Being a trailing spouse in Tallahassee opens so many opportunities. One can retire with your health and have plenty to time to do neat little things. Today – I visited one of the places I wanted to see ever since I enjoyed my 1st lesson in 4th grade about the Civil War.
My 4th grade history textbook was old and tattered – come to think of it most of my textbooks were in “well used” condition in the public schools of my hometown in Appalachia. Whenever you dropped the book on the desk – it would open to a picture of Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas Island. The Fort was so impressive surrounded by palm trees – white sand – migrating birds – and beautiful light blue shades of aqua and turquoise waters. I thought to myself, “it doesn’t look too dry to me.” Indeed – it has always been my idea of what a “desert island” should be. The caption said it was in Florida – and I thought someday I would go there.
Now that I live in Florida – like Patton I had “the right instrument in the right place at the right time” to achieve my destiny. I was going to drive to Fort Jefferson!
So we left Tallahassee last week with many destinations – but the one in mind most was the Dry Tortugas.
People do not realize how big it is – but one can start at one end of Florida near Pensacola and drive 1000 miles to the other end in the Keys. We were going to drive the 700 miles from Tallahassee to the Keys – and the only real tropical place in the United States before Hawaii. Remember I was in 4th grade pre-1959 and Hawaiian Statehood.
If you have not driven to the Florida Keys – what are you waiting for? Key West is like visiting Honolulu without the $800 cover charge for a plane ticket. The highway to the end of the rainbow has no toll charges.
So far on this trip Lulu has been the trailing spouse. We started by visiting by high school friend Gary in Plantation and were now headed to my friend Ben’s in the Keys. Ben is a retired eye surgeon but we met over our mutual admiration of the Mac computer. Ben was too busy to read software manuals so he found out about me and I would give him abbreviated lessons back in PA. We continue to videoconference about once a week as he travels to his homes in New Zealand, Pennsylvania, Canada and the Keys – all in pursuit of the perfect fish with his perfect wife, Carol. Carol, we found out by watching some expertly produced Ben iDVDs, is actually the better fisherman – a master in fly fishing. They are great people and wonderful hosts. We really resisted the temptation to move in with them.
Of course I know that Fort Jefferson is on an island 70 west of the town of Key West and one must take a boat of plane for the final sprint – but that doesn’t fit into my idea so I avoid it. We took a float plane from Key West – although one can also choose a ferry or a high speed catamaran. 35 minutes and $200 later – 8 passengers walk the final 5 feet thru the water to the Dry Tortugas.
Fort Jefferson was built in the 1850s as a defense of the Florida Straits shipping channel. It is made of 16 million bricks – about 300 cannons – and tons of loneliness. Although never fully finished and never fired upon by a hostile enemy – it symbolizes an era of putting up a defense by building a wall and keeping everyone out. Our country built a ring of these forts around it – like Fort Delaware – Fort Pulaski – Fort Sumter – and so on.
The fort is in remarkable shape considering it has been there about 150 years. Maybe the isolation has kept vandals and thieves away – but the fort looks great. So many architectural ideas are intact – but the best part is the visitor can roam free – hardly ever seeing the 20 or so other people that are on the island. There are few places off limits.
You are allowed to camp on the island for $3 a night. You must bring all your own water and food – and you must take all your garbage home with you. You can swim and snorkel where you want – there are plenty of places you can pitch your tent and sun bathe in any state of clothing.
If you wish to have a free guided tour that it available too.
Dr. Mudd – the man who set John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg after he killed Abraham Lincoln – spent 4 years here as a prisoner after his conviction. At that time the fort housed about 2000 people – half of them deserted Northern soldiers. When yellow fever hit the fort and killed the Army doctor – Dr. Mudd took over and saved many lives. For this – he was granted a pardon by President Andrew Johnson. You can visit the dungeon where they kept Dr. Mudd. Today – it seems much more peaceful and tidy than it must have been.
The 2 hours that we had to roam passed way too fast. At 1 PM – we hopped back on the plane – put the nose into the wind – and headed back to Key West. The 8 passengers had looks of fulfillment and accomplishment on their faces. The faces of concern on the way over were erased by the afterglow of their short rendezvous with history. Already – my mind was romanticizing what I had seen and done. On the plane – my time was shared between reviewing the 200 pictures I took versus “switching my camera over to guns” and taking more pictures of ship wrecks and even a picture of the only private home on the Marqueses Islands on the way back. The blues – greens – purples – and yellows of the shallow warm waters in the Gulf Stream had you dreaming of pirates and treasure that infested this area when the Florida Hurricanes had their way with the inhabitants and travelers – some things never change.
After our perfect landing at the Key West International Airport – we felt like sailors on shore leave in this port town of 50,000 people – enjoying shopping – eating – and even a few special drinks in Margaritaville.
So 700 miles from Tallahassee – we sadly must turn our craft around and head North – leaving behind wonderful friends (Ben and Carol) and marvelous memories. It is great being a resident of Florida and having this tropical and historic playground to explore all year without having to shovel snow and ice. See tons more pictures at – www.harry.everhart.com.
These opportunities would never have presented themselves without my taking a chance on being The Trailing Spouse.
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