The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: November ninth, exploring the Dry Tortugas.

U.S. Highway One ends in Key West, Florida, but if you fly or sail 70 miles further west in the Gulf of Mexico, you'll arrive at a string of seven sand and coral keys. Welcome to the Dry Tortugas.

Ranging in size from three quarters of a mile long to a 50 yard spit of sand that's submerged much of the year, the Dry Tortugas are continually altered by wind and water.

Though these keys lay in strategic shipping lanes that have been busy since the first Spanish caravels sailed past in the early 16th century, the Tortugas remain essentially wild. Their only significant structure is Fort Jefferson, a huge, hexagonal brick outpost which covers the largest key. Construction of the fort began in 1846, but it was abandoned uncompleted 30 years later. Today, the fort is the headquarters of a national park which consists of 100 square miles of protected sand and water. Dry Tortugas National Park also includes America's largest, least disturbed coral reef, an underwater forest inhabited by vibrantly colored tropical fish of every shape and size.

The reefs and shallow ocean waters make the Dry Tortugas ideal for serious fishermen. Divers can explore the area's hundreds of ship wrecks. Birding is another attraction, especially when huge flocks of sooty terns gather to nest. There are no hotels or restaurants, but overnight camping is permitted. Sea planes, charter boats and ferries run regular routes between Key West and the Dry Tortugas. A management plan implemented only last July will help insure the rising tide of visitors doesn't not overwhelm the park's natural beauties.

FMI For information on the Dry Tortugas: call Everglades National Park 305-242-7700 or visit www.nps.gov/drto For ferry info contact Sunny Days at 800-236-7937 and the Yankee fleet 800-634-0939. Seaplane charter 800-950-2FLY.

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