Now that summer’s in full swing, most of the kids (elementary and college) are out of school and screamin’ their celebration. While we’re baking here in our hometown, we’re hoping you’ll get a chance to sneak away from reality, if only briefly!
If the kids are coming along on one of the many steal-of-a-deals to Key West this summer, and even if they’re not, who doesn’t love a little bit of pirate lore and stories of sunken treasure? Grab the grog and get your “booty” down to Key West’s Dry Tortugas National Park.
Think history and harrowing tales all tied together.
Ponce de Leon discovered the Dry Tortugas in 1513, named for the lack of surface fresh water on the seven islands that comprise this national park. However, it was known to de Leon simply as the Tortugas, deriving its namesake for the abundant 160 sea turtles (Tortugas) caught during his discovery.
The islands were both favored for its prime position in the Florida Straits and feared for its shipwrecking reefs and shoals. This proved a militaristic advantage in the early 1800s, the massive coastal Fort Jefferson was begun in 1846 by order of Franklin Roosevelt, only to be left unfinished. Even incomplete, the fort still maintains its title in the Western Hemisphere as the largest masonry structure, comprised of 16 million bricks.
The vast amount of native wildlife that call the islands isn’t the only inviting characteristic of this now National Park, named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and a National Park in 1992. Known for its vibrant coral reefs, plentiful sea life, and legends of shipwrecks and treasure, the islands and fort are accessible only by chartered seaplane or boat.
Ferries leaving from Key West can cart you over to dally in de Leon’s stomping ground for snorkeling, camping, a picnic, scuba diving, saltwater fishing, guided wildlife watching and birdwatching. Something around 80,000 Sooty terns stop through from between February and September for their nesting season on the island – that’s as many as annual visitors to the National Park!
To learn more about activities in the Dry Tortugas National Park, please visit their Web site or call (305) 242-7711.
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