The Fort and the Lighthouse

Well, this week my son is out of school for Spring Break. With the small amount of hours a day kids actually spend in school now, I often wonder, " a break from what?" But, they do deserve some time off once in a while. Anyway, speaking of the word break, yesterday I took Wesley to experience and see something that has yet to really break. We went to one of our local 1800's era forts. On the Naval base here is located Fort Barrancas. This is a mid 1800's era fort that is mostly underground and boasts passageways, barricaded rooms, bars and hidden places.

I was so excited to share this with Wesley but when we arrived at the visitor center the sign on the door said that the fort was now only open on Saturdays. Naturally we were both bummed. Around the grounds there at the fort are some nature trails though. We opted to hike a 1/2 mile loop and see what was out there. It was great. Massive live oaks, birds of all types flitting about and other things unique to the area abound. After we did the loop, Wesley was all hyped up and anxious to do more! Across the road about 1/2 mile is the site of another part of the fort system called Absolute Redoubt. What that means, I really don't know, but none the less, we headed that direction to go and explore. What an awesome playground for a boy's body and mind.

 To fathom that these structures that were made so many decades ago have endured floods, hurricanes, attacks from cannon fire and mortars and still stand nearly complete blows me away. Wesley was almost speechless as he bounded along tempting fate with every jump and leap. This area is under lock and key 95% of the time and only open for tours once a week at a specific time. As frustrating as that was, we made a concerted effort anyway to find a way in. Every door was locked and secured and that is a good thing. Wesley and I are both pretty adventurous and more than likely would have explored every inch inside the place would it have been possible.

As we roamed about we peered into the tiny openings in the walls, looking into near darkness hoping to see something of what lies hidden behind those walls. We walked in the overgrown trenches, climbed down into the many levels of the fort and even took time for cool photo ops. The weather yesterday was advertised by the local weatherman to be sunny and a warm 70 degrees. Boy did they blow that forecast! It was 45 degrees and windy with cloud cover. I am so glad that there were jackets for the both of us in the truck. Maybe that is a benefit to keeping some things IN the truck all the time, like fishing gear, blankets, some tools and apparently extra clothing. As the day began to warm and the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds, my boy and I kept marching along not missing a single window or hole to examine. In the middle of this fort is a much taller, double story section that is very grand in its appearance. I'm sure there had to be a way to get on top of it but we were not lucky enough to figure that out. As you traverse around the fort, on the west side is a huge drawbridge and wooden door. This thing is amazing not only to look at but in an engineering way as well. This entrance seems to be the only way into the large middle structure. I guess the tours once a week may allow you access to this area. Hopefully we can go soon and enjoy that tour.

Wesley had no fear all morning. He romped around, running through the tall weeds and grass while jumping over trenches and the like but, there was something about this huge doorway that he just didn't feel comfortable with. Maybe it was the sheer size of it or maybe it reminded him of the tales of dragons and drawbridges and moats. I'm glad though that I was able to get him to cooperate for this great photo.

There are a number of haunted places here in this part of Florida. Fort Pickens is one and so is Fort Barrancas and the Pensacola Lighthouse. I am not a big believer in ghosts in general but I won't discount it totally either. As we were walking back around the fort headed towards the parking lot, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to put my arm in one of the slits in the brick walls and snap a picture with my cell phone, just to hopefully see what was there in the darkness. The first shot I took came out okay but it just showed a large empty room with an unusual round swing out door. I took another immediately afterwards, reaching in a few inches further. In this second photo we caught what we are convinced is a ghost in this picture! Yep, when you look at it, nothing else makes real sense. Haunted? This has my curiosity up now for sure. The white floating mass that looks like smoke we think is a ghost. What do you think??

Excited and a bit tired from our exploring, we decided to go on yet another mini adventure and go tour the haunted lighthouse on base. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in the U.S. I believe and has been listed among some of the most haunted places in America. In fact, Ghost Hunters (TAPS) did a show and investigation here a few years back. The history of the Pensacola Lighthouse is very interesting. I won't go into all of that here, but you can search it on Google and read up on its history and current status.

Inside the Keeper's Home are museum pieces that tell about the lighthouse and display many original artifacts from the original time frame when it was built and functioning. There are several different floors that make up the quarters, from the dry goods cellar to the actual Keeper's rooms up to the upper floors which are now offices. When you get to the actual lighthouse area you immediately see a somewhat dark and eerie tower with an old ornate iron stairway that spirals up 177 steps to the top. If you take your time and stop to look out the several windows on the way up, the climb is not that taxing. Once at the top, the view is simply amazing. On a clear day, visibility is close to 13 miles.  My little man had been terrified of heights, even sitting on my shoulders just 2 years ago, so to see him fearlessly at the edge of the platform gazing down made me grin. As you look in different directions you can look out over the beach area and see Fort Pickens, the sister fort, and then to the North you overlook for flight line for the famous Blue Angels and beyond. It is amazing.

To end our outing for the day, we walked out to the beach that fronts the pass from the Pensacola bay. Wow! Although there aren't the waves like the real beach on the Gulf of Mexico boasts, it still is beautiful. We lingered a bit and then headed back toward town to meet the Grandma's for lunch. I am so happy to have been able to share yet another unique experience with my boy. There is so much to see and do almost anywhere you call home. It just takes a little creativity in some places, to find what is unique and enjoy it. Who knows what the rest of Spring break will bring, but I am ready and excited to see it unfold!