Whidbey Island...Return of the Jedi

On Saturday afternoon, Nanny and Colin took me to Fort Casey. Fort Casey was one of three strategic forts in Puget Sound inhabited in the 1940s that was built to protect Puget Sound. The US military began to build in 1897 and the fort became active in 1901. They used bits and piece of the fort in World War II, but it eventually was decommissioned and turned into a State Park.


All the bunkers are still intact, which is really cool because they have a maze of them open to the public to explore.


We had a picnic lunch when we arrived, and then walked down a trail towards the fort and the water. On the way down the path...Nanny and Colin picked some huckleberries....just like they did when Colin was little. Let's just say it was a weekend full of nostalgia (that's an understatement).


The picture above is of Colin and his Nanny at Fort Casey with Puget Sound in the background. It was an absolutely gorgeous day...we couldn't have asked for more.


Nanny even braved her lack of technological-skill to take a picture for Colin and I. Haha...she did a pretty damn good job for not being able to see at all, don't ya think? I think she was hustling us.


SO, eventually we got to the part that Colin was waiting for the whole weekend. We went into the old buildings, which are essentially a maze of underground rooms, corridors, and creepy stairs. Don't be tricked by the pictures though....the flash made it look like it was bright....thus was not the case.


So Colin took joy in sticking his head into open crevasses and scaring little kids. And I must say, he did a fine job at it. Old habits die hard.



We wandered through the halls and into REALLY creepy, dark rooms for a long time. It was wicked cool...and I can see why Colin and Evan loved coming here when they were little. It was basically a HUGE underground playground.


When we were walking to a more remote area of the Fort, we spotted a little fawn on the side of the trail. He didn't really run away....he just kinda stared at us as we walked by. I think we were on his terf. I imagine this being the deer that beat Bambi up in the school playground....this little guy wasn't afraid of anything.


We had a great time walking around and playing in the Fort. Nanny was a trooper....she has a bum knee...but that didn't stop her from walking all around and having fun with us.


As you can see, there were even bunkers that you could climb up into. Colin was looking for Charlie...but I don't think he spotted any (...and by "Charlie", I mean "ladies").