three miles. But advances in technology eventually made even these guns obsolete. By 1900, most of these aging relics were sold to a Philadelphia scrap dealer and later melted down. Six guns remain on top of the fort's walls, and are in the process of being restored from donations from the South Florida National Parks Trust.

2013_04_15_10_51_45_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:11:11 2015

Denny would like one of these in our yard.

2013_04_15_10_52_07_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:12:17 2015

Nice view from the top.

2013_04_15_10_53_58_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:12:59 2015

On the tour.

2013_04_15_10_55_05_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:13:36 2015

2013_04_15_10_56_08_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:14:09 2015

2013_04_15_10_58_45_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:14:28 2015

Going up!

2013_04_15_10_59_10_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:15:07 2015

FOOD: Included with our tour were Breakfast and Lunch. Breakfast was provided on the way over (Hard boiled eggs, bagels, ham, cheese, yogurt and pineapple.) Lunch included sandwiches, potato salad, chips, cookies, pineapple and strawberries.

2013_04_15_11_23_56_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:22:10 2015

Not very clear

2013_04_15_12_18_35_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:34:08 2015

Time for a little snorkeling. Although not very clear, we did see some nice coral and marine life. Pictures follow.

2013_04_15_12_19_59_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:37:13 2015

2013_04_15_12_21_59_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:39:57 2015

2013_04_15_12_24_31_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:40:11 2015

2013_04_15_12_26_01_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:40:40 2015

A good place to look for a little lunch.

2013_04_15_12_28_54_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:41:35 2015

2013_04_15_12_30_56_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:42:02 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_02_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:42:25 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_15_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:42:47 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_20_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:43:05 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_23_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:43:23 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_27_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:43:45 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_44_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:44:01 2015

2013_04_15_12_31_52_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:44:19 2015

Time to get out so we don't miss the boat.

2013_04_15_12_32_25_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:45:15 2015

All dry, but what to do with the hair now!

2013_04_15_12_49_58_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:46:23 2015

Goodbye Dry Tortugas. It's been fun!

2013_04_15_12_52_12_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:47:47 2015

Yes, we were here together.

2013_04_15_12_55_58_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:48:33 2015

Ginny making notes on the trip. Keeping up with the notes makes creating vacation web sites so much easier.

2013_04_15_12_59_28_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:51:58 2015

2013_04_15_12_59_39_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:53:25 2015

2013_04_15_13_18_01_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:53:49 2015

2013_04_15_13_30_55_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:54:21 2015

2013_04_15_13_31_21_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:54:45 2015

2013_04_15_13_33_28_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:55:40 2015

2013_04_15_13_34_22_10 - Mon Feb 2 11:56:24 2015

Back from the Dry Tortugas, and ready for dinner. Boating is hungry work. We decided to go to a Key West hot spot "Sloppy Joes".

2013_04_15_16_55_05_10 - Mon Feb 2 12:04:46 2015

So what do you order at Sloppy Joe's????????? Sloppy Joes of course, with a side of fries and a cold drink.

2013_04_15_17_03_41_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:16:06 2015

Time for the entertainment by One Doerfel Family.

2013_04_15_17_15_29_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:18:00 2015

2013_04_15_17_15_50_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:19:14 2015

These kids are very talented.

2013_04_15_17_23_45_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:18:53 2015

2013_04_15_17_23_55_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:19:33 2015

At Sloppy Joe's for a fun evening

2013_04_15_18_59_33_10 - Mon Feb 2 13:23:28 2015

Happy!

2013_04_15_19_01_44_20 - Mon Feb 2 13:24:06 2015