Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Florida - Fort Matanzas

We go to Fort Matanzas today.  There is a free ferry that goes over to the Fort every half hour.


Dogs not allowed on the ferry but they do have a nice 1 mile boardwalk where we can take him for a stroll.
Time to go to the boarding area
The ferry is coming back in
Almost there
A juvenile White Ibis is waiting for us on the dock

It's a fairly small fort.  Built in 1740 to control the Matanzas Inlet - the southern entry to St. Augustine.  It is the only Spanish fortified watchtower in the Continental USA, 

I can't pass up the ladder to the top
The views are amazing
In 1565 Spain crushed an attempt by France to Control Florida by slaughtering a a French Colony 40 miles north of here near Jacksonville.  The inlet then became known as Matanzas - Spanish for slaughter
Cozy quarters

This Snowy Egret is having a bad hair day
This Great Egret caught dinner

This handsome Osprey was in a tree by the shore when we returned to the Park Office


A beautiful day to tour the Fort.





1 comment:

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