A Day Trip to Dry Tortugas National Park
Despite an early morning pickup for our day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park, there was no chance of arriving sleepy at the ferry departure point, thanks to the psychedelic music and lights provided by our Uber driver. Thankfully, the ride was only about 5 minutes!
We arrived with plenty of time to spare and managed to receive the #1 and #2 boarding passes for our day trip to Dry Tortugas!
The first two hours of the ferry trip aboard Yankee Freedom III were uneventful and provided ample time for eating the included breakfast, drinking coffee and tea, and doing our morning Bible reading together. The final half hour took us across the channel and it’s choppy waters, propelling us to the back of the ferry with a paper bag and a plastic cup of ginger ale, compliments of the very helpful crew, who were eager to avoid as much vomiting among passengers as possible!
As we approached Garden Key, we were greeted by the sight of the magnificent Fort Jefferson rising up in the middle of the Gulf.
Our time on the island began with an informative tour conducted by one of the Yankee Crew members. The 3-level fortress has served a variety of purposes over the course of its 170+ years of history, including a safe harbor, a civil war prison (most famously to hold Samuel Mudd after he was wrongfully indicted as a co-conspirator in the assassination of President Lincoln), and its current designation as a national park.
The moat surrounding the fort is the result of engineering ignorance, according to our guide. The design was replicated from the forts further north along the coast as a barrier to protect against ferocious waves and marauding enemies. However, the waves in the gulf never reach the 6-foot heights of the Atlantic waters, so the result was that the moat became a sewage lagoon of sorts (which, incidentally, could have made the latter purpose of keeping enemies at bay even more effective, though for entirely different reasons!).
It’s pretty surreal to stand atop the 19th century walls, surrounded by 360 degree views of the cerulean waters.
The architectural design of these old forts is a feast for the eyes.
We love exploring all the passageways and rooms and Julian is gifted at capturing awe-inspiring shots from every angle.
Once our explorations inside the fort were complete, we joined a handful of others at the beach and donned snorkel gear (provided by Yankee Freedom) to continue our expedition underwater. The strong winds made the water murky, but the area closest to the moat wall was teeming with fish and colorful waving coral. The chilly water was well worth it!
At 2:45 we were called aboard for our return to Key West.
An added bonus of the return trip and our seats on the back of the boat was that we essentially got a sunset cruise out of the deal! What a glorious experience!
We finished out the evening back at Key West with dinner at The Conch Republic Seafood Restaurant.
Pink shrimp, dubbed “pink gold” here in Key West, are one of the specialties of the island that we’d heard about, so we were curious to give it a try. We splurged for a plate of grilled shrimp and another of the locally fresh caught snapper. Everything was tasty, but nothing was remarkable. We’re certainly not seafood connoisseurs, but we didn’t taste much difference from seafood we’ve had in other places. Nevertheless, it was a delightful end to a memorable day!
