Posted by The east coast has gems like Gettysburg and other Civil War battlefields, which are tremendous sites. But the West Coast isn’t too shabby either. While visiting Marrowstone Island a few weeks ago, I got to spend a few hours exploring Fort Flagler.
Fort Flagler was a military base established when the Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor at the start of the Spanish American War, and remained active until the Korean War. It was part of the triangle of defense protecting the Puget Sound.
The most fascinating part was the barracks (above). Underground bunkers surely served as primitive living conditions, but the location was strategic and the troops served an important purpose. Rooms were labeled with their different uses (oil room, shell room), but they all had the same concrete walls and buried under the same dirt and grass. Uncomfortable!
Another great part was the lookout. Separate from the bunkers, a dug-out room overlooks the Puget Sound and has an amazing view. Surely it was used to attempt to spot enemy ships. Cousin Hillary climbed in to check out the view (below).
While walking around the park and the bunkers, I felt like I was part of the show LOST and I was inside a large hatch. It was a fun experience.
Top photo by: Smythy
Map: HistoryLink.org