Fort Matanzas

With Grandfather in town, we had the perfect excuse to spend the day as tourists. After considering our options, we decided to head down to the "little fort," Fort Matanzas. It's located at the mouth of the Matanzas River and once served as the 1st line of defense for the city.

Thanks to some rather knowledgeable park rangers, we learned a lot about the history of our city. We also learned a little about the boys during our adventure. For example, Baylor is really coming out of his shell. He's actually quite the socialite. He had a great time today socializing with the other tourists.We learned that Baylor LOVES boats. He was glued to the rail and savored every second of the ride over to the fort. He was fascinated by the water and the wake from the boat. When Baylor wasn't starring at the water, he was scanning the scenic surroundings and seemed to be captivated by the breeze blowing through his hair.Jax could have cared less about the water and beautiful views. He wanted to drive! After boarding the boat, he declined my offer to sit by the rail, choosing instead to sit on the aisle of the 1st row with a prime view of the controls. You tell he was taking mental notes on everything the park ranger did during our cruise. If Jax has any say in the matter, we will be the proud owners of a boat sometime in the future!As we approached the fort, Grandfather and I were surprised that it was so small. It turns out that this fort was only a small outpost for the main fort located downtown in our historic district. The little fort was constructed after a failed attack by General Oglethorpe from Savannah. The small group of Spanish soldiers manning the fort would fire warning shots on any potential invaders.

It turns out that construction of the outpost alone was enough of a deterrent. The cannons were only fired once, coincidentally enough, they were fired upon General Oglethorpe who decided to come scope out the fort that he heard was constructed after his failed invasion. The cannon ball greeting convinced him not to make a 2nd attempt. Go figure! Getting back to list of discoveries. I discovered that Baylor LOVES cannons. Although the fort was small, it was armed with 4 cannons, and Baylor had to pretend to fire each and every one! That boy LOVES cannons, and I wasn't the only one to notice. Our entire tour group couldn't help smiling as Baylor squealed with delight over each cannon. Boys and their toys!The fort had 3 levels. The main level included the firing deck and a bunk house where the soldiers slept.

From the main deck, you ascended a flight of stairs (back then, it was a ladder) to the commander's quarters. Then, you could climb a ladder to the roof of the fort. Let me tell you, Jax LOVED that! Grandfather accompanied him to the roof while I stayed below with Baylor. When they finally made their way back down, Jax offered several times to show me the way to the top. You could tell he was enjoying the experience, but climbing that ladder to the roof just made his day.

Before we knew it, the park ranger was herding us towards the boat. Jax was a little disappointed to leave, but Baylor couldn't wait for the ride. He was bouncing with excitement on Grandfather's lap.

The park also had a short nature walk that we explored before heading home. It was nice, but we're kind of jaded thanks to our awesome neighborhood boardwalk. It's sad when something in your neighborhood trumps the state park!

Now that we've explored the little fort, we'll have to make a trip to the big one downtown. Grandmother, I hope you didn't have other plans for the weekend!