Exploring Fort Worden

This was my second year visiting Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington for Journalfest and just like last year, there just wasn't enough time to have a proper look about the place.  The more I see, the more I want to see.  However, I did get a chance to do a bit of exploring in an area I hadn't visited before, the gun batteries.

According to this Wikipedia article, the Fort was an active army base from 1902 to 1953.  These days, it's a conference centre and state park but if you walk around the grounds, evidence of its army past is not hard to find.

I went for a walk one morning before breakfast and came across the former gun batteries. As you can see from this 1915 photo (courtesy of this website), the guns used to sit in the middle of the cemented area:

Nowadays, the guns are long gone but the cement on which they stood remains, covered in moss and in some cases, graffiti. 

There are lots of rusty metal locks and rivets, and cement stairways leading up to panoramic views of the harbour.

It's a beautiful spot but somehow there's an aura of mystery about the place.  There were several open doors leading into unknown locations that I would have liked to explore but dared not enter on my own.  It was as if I could hear the sound of a heavy metal door slamming shut behind me...

Then again, if you believe in pirates, you know that "X" usually marks the spot.  Who knows what might be found behind this door?!