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USA Coastal: 1st & 2nd System
USA Coastal: 3rd System
Civil War Earthworks
Indian Wars
USA Coastal: Endicott, Taft, WWI and WWII
| Ft. Larned | |
| [29-Jun-2020] A stop on the Santa Fe Trail the fort never had walls just buildings in a square. Took me a while to figure out the river. Its the Pawnee river. It doesn't cross the nearby highway, but turns south around the town to join the Arkansas later. Ft. Larned Photos | |
| Ft. King | |
[19-May-2019]
Stopped at Fort King on the way back from Megacon. It was closed last time I was in the Ocala area. Its a replica of the fort and seems really off. The walls are too high with rifle slits not the ability to fire over them, cannons only in the block houses, two large gates and the flag pole outside the fort not in it. But it does match the only drawing we have. The army had no idea who to build forts.
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| Forts fixed mostly | |
| [25-Jan-2019] Somehow I was using the link.php that was causing the site to slow down for the forts site maps. Rebuilt it so its not slow and the maps work. | |
| Forts broken | |
| [22-Jan-2019] Forts site is broken. Wont drill down properly. Probably has something to do with google maps but will take time to look into. | |
| Day 6: Ft. Snelling | |
| [15-Sep-2018]
Ft. Snelling was an infantry fort built in the 1820s to protect the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. It saw action during the Dakota War coinciding with the Civil War. Design is very different from the sea coast forts I usually go to. No large batteries of guns, just a few in large round towers with central pillars. No ramparts, galacis, moat or the usual features.
Drove 1183 miles in total. | |
| Day 2: Mackinac Island | |
| [11-Sep-2018]
Took the early ferry to Mackinac Island. Got there before the main fort opened so went walking around the island first doing the uphill part while it was still cool.
Went out to The Arch Rock where there was a geocache and a marker for an old watch tower. Stopped at the Ft. Holmes a reconstruction of a fort designed to hold the high point of the island, and another geocache. On the way down stopped at Skull Cave. Not much to see. Ft. Mackinac was the main reason for being out there. Originally a British fort, handed over to the Americans, retaken by the British in the war of 1812, then given back at the end it sits on the bluff overlooking the town. Went to the Butterfly Museum and walked around the island before leaving. Destroyed another pair of shoes in the 10 miles or so walking around the island. Finished the day at Michilimackinac the old French settlement/fort. | |
| Castillo de San Marcos | |
| [17-Apr-2018] Went to St. Augustine with friends end of March. Added more pictures of the fort. We took the trolley around town, I think it was the first time I rode it. | |
| Ft. Chokonikla | |
| [18-Jun-2017] Killing time while working in nowhere. This is the site of a 2nd Seminole Indian War fort. Not much to see just a small visitor center and field | |
| Day 1: Ft. Massachusetts and Beauvoir | |
| [30-Oct-2016]
Stayed overnight in Gulfport.
It was the last day the ferry ran to the island. Used pokemon incense on the way out to catch them. Fort was very small, and mosquito infested. Hundreds of them and dozens biting immediately, almost ran out of the fort. After the fort waited on the island for several hours for the ferry no interest in the beach and nothing else to do.
Ft. Massachusetts pictures.
Beauvoir was the home of Jefferson Davis after the war. It was pretty close to the ferry so we were able to get to it before it closed. Strange house, elevated for cooling and with wings not in line with the other rooms and only accessible by going outside. Drove to Vicksburg. | |
| Roadtrip 2016 | |
| [29-Oct-2016] Circled the Southeast. 2055 miles. Left 7pm Oct 29 returned 1am Nov 6. Forts, battlefields, caves, trains. | |
| Forts | |
| [11-Oct-2016] Fixed the forts website from afrer the php upgrade. | |
| Day 7-9: Jamestowne, friends, reunion | |
| [11-Jul-2014]
Yes Jamestowne with the stupid e at the end. Not the touristed up place next door the actual National Park of the real site. There are two forts on the site parts of the reconstructed original one and on top of that a Confederate earthwork.
Spent the night in Raleigh with Roberto and his kids. Went to the family reunion in Kinston the next day at 1pm. Left there at 3:30 and drove straight to Jacksonville. The first Krystals you hit coming south is just outside Brunswick.
On Monday came home. | |
| Day 6: Virginia Forts | |
| [10-Jul-2014]
Started out first thing at Ft. Norfolk. Its currently on an active army base used by the Corps of Engineers so was not allowed to take pictures towards the modern building. Found a geocache on the property unexpectedly. Its supposed to be a multistage cache that was currently inactive but the final cache was there. Logged it.
Crossed over to Ft. Monroe and took some pictures of Ft. Wool on the way. Last time I was at Ft. Monroe it was an active base, now its a National Park and much better since you dont feel like your being watched and picture taking is allowed. There are still a lot of army signs up about things you shouldnt do however. Old Point Comfort Lighthouse is just outside Ft. Monroe. Finished the day at Yorktown. There was a lot more there than I expected. Did 2 geocaches ad walked all over the town and inner works, then did the driving tour out to the surrender field and other sites. Did everything for a 3rd geocache down on the beach that was virtual but didnt log it. | |
| Day 5: Roanoke, Kitty Hawk | |
| [09-Jul-2014]
I think the fort at Roanoke (Ft. Raleigh) is wrong. Its just too small to be the fort for a colony. It compares to some of the redoubts at Yorktown to comparative structures like the fort at Jamestown. The archeologists may have found something, they need to go back and look more. Spent more time at the Gardens than the fort.
Next stop was Kitty Hawk. There is a big monument on the hill. Its not the important thing to see. The first flight took place in the field by the visitor center. There is a smaller rock and then 4 even small markers to mark where the first flights landed. Geocache at the rock. Drove to Norfolk for the USS Wisconsin. You have to go through the whole several floors of the Nauticus museum and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum to get to it. The ship itself seems bigger than the North Carolina but not as much is open yet. Leaving the Wisconsin tried to take a boat tour of the harbor but it got canceled at the last minute because of weather. The sky opened up 40+ mph winds blowing rain and hail in apocalyptic craziness for half and hour, then drizzle.
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| Day 4: The Outer Banks | |
| [08-Jul-2014]
Took the ferry over to Ocracoke in the morning. Did not need reservations. Ocracoke is more of a place than Cedar Island it has hotels, restaurants and such. Went to the Ocracoke Lighthouse, did a geocache at the cemetery and attempted another near the sign Ft. Ocracoke. Ate breakfast, drove up the island and stopped to see the ponies.
At the other end of the island took another ferry across to Hatteras. Did a geocache on the ferry. The ferry takes a crazy route because of sand banks. We did a 180 around the buoy in question. Graveyard of the Atlantic museum was unimpressive, no photos. Got lucky and there was a lecture by a local on Hatteras part in the Civil War including the battles at Ft. Clark and Ft. Hatteras. Another geocache in the parking lot. Drove further north. Stopped at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse but they were not letting people on the balcony so didnt climb it. Next stop was the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Climbed it but couldnt go out on the balcony either. Ended the day watching the Lost Colony Play at Roanoke. Im seen worse but thats only because I saw that Custer Reenactment out west. Potatoes come from South America not Virginia. | |
| Day 3 | |
| [07-Jul-2014]
Vacation entry is going slowly. Ended day 2 in Southport N.C. needed to take a ferry first thing in the morning. Almost didn't get a hotel in the area. Tried 2 places before finding on with a room. Also destroyed my hiking boots. They have been around for maybe 15 years so its not a surprise. Had to find new ones.
On the way to the ferry came across Ft. Johnson. Only the officers quarters remained. Took some photos of light houses in the distance (Old Baldy, Oak Island). Took the ferry over to Ft. Fisher. Passed the Ft. Fisher Aquarium and then came back to it after the fort. Then did the battery down the road. Drove on to the USS North Carolina an then Ft. Macon. Did a cache at the fort. Then another drive to the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal. The terminal is nowhere. Its and hour drive from Morehead City though nothing. The last half hour is in wildlife refuge that is all marsh. You pass some houses at the end, a little store that claims to be the last stop before a 2.5hr ferry (with wifi) and a mile later the landing. There is an abandoned hotel near the landing. No where to stay. Went back to the store. They claim the hotel is open but you have to call. Went back there, there is a number but no service. None (and no wifi) at the store. Driving backwards found a hotel at Sea Level. They had closed. Saw people in the restaurant and they gave me a room ringing it up on the restaurant cash register. Left the key on the dresser as instructed. It was a nice room.
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| Camping at Torreya | |
| [06-Jun-2013]
We took Cecilia camping at Torreya this weekend. Had to carry her most the trail when we went down to the river. The steep cliffs were way beyond a two year olds capabilities.
Took some more pictures of the gun battery (The Battery at Hammocks Landing) while I was there. They have improved the signs from what I remember. Did not go after either of the geocaches because of weather. | |
| Ft. Matanzas again | |
| [19-Mar-2013] Since it was just up the road from Bee college went to Ft. Matanzas again. got there just in time to catch the boat. Ended up with 5 tickets. Guy at the desk gave me 2 for no reason, and a couple with a baby handed me theirs to give to the ranger as the decided not to go at the dock. Messed up the Rangers count majorly. | |
| A short drive to Mississippi | |
| [15-Jul-2012]
Drove to MS (well LA for the forts) to pick up Gibson and Miles. Took a short side trip to Ft. Pike with a stop to take photos of the outside of Ft. Macomb. Id been to both sometime back in college but cant find any pictures. Didnt remember the Ft. Pike was the first of the 3rd system. Its condition isnt really good, wall are crumbling and splitting, Support beams have been added in all the bastions. The museum in the citadel got wiped out by Katrina. Picture will be under the forts site one I upload them.
Did a geocache at the fort an other at the rest area where we picked up the kids. The one at the rest are was literally tied to the tree hanging from a branch about ft up. We left at 6am and because of traffic in Mobile (stopped for 45min before the tunnel) didnt get back till 10:30.
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| Photos of San Marcos de Apalache | |
| [23-Apr-2012] In cleaning up the forts site I discovered I dont have photos of a lot of places Ive been. Maybe there are on real paper somewhere. In trying to correct this went to St. Marks this weekend to take photos of the fort there. | |