Fort Clinch

I’m honored to once again me nominated for Top Travel Blog by Christopher Elliott. I would be so appreciative if you head over to his site (http://elliott.org/best-travel-blog/) today & vote for My View from the Middle Seat! Thank you!

I am a sucker for history, especially military history. So when I was researching things to do on our recent trip to Amelia Island, Florida, I knew Fort Clinch was going to be on our list.

Beautiful Fort Clinch State Park is located on the northern tip of Amelia Island. The park itself is well worth the trip, with it’s beautiful tree canopy of Cyprus trees & Spanish moss & long stretches of deserted ocean beaches. Our first stop in the park was at the beach, where we walked along the shore, marveling at the giant waves & looking for seashells. I even found a perfect sand dollar washed ashore! The beach was nice, with a sturdy boardwalk to lead you from the parking lot over the dune to the sand & clean rest room facilities.

Then we drove a few miles up the winding road to the fort itself, which is hidden from the parking lot & visitors center by trees. Fort Clinch was built in the 19th century to project the waterway that runs along the Florida-Georgia line. It’s a masonry fort, built with nearly 5,000 bricks (quite an achievement in 1847!). During the Civil War, the Confederates seized the fort in 1861 & occupied it until Lee pulled back forces from the south to focus all his energies in Virginia. Union troops took over & I think we all know what happened after that.

It was impressive to meet the volunteers who reenact life in the fort during Union occupancy. We met the fife player, who was busy cleaning his rifle with hot coffee the morning we visited. He was totally into character, something that always astonishes me about historic reenactors.

If you’re hanging out on Amelia Island, a visit to Fort Clinch is definitely worth a visit. Even if you’re not interested in the history, the views of the water from the fort are great & the beach is quiet & endless.