From Disney World we travelled south to the end of the Florida Keys at Key West. That is where we caught the catamaran boat to take us to Dry Tortugas National Park. The Dry Tortugas is a collection of small keys 70 miles west of Key West. The main key/island is almost completely covered by an old fortress named Fort Jefferson. It was used as a POW prison during the American Civil War; probably its most famous inmate was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth shortly after that man assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.
Once we arrived at the site, we took a tour of the fort, which was very interesting. Since the Dry Tortugas keys have no fresh water to drink, the fort was designed to collect rain water in cisterns; unfortunately the weight of the fort (due to the more than 16 million bricks used in its construction) caused the cisterns to crack, leaving only 7 of the 109 cisterns able to hold the fresh water needed.
We also saw evidence of some modern history-in-the –making when the guide showed us a “chug”; this was a make-shift boat used by Cubans to get to American soil. Apparently if the Cubans can get onto American soil, they are allowed to stay in the USA. If the Coast Guard picks them up in the water, they are returned to Cuba, 90 miles south. (The "chug" is seen behind the Ritchies, on the beach.)
Even with my passion being history, probably the biggest thrill for the entire family was going snorkeling in the aqua-marine colored water that surrounded Fort Jefferson. It was our first real experience with the snorkels, and we all enjoyed seeing the incredible sea-life: colorful fish of various sizes, coral, sea fans, etc. When Allan strayed off by himself, he even encountered a menacing-looking barracuda and also a Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish.
Our trip to Dry Tortugas National Park was capped off by a thrilling trip home. The catamaran boat bucked the 8-foot waves like a bucking bronco. So, the 2+ hour trip seemed to take a lot longer, especially for the poor people hanging over the edge getting sick. The Ritchie family faired very well, with no one feeling any adverse effects.
It all made for an extremely memorable day!
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