| FORT MATANZAS |
| IF THERE'S A FORT YOU CAN BE SURE WE'LL BE CHECKING IT OUT. SO, WHILE VISITING FLORIDA'S ST. AUGUSTINE FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME, ( LOTS OF HAUNTED HISTORY ) WE DECIDED TO VISIT THE LITTLE- FORT- THAT- COULD FORT MATANZAS FORT MATANZAS WAS BUILT AT THE SAME TIME AS IT'S BIG BROTHER, CASTILLO DE-SAN MARCOS, WHICH IS THE FAMOUS FORT GUARDING THE BAY AT ST-AUGUSTINE. THE TWO FORTS SHARE COMMON ARCHITECTURE, HOWEVER THERE ARE TWO NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS TO THEIR SIMILARITIES. CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS IS A HUGE FORT, CAPABLE OF HOUSING HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS. FORT MATANZAS HOWEVER, WAS STAFFED BY EIGHT TO TEN SOLDIERS! SITUATED 20 MILES SOUTH OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FORT MATANZAS SITS ON A WIND-SWEPT ISLE GUARDING THE ENTRANCE TO A SMALL INLET. THE FORT HAS A CREEPY FEEL, AND IT'S REMOTE LOCATION TRULY MAKES VISITING THIS FORT A MUST-DO ON YOUR CHECK OFF LIST. IT JUST HAS THAT FEEL OF ANTIQUITY THAT CAN RARELY BE FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE. THIS FORT IS IN A STATE PARK, ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY BOAT, AND STATE PARK RANGERS CHEERFULLY TOOK US TO THE ISLAND. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT ALL OF THE ROOMS IN THE FORT, AND CLIMB UP TO THE WATCH-TOWER ROOF FOR AN EXCELLENT VIEW OF THE BAY AND INLET. WE ARRIVED AT NEAR DUSK, AND THE COMBINATION OF THE SUNSET CASTING LONG SHADOWS, AND THE WIND SWEPT FEEL, MADE THIS PLACE A FAVORITE OF OURS. IT JUST "FELT" GHOSTY AS HELL. THERE IS A "FEEL" HERE. SOMETHING UNDENIABLE. YOU JUST HAVE TO EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF. HONESTLY, THIS FORT WAS ABOUT 100 TIMES MORE INTERESTING THAN CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS. THAT PLACE JUST FEELS TRODDEN UPON, AND FORT MATANZAS STILL HAS THE UNSPOILED FEEL OF THE OLD DAYS. HERE ARE SOME OF THE PICS FROM OUR WONDERFUL VISIT TO THE LITTLE WIND-SWEPT ISLAND FORT. |
