FL: the Dry Tortugas Pt. 1--Fort Jefferson

Before the sun arose we were up getting ready for our big adventure to the Dry Tortugas.

I have seen very few sunrises in my day, but this one was the best. Almost magical. 

As I bustled about getting the kids up and ready I kept my eye on the sky--and found myself reaching for my phone to try to capture it again and again. The whole seascape seemed to only get more and more beautiful as the light subtly changed. 

By 7 a.m. we were ready to board the boat that would ferry us to the Dry Tortugas, 70 miles away!  

It would take two and a half hours to reach our destination, so we all settled in for complimentary breakfast (a full spread!) and chatting with fellow passengers. 

And enjoying the experience of a high-speed catamaran out on the open sea! Some of the kids were fortunate enough to see sea turtles!

In time, a land mass appears on the horizon. 

As the boat rounds the island we see Fort Jefferson from good vantage.

Because of the length of travel to get there, we had very little time on the island itself. We boarded the boat at 7, departed at 8, arrived at 10, and the boat would leave again at 3, to arrive back at Key West by 5:15. So for an all-day excursion we were only going to have 5 hours of actually being there. That sounds like a lot of time, but not when there is so much you want to do!  So sadly we could not join any of the guided tours of the fort, opting instead to explore on our own, knowing we would miss out on information but wanting to be able to set our own pace and maximize the overall experience.  After all, we can always research history later from home, but we won't be able to snorkel! 

So, first--exploring the fort:

It seems much bigger on the inside.

Powder magazine--for safe and dry storage of large amounts of gunpowder.

 Sometimes spaces are alluring to me on their own. . . 

 And sometimes they are more fun with people in them. So I do my best to capture both.

 Anywhere we approached an opening in the outer wall we were enticed closer with glimpses of the most gorgeous tropical shades of sea and sky.

 And we never had to lean far out of any such opening to have breathtaking, almost surreal views. 

The whole place was such a fantastic place to explore--even if I wished we had the luxury of more time there, what time we had was amazing.  Like a dream.