The day after Thanksgiving, my daughter, sister, niece and nephew and I packed our bags, piled into a couple of cars, and headed north on Highway 99. We’d hoped to avoid the Black Friday shoppers, but even after the turnoff to the mall, the traffic was thick.
Things didn’t calm down until finally we were on board the ferry to Whidbey Island (if you can call a stormy sea and a howling, freezing wind calm).
Our destination: the Fort Casey Inn for a two-day vacation.
Fort Casey Inn
The two-bedroom cottages at the inn were built before the First World War as non-commissioned officers’ quarters. Each house contains two units, complete with huge kitchens and living rooms. In keeping with the historical theme, everything is decorated with patriotic memorabilia and antiques. So naturally, between board games and eating and (admittedly) a little shopping in Coupeville, we soaked up some history.
“… Out of an Abundance of Caution”
That now-common phrase wasn’t popular in 1897 when the American government broke ground for Fort Casey. I suspect the planners would have considered the fort a necessity, not something they were building “out of an abundance of caution.” They would have been convinced that the west coast of the United States needed protection against potential naval attacks from … well, from enemies … known and unknown.
In its heyday, everything about Fort Casey was top of the line. It had ten batteries, six of which had impressive 10” disappearing guns that could lob shells more than 10 miles. The fort was manned by a staff of ten officers and 428 men.
Nothing happened at Fort Casey for a few years. Then, in 1917, the US entered World War One. Still, the war was on the other side of the world. The only way the fort could contribute was by shipping some if its best guns over to Europe.
A few decades later, with the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, war broke out in the Pacific. By then, though, Fort Casey (along with Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, and all the other forts up and down the coast) was obsolete.
Fort Casey Historical State Park
Now the fort is owned by the Washington State Park Department. Picnic tables dot its grassy lawns. On sunny days, kids run up and down the batteries and test their courage in the dark passageways where munitions used to be kept.
Visitors look down the barrels of its big guns and walk up the hill to see the Admiralty Head Lighthouse. Campers reserve spots, and convention goers make use of the facilities.
Admiralty Head Lighthouse
Neither Fort Casey nor any of the other West Coast forts ever fired their guns at an enemy. I suppose we’ll never know if their presence served any purpose, whether they caused potential enemies to think twice before attacking. So what do you think? Did the forts keep us safe, or were they a waste of time and money, facilities built and manned “out of an abundance of caution?”
What we do know is that the best vantage points for observing approaching enemies are among the most scenic spots along the coast and that those scenic locations are now open for the public to enjoy … as long as we buy a Discover Pass, of course.
It is always interesting to visit such places. In Helsinki there is the old fortress island called Suomenlinna http://www.suomenlinna.fi/en/ which was used till WW II but lost of course its use in the later years. Finland actually had several islands in the baltic sea with these kind of canon fortresses however their achievements during wartimes are minimal.
Thank you for the link to Suomenlinna Fortress. The photos are beautiful. I see that it had a much longer history than Fort Casey. Old forts were probably quite useful in the days of sailing ships and pirates in places like the Caribbean.
When I was researching my novel, I read about a Chinese fort, Yu-Tse-Wei Fortress, from which the Chinese tried to stop the Japanese advance on Xiamen in 1938. They couldn’t do much except slow them down. I included that battle in my novel.
Wonderful photos, Nicki. I especially love the lighthouse photograph. Thanks for sharing.
In a perfect world all forts would be transformed into wonderful vacation spots like Fort Casey has been. Doubtful that its presence would have deterred the Japanese and now it seems we are fighting wars (I’m thinking of what’s going on in Australia right this minute) where forts are rather obsolete. In any case, lovely post and I’m with you, Black Friday: UGH.
The Fort Casey Inn looks like a great place for a relaxing getaway. And much more fun than being a mall baby.
I didn’t mention the toddler who was with us. He made the outing even more fun. He had lots of space to run, but he didn’t know what to make of the cold weather stinging his fingers and nose.
I love forts too. I am more familiar with the ones in Maine than in Washington State. Fort Casey Inn sounds like a great place for a weekend away from the real world. Growing up near the coast of Normandy I saw lots of blockhouses, a different version of forts, but built to protect as well. They serve their purpose during WWII. Fort Casey and others didn’t play an active protective role, but who knows if their presence didn’t keep the country safer, though? In any case, like you say, they allow great weekends of historical and geographical discovery.
Fort Casey and the surrounding area are especially nice during the summer when you can hike along the beach. But we did have a cozy time playing board games in front of the gas stove. The following day we took a side trip to Coopeville to enjoy their famous mussels in a soup. Then we brought a flourless chocolate cake back to the inn for dessert. Yum!
What a lovely way to spend some of the Thanksgiving weekend. I would be the same as you – avoiding and getting as far away from the Black Friday shopping as possible. I am not sure about its significance, but it does look like a lovely historical place. I especially love the last picture with a light covering of snow on the ground.
That lighthouse is very picturesque. In North America, especially on the West Coast, our historical buildings don’t go back very far. They can’t begin to compare to those found in Europe and Asia. So in Washington State we appreciate visiting anything over 100 years old.
Wow. Great photos. A nice way to spend Black Friday weekend. With so many cutbacks, I have to wonder if the park was understaffed as other parks seem to be.
I did see some vehicles and signs of life around the ranger station, but there were very few visitors because of the cold wind blowing up off the sound. I had a hard time taking pictures without my fingers freezing. I don’t know if the ranger station was short-staffed or whether the rangers were just staying inside to keep warm.