Thursday, March 11, 2010

Camp Murphy...

...is not the name of the park, but the name of an old WW II training site from the 1940's that was located here. Over 5000 men and a 1000 buildings once stood here, now all that remains is some old crumbling roads, a few buildings housing park staff and some concrete structures that resemble bomb shelters. The feeling of abandonment mixed with an other worldly alien presence prevails here atop the "Hobe Mountain". It towers 86 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, just a couple of miles to the east. Hobe Mountain is also the highest point for many miles around...hmm, gives flood plane a whole new meaning.


...the climb up the 86 feet is easy. I was distracted by the Martian landscape...remember Orson's movie where the men from the Red Planet made red slimy vines grow over everything. Ditto here...it was really cool! Once you get to the crest of the ancient sand dunes you see the observation tower in the distance...it looks like there should be Flying Monkeys circling it and the cackle of some witch threating to steal your little dog too.




...what you will see are big black Vultures circling the ridge the tower sits on, riding the waves of warm air that rise above the ridge. Maybe they're looking for Toto. The park offers trails to walk/run/get lost on, the Lasahatchiecosie'something to canoe/kayak/swim in and other things I just didn't have the time to do in my short stay here...next time.


1 comment: