The moat wall crossing right into our beachside campsite. Credit: Jonathan Irish
Dry Tortugas, a US national park at the tip of the Florida Keys, was discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513. He was so successful at catching sea turtles (reportedly 160) that he referred to the islands as the “Tortugas” (Spanish for “turtles”). The word “Dry” was added to the name to warn other mariners that there were no fresh water springs on the islands.
Dry Tortugas National Park was the third of 59 parks visited by Stefanie Payne and Jonathan Irish on their epic adventure to document all of the US national parks during the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration in 2016.
[Read the whole article, see more photos in the newly published coffee-table book, (now available for purchase on Amazon and at the official website, The Greatest Road Trip),.and stay tuned for more.]