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Sailboats in the azure waters of the Dry Tortugas
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Our tour guide gives the brief history of why Fort Jefferson was built as we shelter inside the first level from the rain
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Fort Jefferson is made of over 16 million bricks.
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I was marvelling at the compound arch over the tour group's heads
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Bricks are not native to the Dry Tortugas.
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Fort Jefferson is the closest thing the US has to a castle.
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On the unfinished upper level the openings are left rough and allow a necessary breeze
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My favorite part of wandering the fort is the lack of fences and railings.
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From the rooftop prairie, the massive unfinished gunpowder storage building
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A small bit of land that the fort didn't claim, home to thousands of birds
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Barracks ruins and the huge magazine
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Dry Tortugas Hermit Crab Defense Force
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One of the swimming beaches, at the edge of what is now the helipad
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The swimming beach and people walking the moat wall. It started pouring after I took this photo and I got completely soaked on the walk back to the boat to put away my camera.
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The one and only entry to the fort, which once had a legit drawbridge over the moat
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With architecture inspired by ancient aqueducts, it's ironic that there was continuously a shortage of fresh water
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The island's iron lighthouse, sitting atop one of the six corner stairwells that connect the three levels
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The ride to the island and back. Carrying over a hundred people at 25 knots, it is impressively powerful.
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Birds birding
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The view inward on the second level of Fort Jefferson
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Looking down a stairwell.
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The stairs are a stack of triangular stones, held up by brick walls.
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The remains of cannon window shutter. A guy was playing a flute nearby.
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A gunslit (?) beside the entry door. It seemed like it was pointing the wrong way.
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Part of the stonework that held the first gate
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Catamaran
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One wall and a corner of the fort. They told us the correct name for the corners. I have forgotten,
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This park service guy has massive balls
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Ruins of a dock, the camping area with the trees, and the fort itself
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The moat and some swimmers off the beach as we left
