Followers of my blog know that I tend to post images from different parts of the world and don't typically show images from the same trip. The exception is when I get back from a place where the scenery was terrific and the weather great, like my Moab trip. So, in order to give you a break from my Moab shots (don't worry, you will see a few more in the near future), I am taking you to the other side of the country, namely the Florida Keys.
On the westernmost seven islands (and surrounding water) of the Florida Keys, visitors find one of the more remote National Parks in the US, Dry Tortugas National Park. The park is about 70 miles west of Key West, and is only reachable by boat or small plane. The park is surrounded by coral reefs with their abundant sea life. The main centerpiece of Dry Tortugas is the unfinished fort, Fort Jefferson. The fort is huge, being the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere (although unfinished, it is still made up of over 16 million bricks). It was initially built to control piracy in the Caribbean, but was never finished due to fears that the island might not be able to support the weight that finishing the fort would require. This is a composition showing the inner courtyard and the steel lighthouse that guards the waters.