The ninth day of the eighth month of the year of the OP

The Inside Straight

Lighthouses have been a favorite topic of mine since we made our first poster, "The Lighthouses of Maryland", back in 1991.

I guess they represent a degree of mystery and romance long gone in our maritime history. That distant blinking beacon on a dark and stormy night has a certain allure. The colors and contrasts of a rocky or sandy shore of the day mark are compelling. All of those sights were the way ancient mariners spelled relief.

I have visited about two thirds of the east coast lights and climbed most of them. Some are easy to climb and some are downright claustrophobic. And at the top of all are some kind of lighting mechanism. The lower photo is of a Fresnel lens, which belongs to the Hereford inlet lighthouse at North Wildwood, NJ.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens

http://www.herefordlighthouse.org/

The trip up those lights can be daunting at best. Be in shape because you will need the strength to make it up some of them. Cape Hatteras is 208 feet tall and continues to squeeze tighter and tighter and as you climb. So don't be afraid of tiny dark spaces. And it's windy when you get up there, so don't be afraid of heights. St. Augustine Lighthouse is Hatteras's sister light, and at only 108 feet high you might want to try that one first. Some of the house type lights are a bit easier to climb. The towers all have circular staircases like the one pictured here at Barnegat Light. Pretty, but still a good climb. All offer a dramatic views from the top but that's for another entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnegat_Lighthouse_State_Park