There
are many lighthouses up and down the coast. This summer I was on the
destination photo kick so I started hunting for lighthouses in the area. Sunrise,
mid-day, sunset, all times of the day. Cold,
snow, high winds, fog, haze, bad light, etc. Since I don’t live close to
any lighthouses, I make the best of it by taking the “it is what it is”
approach. It would be fun to revisit many of them.
When I take pictures, I like
to try to BE DIFFERENT. Digital cameras make it possible for most
people with little or no photography knowledge to take pretty good pictures. Some
lighthouses are very popular tourist destinations. I can assume
almost everyone that has ever seen these popular ones have taken a picture of
it so I want to BE DIFFERENT. Some are not so popular and not easily
seen or accessible from the shore, rocks, dock, etc. A good
telephoto lens might do the trick but again, if I stand right next to you and
take a picture the subject will look like your picture. An airplane,
boat, drone, good photography skills, etc. or any combination of those can make
things more interesting so BE DIFFERENT.
From
my picture perspective, these lighthouses need to be something I want to take a
picture of. Several I tracked down were not up to my standards. I
passed on a lighthouse now surrounded by a parking lot, one surrounded by a
chain-link fence and barbed wire, several no taller than 10 feet, etc. You get
the idea. I’m sure I will see more of them.
Annisquam Harbor Light was first established in 1801 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in MA. I was up
at 4:00AM and driving for an early morning sunrise. The brick tower was replaced around
1897. I liked the pink sky.
Eastern Point Light was built in 1832. I was up early for the
sunrise. There was a hurricane off the
coast that missed us earlier in the week so the waves were huge.
The big waves were a nice surprise and breached the 2,250-foot long "Dog
Bar Breakwater" that marks the Dog Bar Reef. The Dog Bar Breakwater Light marks
its end. It was built-in 1905. Yes ... it is a lighthouse
too.
Ten Pound Island Light was originally built from stone in 1821 to help mariners avoid a dangerous ledge. It was replaced by this 30-foot cast-iron structure in 1881 and was restored in 1989.
Goat Island Light Was built in 1833.
The walkway that connects the house to the tower was washed out to sea in the
Blizzard of 1978. The enclosed walkway from the house to the tower was
rebuilt in 2011. Before being enclosed it must have been a cold and
windy walk in the winter.
Nubble Light was completed in 1879.
It is a very popular tourist destination. I went there 2
mornings in a row. I arrived at 5:05AM the first morning and the lighthouse was
lit up with Christmas lights. When I asked a local told me they were
celebrating Christmas in July to show the summer tourists what it looks like in
December. The fog rolled in and out several times. The second
morning, again Fog … not what I wanted a second time but you must make the best
of things. Interesting how the fog was rolling over the water. It
looked more like the top of a mountain.
Straitsmouth Island Light was built in 1835 to mark the entrance to the harbor.
It used to have a 315-foot walkway to the oil house and quarters. My
guess is it either fell apart or was washed out to sea from a storm.
Thacher Island Twin Lights are the only currently operating
twin lighthouses in America and the lights are 166 feet above sea level. The island is named after Anthony
Thacher. He and his wife were the only 2 survivors out of 23 passengers
and crew from a shipwreck caused by a great storm in 1635. The twin
lights were the eleventh and last lighthouses built under British rule and
built on the island in 1771. The waves
crashing from a big storm would look spectacular.
Marblehead Light was originally built in 1835 as a wood and brick structure. It was replaced in 1895 by this 105-foot skeletal structure. It is the only tower of its type in New England.
Portsmouth Harbor Light is the only lighthouse on the mainland of New Hampshire, Portsmouth Harbor Light (also known as Fort Point
Light, New Castle Light, and Fort Constitution Light) was constructed in 1878
(48-foot tower) on the grounds of Fort Constitution, a Revolutionary War
fortification. You can see the openings in
the walls for the cannons that protected the harbor.
Whaleback Light is a historic lighthouse marking the
mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery,
Maine. It is located on a rocky outcrop offshore southwest of Fort
Foster and south of Wood Island in Kittery. The present 50-foot tower was built
in 1872.
Wood Island Station (Yes, I know this isn’t a
lighthouse. But it was right there!) is
at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery Point, Maine has stood watch
for 111 years. It housed men, brave “surfmen”, that were part of the US Life
Saving Service (a forerunner of the US Coast Guard) who would wait with small
rowing boats to go out to help mariners in distress in terrible conditions year-round. Restoration started in 2011.
Wood Island Light was established in 1808.
It is Maine’s second oldest lighthouse and the nation’s eleventh oldest. There
were no windows in the house as it is being rebuilt. This is one of
several lighthouses I have seen using (or in this case will be using) solar
panels.
Oak Island Light was built in 1958 with a height of 153
feet. The first 40' feet of the tower is
comprised of natural gray cement, while the next 50' feet is made up of white
Portland cement and white quartz aggregate, and the final top portion is
composed of cement and black paint.
Morris Island Light opened in 1876 with a height of 161
feet. It used to have buildings attached
to it. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck
Charleston, destroying the remaining buildings around the lighthouse, only
leaving the actual tower standing.
Bakers Island Light was built on 10 island acres on the
north side of Bakers Island approaching Salem harbor. It went into service in 1798 with the current
tower built-in 1821. It was automated in
1972 and converted to solar power in 2000.
The tower height is 59 feet with a focal height of 111 feet.
Spring Point Ledge Light went into service in 1897. The tower height is 54 feet.
Portland Head Light was originally built in 1791. It is an 80-foot tower with a 101-foot focal plane. It is the most popular lighthouse in Maine.
Portland Breakwater Light (Bug Light) was originally built in 1837. The current cast-iron tower was built in 1875.
Ram Island Ledge Light was completed and lit in 1905. The focal height is 77 feet.
Whitehead Island Light was established in 1804 and went into
service in 1807. The current 41-foot tower
was built in 1852. It is the
third-oldest active light station in Maine.
Bass Harbor Head Light was built in 1858. It is 33 feet in height on the edge of a
cliff with a focal height of 56 feet.
Curtis Island Light was established in 1835, and the
present structure was built in 1896. It
has a 25-foot tower with a Focal height of 52 feet. The island shelters Camden Harbor for ocean storms.
Indian Island Light was established in 1850. The island
was sold to the U.S. government for a light station by Silas Piper for $25 in
1849. The present structure was built in
1875. It is a 31-foot tower on the
eastern side of the entrance to Rockport Harbor. It’s a private residence now.
Marshall Point Light was established in 1832 with the present
lighthouse built in 1857. It has a 21-foot
tower marking the entrance to Port Clyde harbor. This is the lighthouse you see in the movie “Forest
Gump”.
Owls Head Light was established in 1825 with the present
lighthouse built in 1852. Up high on a
cliff, the tower is 30 feet with a focal height of 100 feet.
Pemaquid Point Light was established in 1827. The current 38-foot tower is on a cliff with
a focal height of 79 feet.
Rockland Breakwater Light has a 7/8-mile-long breakwater
was built between 1881 and 1899 using around 700,000 tons of granite to protect
the harbor. The lighthouse was established in 1902. Its tower height is 25 feet with a focal height
of 39 feet.
Boon Island Light was established as a full light station and
granite tower in 1811. The current tower
was constructed in 1855. I haven’t had
my buddy take me out to Boon Island Light in his boat so no pictures up
close. On a warm but clear vacation day, I
spotted Boon Island from Kennebunkport 15.2 miles away, as it’s the tallest
lighthouse in both Maine and New England at 133 feet with a focal plane at 137
feet above mean high water. I hope to
get closer someday.
Derby Wharf Light was built in 1871. Its height is 13 feet with a Focal height of
25 feet.
Harbour Town Light was privately built in 1969 and is 93
feet tall with a focal height of 92 feet.
Tybee Island Light was originally built in 1736. Pictured is the 4th tower that was
built. The previous towers had a rough
go of being damaged or succumbing to storms, shoreline erosion, a Civil War
burning, hurricanes, or an earthquake.
The present tower has a height of 144 feet. It was fun taking the 178 stairs to the top.
Cockspur Island Light is a 46-foot-tall brick tower built
in 1839 to guide ships into the South Channel of the Savannah River. It was replaced in 1855 and has survived
hurricanes and the Civil War Battle for Fort Pulaski.
Hunting Island Light tower construction was started in
1859 but was destroyed in the Civil War. Construction
started again in 1873 and finished in 1875. It stands 136 feet tall with a
focal height of 130 feet. Because of concerns
for island erosion, it was designed and engineered to be moveable. It was in fact, disassembled and moved to its
current location in 1889 for that very reason.
Lighthouses have an interesting history. Check some of them out yourself. Also, if you click on the pictures they enlarge to view better.
I
will add more as I explore ...
As the ice on the ponds started to melt I was on a trail and spotted a Hooded Merganser. When I tried to get close it flew away up the pond. I followed in the woods, tried to get close again and the same thing happened. I decided to go further in the woods and loop around from the other side. It worked !! As I approached I spotted 3 males and one female. I got close enough to take a couple pictures. The female was a good decoy as the males lost interest in my movement. 
Ice gone … bugs out … leaves coming out to block the views … critters warming up. Forgot to pack the Deet … Pam hiked with me around one of the new ponds I found. She is afraid of snakes so isn’t real interested in going with me once the weather warms up. We had a great time exploring some new trails.
Megan and Kevin hiked in a new section with me. She spotted this male tree swallow off the trail. We continued to some large rock formations with open cracks. I saw porcupine scat below one of the openings. As we were contemplating looking inside Megan spotted what she thought was a big earthworm. It was 4 ½ inches long. As I went to pick it up it rolled and I saw lots-o-legs … BOO … It was a Millipede. I grabbed a stick and lifted it off the leaves. Megan held the stick while I took a picture. Most comments from the picture are along the lines of gross, ewe, sick … what’s with that? 
On one of my hikes I walked the Porcupine trail. I often asked myself "What's with the name?" That is until I spotted this little fella off that trail. Go figure!!
