Tomoka State Park
Ormond Beach, Florida
(Last day here)
Fort Matanzas
Marc- We started out visiting the Bulow Plantation State Park just to the North of our campground. A long dirt road leads to well maintained grounds on the shore of Bulow Creek where the ruins of the Bulow Plantation Mansion and slave quarters are located. A hike through the pine and live oak forest leads to the remains of the Bulow Sugar Mill. This was a successful sugar cane plantation. Success was due in large part to a large amount of slave labor. The area traded hands between the Spanish, the British and the Americans. A war with the Seminole Indians in the 1830's destroyed the place.
Bulow Creek
Trail to the Sugar mill.
A walk through live oak tree
Remains of the sugar mill
We continued our trip North to Ft. Matanzas National Monument near Matanzas Inlet. The ferry service was free. The National Park Rangers were excellent and provided a history lesson of this Spanish Fort completed in 1742 to protect the back door to the Spanish Colonial city of St. Augustine. No enemy was able to enter through the back door.
National Park Service ferry dock (note ferry kept on a lift).
Fort Matanzas (The Park Service built up the ground level 4 feet to protect the fort from Hurricanes and thus made the walls appear shorter). Spanish Military flag flying.
The Cannon deck looking out towards Matanzas Inlet.
View towards the Intracoastal Waterway to the West.
Ferry dock.
The fort is made of Coquina stone blocks (compressed seashells). Coquina stone absorbs cannon balls and does not shatter.
Sue in the tower.
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Ft. Matanzas pelican.
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