Views From Biscayne National Park

I went to Biscayne National Park. This is one of three national parks in my area. There is Everglades National, which is huge and composed mostly of swamp. Biscayne National is smaller, but better than 95% of it is water. And then there is one of the most remote parks in the system, Dry Tortugas National Park - located 75 miles west of Key West. I have never gone to the Dry Tortugas.

The stop in Biscayne National Park was one of the smaller islands, Boca Chita Key. At one point this tiny island was part of the City of Islandia. The city never took off, although on the census the area that is now part of the national park is still called Islandia. There was a master plan to develop the area. The great depression pretty much killed this idea. That was South Florida's first real estate bust. But before the idea went belly up, someone did start to develop Boca Chita key.

They built an ornamental lighthouse and a really nice harbor. Along with some stone buildings. There was never any electricity run to the island.


And this is a closer view of the fake lighthouse.


And it was open! Sometimes the door is locked, sometimes there is a park ranger or volunteer there keeping an eye on the thing. So I could get to the top of the lighthouse for a better view.


Looking to the north-northeast, at some smaller islands in the chain.


The harbor. In the winter when it is cooler there are always boats here. In the summer when the biting insects form thick clouds of death - not so many boats are here.


Looking north, towards Downtown Miami. I had to use the digital zoom on my camera to get this photo, using the hand rail around the edge of the lighthouse as a platform to hold the camera steady.


Looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. Heading in the direction this photo was taken, you will end up in the Bahamas after 60 - 70 or so miles.


And finally, another shot of the harbor, one of the original buildings, and the ocean.