These are pictures of our trip on Sunday, May 2, 2010, from Key West to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West. We went there on the Yankee Freedom II, a catamaran pontoon boat. The weather was beautiful, but the seas were a bit rough. The fort, which is located on Garden Key, and the surrounding islands and area are beautiful. Fort Jefferson has a fascinating history. Construction was started in 1840 and continued until 1875, but was never totally completed.
The fort was never attacked, but served as a prison after the Civil War. Dr. Samuel Mudd was incarcerated there for several years, for having provided medical attention to John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. in April 1865.