Day 306
NM Today: 6
NM To Date:
4855
We got up
relatively early this morning to take a bike ride out to the Fort Clinch State
Park before departing the Fernandina marina. The park opened at 8:00 and the
fort at 9:00.
Clark used
the tourist map that we were given by the marina to map out our route. About
two-thirds of the way to the fort, per the touristy map, Clark discovered by
looking at Google Maps that the tourist map was incorrect and we could not get
to the fort via the path we had taken. We had to backtrack.
At the point
where we stopped to check Google Maps, thank goodness Clark looked, we found an
historic marker. We had inadvertently arrived at McClure’s Hill, which was the
site of the Battle of Amelia in 1817 when the Spanish tried to take Fernandina
and failed. As I have said before, I
never know what I will get to see following Clark around!
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| McClure’s Hill Historic Marker |
We turned
around, took the correct route to the state park, and paid our entrance fee of
$2.00 per person to bike out to the fort. When we asked directions, the guard
at the gate said the fort was three miles straight down the road. He emphasized
three miles multiple times.
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| Fort Clinch Entrance |
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| Fort Clinch Canons |
I have
visited a number of forts over the years. I found this one surprisingly
interesting because the rooms in the buildings were decorated with artifacts
from the past depicting the life of the soldiers stationed at the fort during
the Civil War. We saw the beds in the officer’s quarters, the mess hall for
enlisted men, the dining hall for the officers, ball and chain in the jail,
sewing machines and laundry tubs in the laundry, …
The one
display that surprised me the most however was the quartermaster’s stock. It
displayed everything from the mess kits, to their uniforms including shoes, to
the food they stocked. Very impressive!
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| Quartermaster Stock - Military Uniforms for Union Army |
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| Water Pump used in conjunction with Cisterns near Kitchen |
I learned
some history which is always a bit of fun.
Owing to its position on the water, it served as an ideal defense
mechanism during a number of wars. The fort was designed to hold 500 soldiers
and 78 pieces of artillery, e.g. cannons. Construction began on the fort in
1847, but in 1860, after 13 years of construction efforts, one-third of the walls
had yet to be completed and not a single canon had been mounted.
The Civil
War began the next year, and Confederate troops took control of the fort. A
year later the Confederates withdrew as Union soldiers took control of the fort
and kept control throughout the remainder of the war. After that war the fort
sat in “caretaker status” until February 1898 when the USS Maine was sunk
during the Spanish American War. This event put Fort Clinch back into active use
for strategic defense until the end of 1898 when the war ended.
From the end
of 1898 until 1942, when the U.S. was attacked by the Japanese at Pearle Harbor
during World War II, the fort remained in “caretaker” status. Starting in 1942 and throughout WWII, the
Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Army and the Navy, ran a communications
base from the fort. In addition, a mounted patrol used horses for beach patrol
in the area of the fort to defend against spies and saboteurs entering the U.S.
When the war concluded in 1945 control of the fort was returned to the State of
Florida.
After
exploring every square inch of the fort grounds, we walked back to the
visitor’s center and toured the museum on the grounds. I enjoyed watching the
video which included various fort personalities talking about their life at the
fort (obviously reenactment but very well done). The other aspect of the museum I found
fascinating was their 1895 Gatling Gun on display!
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| Gatling Gun that took four men to operate and fired up to 900 rounds per minute |
After
concluding our tour of the fort, we started the five-mile bike ride back to the
boat. Unfortunately, Clark had not gone far when he discovered that his bike
tire was flat. He stopped and pumped it up and we continued for a short
distance when he had to stop and pump it up again. The one and only time we
leave the boat without the bicycle repair kit is the one time we might possibly
need it. Although the tire was squishy
and desperately needed air, Clark managed to get back to the boat on the tire.
We arrived
back at 12:30, immediately prepped the boat for departure, and were on our way
before the 1:00 check-out time. As we left the Fernandina area we got a look at
Fort Clinch from the water.
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| Fort Clinch as seen from Sea Moss |
We figured
we could eat on our way to our next stop. We had to hurry, however, because
unlike some days where we travel long distances, today we only had to travel
six miles to our next stop. We barely had our food eaten when Clark started
looking for the best place to drop anchor for the night.
Several
folks told us that we should be sure to stop at Cumberland Island. We decided
to follow up on that recommendation and drop anchor off the island for the
night. Clark had heard that the island had trails and that we knew that the
places we wished to see covered a bit of a distance on the island, so we decided
to do something we have never attempted before. We brought our bicycles with us
in the dinghy. Before loading them into
the dinghy, however, Clark had a bit of a repair job to do on that flat tire of
his.
With some
struggling, grunting, and complaining Clark managed to find the sharp object
that had pierced the tire, pull out and patch the inner tube, and get the bike
back together and operational in less than an hour. He had quite a fight getting
the tire off the rim. I expect if I worked at it all day, I still wouldn’t be
able to get the job done.
Our dinghy
is small and barely holds the two of us. I found it impressive that we managed
to get ourselves and all our bike paraphernalia in the dinghy for the trip to
the park. I climbed in the front. Then Clark handed me my bike that I
positioned in front of me. On top of that I placed the bag with the helmets and
the backpack. Clark put his bike in the stern and climbed in next to it. We
wore our life jackets to get them out of the way.
When we
reached the docks for the park, Clark wanted me to get out to tie the line, but
I couldn’t move. Fortunately two gentlemen saw my plight and rushed over to
assist. I think they got more than they bargained for though. As they reached
for my hand to help me exit the dinghy, I handed them each a bag and then a
bicycle. After uncovering my person, they each offered me a hand to help me climb
out as well. What a production!
After all
that effort to bring the bikes to shore, I wish I could say it was worth it;
however, our bikes are designed for paved roads due to the narrow width and
overall size of the tires. All the trails on the park grounds were soft sand.
In some places I had difficulty even pushing the bike as I walked along beside
it. Occasionally I could ride it but with difficulty. Rarely could I find
places to ride the bike that the resistance was minimal. In those places the
road had a solid riding surface but with the composition of a washboard. I was
relieved to be able to pedal but concerned that I would jar my teeth out in the
process of making forward progress.
The first
thing I noticed as we pulled up to the park docks was the sign welcoming us to
a Georgia park. I knew we were close to Georgia, but I did not
realize we were actually in Georgia until I saw that sign. Now, with every
state I can tick off the list, I feel closer and closer to New Jersey and home.
I had heard
that we would see wild horses at Cumberland Island, and we saw them immediately
upon arrival. Besides the horses and one colt, we found an interesting
assortment of sights.
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| Cumberland Island Horse and Colt |
The Ice
House building provided an overview of the Dungeness mansion on the grounds
built by the Carnegie family. The mansion required up to 300 servants to keep
it running and cost $200,000 to build in the late 1800s – a small fortune.
Sadly the mansion burned to the ground in 1959 so only charred remains give a
glimpse into the grandeur of old.
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| Sandy Trail on Cumberland Island |
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| Dungeness Entrance |
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| Dungeness Ruins |
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After
viewing the ruins of Dungeness and the immediate grounds around the mansion, we
continued on the trail towards the beach where eventually we found a bike rack
where we left our bikes and continued on foot. We came upon a wooden walkway
pathway through the Salt Marsh.
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| Salt Marsh Boardwalk |
We followed
the boardwalk to the end where we found a sign that said “Beach”. With no shade
and a hot sun beating down on us, I found myself thinking about what it would
be like to try to cross the Sahara Desert. When I hear the word “beach”, I
think of sand and water. Well we found the sand – mountains of it, but we could
find no water. We eventually gave up looking, but not before Clark left me to
go on ahead and scout around to see if he could find it.
When he
returned, a group of other visitors to the park were walking my way as well.
That group had four adults and two very hot and tired toddlers. They made jokes
as they walked about crossing the Sahara Desert as well as saying that they
were living “Survivor: The Toddler Edition”. None of us could wait to get off
the “beach” and back on shaded park trails.
Between the
exhausting effort of riding my bike on the sandy trails and my near heat
exhaustion from my foray onto the “beach”, I told Clark I had had enough “fun”
for one day and wanted nothing more than to head back to the dinghy to rest.
Clark, however, wanted to visit the Sea Camp on the island, so we parted ways
at the crossroads.
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| Crossroads for Docks (for me) vs Sea Camp (Clark's path) |
I have no
idea how long Clark toured more of the island while I hung out enjoying the
shade and the breeze of the covered seating area for ferry passengers. When he
finally returned to the docks, he had obviously been working hard. He confirmed
that by saying, “That was some ride!” All I could think was “thank goodness I
didn’t go!”
We loaded
ourselves and the bikes back into the dinghy for the trip back to Sea Moss. The current was so strong at the dinghy dock
that the dinghy was pushed partially under the dock by the force of the water.
After we returned to Sea Moss and had everything stowed including the dinghy, I
needed to wind down a bit before making dinner. Fortunately, I had planned
ahead and had left overs to heat up, so dinner was fast and my “duties” in the
kitchen were taken care of quickly.
Somewhere in
there Clark snagged a sunset picture. This one is unique because the sun is
setting behind the clouds instead of just sinking below the horizon.
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| Sunset in the Clouds at Cumberland Island, FL |
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