Forting Around

Spyder and Eagle took us on a fort tour this sunny afternoon.

From our rv park at Chimacum, we took CR 116 past Port Hadlock

 across the bridge to Indian Island

and across the next bridge to Marrowstone Island

to visit Fort Flagler State Park, one of many state parks created from former forts along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Here we learned the significance of three forts strategically established across the strait from each other.

Forts Worden, Casey, and Flagler were established in a triangle to defend Admiralty Inlet.  No enemy fleet could withstand the bombardment from the forts' guns in the "Devil's Triangle".

Fort Flagler turned out to be quite small with very few officers' and enlisted men's quarters.  We wanted to visit the museum but it was closed.  

There were many gun batteries scattered around the fort, but only a couple that could be seen from the road and only one has guns still mounted in it.

After Duane had some fun with his imagination, we rode to the largest of the two.

This battery had five sections.  Over the years the trees had grown between the guns and the water until the strait is no longer visible.

From Fort Flagler we recrossed the bridges over Mystery Bay and Port Townsend Bay, then took CR 20 north to Fort Worden State Park.

This fort was much larger with lots of enlisted men's quarters across the parade grounds

from the officers' houses.  As with Fort Flagler, the museum was closed.  Unlike Flagler, Fort Worden didn't have any gun batteries viewable from the road.  

After a short look across the inlet we drove around the fort, then headed for home, completing a very nice 4 hour, 60 mile ride.

Tomorrow, other interesting stuff we saw today.

Louise and Duane