"It rivals Yosemite, Yellow Stone and the big parks," believes Glenn Simpson.
Seventy Miles west of Key West awaits Garden Key, and the place Glenn cares for so deeply: Fort Jefferson.
Accessible only by boat or seaplane in a part of Florida known as the Dry Tortugas, visitors arrive in this coral reef eco-system to explore a fortress that began construction before the Civil War.
"My mom said, 'Let's go to the Fort. It's so cool! Blue Water!' So we're here," shares Shannon Straub, who enjoys snorkeling around Fort Jefferson.
Above water, construction began in 1845 in an attempt to protect cargo vessels sailing through the Straights of Florida.
"It's very protected for large ships," Glenn says. As the park director of the Dry Tortugas
National Park, one of the most remote National Parks, second to Guam, Glenn and a staff of about a dozen, now live within the walls of Fort Jefferson that were never completed.
By the Civil War, Fort Jefferson was a union prison, where to Abraham Lincoln assassination conspirer Dr. Samuel Mudd was imprisoned.
"It was a location that was isolated," Glenn offers. "Pretty hard to get away from."
Recent restoration projects, and more to come, will shore up Fort Jefferson's 14 million red bricks as a place to get a history lesson and peer under the surface.
"Under the water, filled with fish, coral, all types of sea life. Really pretty," says Andrea Sierra, who spent a day snorkeling around the fort. A trip to the island leaves some folks wanting more.
"You can't believe for just three dollars, you can camp on an island that literally looks like Aruba or a fancy place in the Caribbean," remarks camper Victoria Pagano.
If you plan ahead, you could spend the night. A dozen campsites allow those with previous experience to pitch a tent and explore the island for three days.
Yet know, this is primitive camping at it's finest.
There is no running water.
There is no power at the campsite.
There is no Wi-Fi.
There are no cell phone towers.
There are no bathrooms with toilets that flush (Our photographer left the outhouse after a large spider dropped from the ceiling and crawled into a urinal).
Instead, the only sounds here are the waves on the beach, located feet from the tent sites, the wind in the mangrove bushes and nesting birds.
The closest convenience store is back on Key West, 70 miles east. Therefore, campers must provide their own food and beverages to sustain themselves. However, the view is worth it.
"The sky is crazy with colors," says Glenn of the evening sunsets. At night, the stars shine brighter than they do on the mainland.
"It's a great place to camp. It's quiet at night."
Soon, morning arrives and the cycle continues all over again.
Most visitors arrive for a day aboard the Yankee Freedom II ferry from Key West. Others will fly in with Key West Seaplane Adventures. Both companies will leave visitors on the island for four to six hours during daylight hours.
About this destination
Where: Dry Tortugas, The Florida Keys, Monroe County
Open: Monday – Sunday
Fort Hours: Sunrise - Sunset
Phone number: 305-242-7700
General Admission:
Adults 16+: $5.00
Children 15 and under: Free
Address:
Humm. It doesn’t have a physical address!
Mailing address:
Dry Tortugas National Park
P.O. Box 6208
Key West, FL 33041
Website: http://www.nps.gov/drto/
Ferry Boat Transportation:
Yankee Freedom II
800-634-0939
305-294-7009
www.drytortugas.com
Seaplane Transportation:
Key West Seaplane Adventures
305-293-9300
www.keywestseaplanecharters.com.
Accessibility Note:
Several areas of Fort Jefferson are flat and accessible to those in wheelchairs and ECV scooters. While the beaches are sandy, the interior of the fort and island landscaping is a compacted shell base (like cement) and mixture of wild grass.
Production Note:
Although the lighthouse located on the third level of the tower was used in the filming of Florida on a Tankful Summer Road Trip with Scott Fais, it is not open to the public.
GPS Longitude & Latitude:
Latitude: 29.89601
Longitude: -81.31115
Latitude: 29° 53' 45.636"
Longitude: -81° 18' 40.1394"
Drive Times:
From Orlando to Key West: 6 hours, 45 minutes
From Tampa to Key West: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Tankful on Television
You can catch new Florida on a Tankful stories each Thursday and Saturday on News 13 and Bay News 9. New editions play at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m. Classic Florida on a Tankful stories can be found each Friday and Sunday on Bay News 9 and News 13 at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m.
Tankful on Demand
This story was part of the Florida on a Tankful Summer Road Trip. Catch the 30-minute special with Scott Fais now on Bright House Local On Demand, Channel 999. Use your remote to scroll to the right to the TRAVEL category. Then SCROLL DOWN to TANKFUL.