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| Cockpit of our transportation today........ok, lets go! |
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| On our way the pilot tells us the US Coast Guard patrols these islands for illegal activities |
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| Slashdown |
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| My first class seating lol |
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| Ground level view of Fort Jefferson |
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| Over 16 million bricks were used in the building of Fort Jefferson |
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| The lighthouse built in 1825 was the first structure on the island |
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| After awhile ( like most forts) the weaponry became useless because of the advances in shipbuilding |
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| Aerial view of the fort as we approach |
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| Once Spain sold Florida to the United States the idea was for Fort Jefferson to protect their interests and the piracy from the Caribbean |
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| The design of the fort called for a four tiered six sided walls |
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| Dry Tortugas Park is a 100 square mile area that includes mostly open water with seven small islands in which Fort Jefferson is located on one of these. |
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| Inside the grounds the army employed civilian machinists, carpenters, blacksmiths, masons and general laborers |
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| During the peak period as its history of a fort there were a population of over 1700 |
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| Fort Jefferson is around 110 km ( 70 miles ) west of Key West Florida |
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| This was a subclass type of plane called amphibian aircraft.......because of its ability to land on airfields also |
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| In 1888 the fort was turned over to the Marine Hospital and operated as a quarantine station |
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| To support the large workforce and lacking fresh water they collected rainwater but with not much success |
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| The fort towards it end of it usefulness was also used as a prison.......most common were Army privates charged with desertion |
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| In 1992 Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas was established a National Park |
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| Landing back into Key West Florida |
