| Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way United States of America attractions, posted by real travelers and locals. Map |
 | United States of America Off the Beaten Path | Tips 101 - 110 of 291 |  |
Located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, 1.7 miles east of the southern end of Gibson Island, it is best viewed from the water.
The lighthouse was constructed to aid vessels from the south entering Craighill Channel.
Congress instructed engineers to design a plan that would resist the effects of 100 mph winds, ice pressure of 30,000 pounds and currents of three mph. Board felt the lighthouse should be built by the "pneumatic system of construction."
A caisson was towed to the construction site on September 19, 1904. Two days after the work had begun, the caisson was eight feet into the mud when "heavy seas filled the cylinder" causing it to lean seven feet to one side. On October 7 contractors attempted to bring the cylinder and caisson back to level by putting concrete in the high side. Then on October 12, a severe storm pushed the cylinder over. All operation ceased and operations did not resume until 1905. Why did it take so long to resume? Because the construction company who started the job legally maneuvered out of continuing the job.
Finally, on September 10, 1908 the construction of the lighthouse was finished. The octagonal dwelling housed two keepers. In May 1923 the light became automated.
In 1964 this lighthouse became the world's first atomic-powered lighthouse. The generator was removed after one year and returned to conventional power. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
 Cape Lookout LIghthouse with
kite surfer. by grandmaR
At the Visitor's Center, we looked through the scope at the lighthouse and saw a video tape (inset).
The lighthouse is on South Core Banks near Bardens Inlet. You can't get out there except by private boat or passenger ferries, and in the winter, the boats don't run much. It was both cold and very windy.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse Keepers' Quarters Visitor Center Open April 1 - Nov. 24 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Although the Cape Lookout lighthouse continues to be a working aid to navigation, warning ships of the location of Cape Lookout Shoals, it is now part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.
To provide for limited access, a series of Saturday Open House dates have been established.
On the day of the Open House, tower entry will be by reservation only. Reservations may be made only during the announced reservation period for each Open House date. The tower will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. during the Open House, climbing times will be assigned.
To be able to climb you must:
* Make a reservation on the reservation day for the Open House date. Reservations may be made for family groups, limit 5 people per group.
* Be at least 8 years old. (Under age 16 must be escorted by an adult)
* Be able to climb without assistance.
* Wear shoes.
For your safety:
* Only handheld cameras are allowed.
* Backpacks (including child carriers), camera cases and tripods are not permitted in the lighthouse.
* Only small groups may be on the gallery at one time.
To allow as many to climb as possible - time on the gallery (balcony) will be limited.
November 5, 2005 - Cape Lookout Lighthouse Anniversary
Reservations accepted on Monday, October 17, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon Eastern Time.
March 11, 2006 - Cape Lookout National Seashore Anniversary
Reservation accepted on Tuesday, February 21, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon Eastern Time Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Currituck Beach
Lighthouse by grandmaR
It is one of eight lighthouses positioned along the Outer Banks and was built after the Civil War to fill in the remaining darkness between Bodie Island and Cape Henry, Virginia. Construction was begun in 1873, at the Whaleshead settlement adjacent to Currituck Sound and was completed in 1875.
It stands 163 feet high and is constructed of more than one million bricks. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was left unpainted in order to distinguish it from the other lighthouses along the Outer Banks.
According to the NPS, "The lighthouse remains today an active aid to navigation and for a number of years was the only lighthouse along the Outer Banks open to the public. It is the only lighthouse in North Carolina still housed in its original structure. It is one of only a dozen lighthouses nationwide with an original Fresnel lens still in use. In 1973, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places."
The non-profit Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. had a 20 year lease on the lighthouse, and has now been awarded ownership of the historic structure.for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes om 2003.
Directions:
Route 168 in North Carolina connects with Route 158 in Barco, North Carolina. Follow Route 158 south to the Outer Banks. North of Kitty Hawk, turn left and follow Route 12 north for about 30-40 minutes to the town of Corolla, NC
This lighthouse is in the second tier of visitability - a gold standard lighthouse. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Hooper Light is over by the Eastern Shore between Smith Point and Cove Point. Sometimes people confuse it with Baltimore Light but this light is more slender in profile. This is one of my first lighthouse pictures
One of only 4 Bay lighthouses built in the 20th century, Hooper Island light is one of only 11 lighthouses built in the U.S. where the caisson was sunk using a pneumatic process.
Like the earlier caissons, it was filled with cement and sunk into place. However, an air shaft was installed through the concrete, leading to a working chamber at the bottom. This allowed men to work within the caisson excavating the site’s sand bottom through the aid of an air pump. (The caisson workers were sometimes referred to as “sand hogs”.)
Of the eleven pneumatic caisson lighthouses built in the United States, seven were built in the Chesapeake Bay; three were built in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay (Wolf Trap Lighthouse, 1894, Smith Point Lighthouse, 1897, and Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, 1914); and four in the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay (Solomons Lump Lighthouse, 1895, Hooper Island Lighthouse, 1902, Point No Point Lighthouse, 1905, and Baltimore Lighthouse, 1908). Hooper Island Lighthouse is the only cast-iron caisson lighthouse in Maryland with a watch room and lantern surmounted on the tower.
In 1961 the light was fully automated. In the mid 1970s the valuable Fresnel lens was stolen. The shape and color of the structure have earned it the nickname of "the spark plug". It is still an active navigational aid.
In 1999, we were beating into a south wind, with waves crashing over the bow - square waves like you get in the Chesapeake. Not making much progress. Opposite us was the target used by the US Navy near Point No Point. The range ship, whose job it is to see that clueless civilians don't get into the target area finally called us on the radio and asked "Sailboat over by Hooper - Are you going north or south?" How humiliating. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
After the English conducted tests and found that galvanizing iron protected it from seawater for over 15 years with no evidence of corrosion Meade lined up a company in Philadelphia to have the galvanizing work done. He used 12-inch galvanized iron piles, which he sank 10 feet into the coral rock. He estimated that these piles should last 200 years.
The disc-pile lighthouse with a skeleton tower was built in sections so it could be assembled on land before it was installed in the water.
The lighthouse was first lighted on March 17, 1858. It contained a fixed first-order lens which was removed in 1982 and placed on display at the Key West Lighthouse Museum.
The Sombrero Key Lighthouse is the tallest reef light in the Florida Keys and the last one built by George Gordon Meade (later General Meade). This was one of the few lighthouses along the Florida coast which remained lighted throughout the Civil War.
The 160-foot tower is 142 feet above sea level. The light flashes five times every 60 seconds which.can be seen 15 miles at sea.
There are two platforms (which are not open to the public). The lower one, 15' above sea level, was for storage, a workshop and a hoisted launch and lifeboat. The second platform, 40' above sea level, contained living quarters. A cast-iron cylinder leads from the living quarters to the lantern room to provide keepers with protected access. There was no room for families at this lighthouse - just the lighthouse keeper and his assistants. Only one boat was kept at the light, and at least one of the keepers drowned. In 1960 the light was automated. This meant that keepers no longer had to stay at the light.
There are six lighthouses of this type in the Florida Keys.
CARYSFORT REEF LIGHT, FL (1852)
SAND KEY LIGHT, FL (1853)
SOMBRERO KEY LIGHT, FL (1858)
ALLIGATOR REEF LIGHT, FL (1873)
FOWEY ROCKS LIGHT, FL (1878)
AMERICAN SHOAL LIGHT, FL (1880)
George Meade built the first three.
The only other one of this type in the US is in Louisiana. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Both Cape Henry lighthouses were rated by the Lighthouse Society, and the newer lighthouse had a higher score which put it in the platinum (highest) range for visits..
The website says: We were concerned that the military base was so large that we might need some assistance in finding the light. We asked the guard at the west entrance to direct us to the light. He smirked and said, "Drive a minute up the road, you'll SEE IT!"
Boy, he was right! It was enormous!
Also, this is a case where pictures don't really give a lighthouse its just due. The size of the new tower is not represented well in pictures. The vertical black and white day marks really make this tower seem thinner than it is. The girth of this tower is very impressive in person.
To see the whole lighthouse - expand the picture because my picture with the reflection makes the lighthouse seem even taller. To get a sense of the scale of the lighthouse, look at the large wooden keepers house that it at the base. The lighthouse makes it look like a toy.
This lighthouse is an active aid to navigation. It flashes three white flashes within 20 seconds. Although the Old Cape Henry lighthouse is open to the public, this one is not.
Directions: Take Route 60 East (Shore Dr.) off of I-64 when you get off of the Chesapeake Bridge/Tunnel when heading south to western entrance of Fort Story. It will be a left hand turn into the west entrance of the fort. You will be on Route 60 for about 5 miles. Since the lights are on an active military base and your identifications will be checked (for each person in the car), along with a license plate check. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Smith Point Light is located on the southern side of Virginia, to mark where the Potomac River enters the Chesapeake Bay. We go past this light every time we go south along the Chesapeake. If there is a west wind sweeping down the Potomac, the water here and at Point Lookout can be quite rough where the long fetch waves meet the waves of the Bay.
The lighthouse standing today is the fifth structure to be built around this area because there was great difficulty in keeping any kind of structure here. According to Keep the Lights Shining the first light was built in 1802 but had to be moved in 1807. It was replaced by a lightship in 1857.
A screwpile lighthouse was built in 1868 to replace the lightship, but ice that plaqued the area in the winter months destroyed the structure on February 14, 1895. The ice ripped the structure from it's piles and it floated down the Chesapeake Bay. The lens and fogbell were recovered and later used in the caisson style light present today
..The two-story 52-foot caisson style structure was put into service in August 1897. The light from the tower can be seen up to twenty-two miles away. The tower was painted white, and is very similiar in design to it's neighboring red brick Wolf Trap Light.
Smith Point Light was automated in 1971. In 1991, the United States Coast Guard did a major restoration of the lighthouse inside and out.
This lighthouse is best viewed from a boat, but it can be seen in the distance from some shore points.
It is an active Aid to Navigation (ATON) and is not open to the public. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
The Amelia Island Light was originally the Little Cumberland Island light of Georgia. In 1820 it was a modest fifty-feet tower at the entrance to the St. Mary’s River. In 1839, the Lighthouse Board moved it to Amelia Island, and the height of the tower was raised to sixty-four feet. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 13, 2003.
In 2001, the Coast Guard gave the Amelia Island Lighthouse, oil house, and surrounding property to the City of Fernandina Beach. But it is still an active aid to navigation, and when we saw it in February 2005, the lighthouse was off limits for visits. Volunteers in the Coast Guard Auxiliary assist the Coast Guard in maintaining the light.
The city is overseeing the current restoration of the lighthouse tower. Plans were to open the tower in 2004 on a limited basis. Small groups will be allowed to climb the sixty-nine granite stairs ro view Amelia Island and the Atlantic Ocean.
The major focus (pun intended) has been on the restoration of the lantern room and the parapet (gallery). Fortunately, the historic third-order Fresnel lens still remains in the tower.
A website detailing the 2004 renouvation with pictures said:
The landing of the parapet, its supports and railing are all made of cast iron. Salt air and the lack of maintenance over the years have caused the ironwork to rust and weaken. .... Workers must scale the tower using a “spider,” which is a special device used to hoist workers up the sloping sides. The brickwork must then be carefully removed from around the supports to minimize damage to the remaining brickwork.
Since the bricks that are being removed from the tower cannot be reused, restorers of the lighthouse structure faced another problem. The original brickwork used in the construction of the tower was different than what is made today. Luckily, matching bricks have been obtained from a supplier of historic bricks,.... Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Thomas Point Light between the
lifelines by grandmaR, 4 more photos
The Coast Guard took over the light in 1939. The USCG finally automated Thomas Point in 1986 (the last light to be automated on the Chesapeake) with a solar-powered battery to keep the high-powered focused beam going.
Three of these pictures (#1, #3, and #5) were taken from our boat. The second picture is of the painting I did on our boat screen. The fourth picture is from the Bodie Island lighthouse museum - it is mislabeled as Sombrero Light.
According to The Capitol of Annapolis MD
In 2004 a nonprofit partnership, including the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society, the Annapolis Maritime Museum, the city of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, took over the lighthouse.
Thomas Point is going to be a little less Off the Beaten Path than it was before because the Annapolis Maritime Museum intends to run tours to the lighthouse. No date for the being of tours has been set. The tour will begin with a 20 minute boatride. The lighthouse will not be handicapped accessible.
There are always going to be people who won't be able to get out to the lighthouse," said Jeff Holland, director of the Annapolis Maritime Museum.
People with physical limitations might not be able to climb the ladders and staircases at the lighthouse, but Mr. Holland said he hopes the cameras will send pictures back to shore so visitors can watch...
Mr. Holland said the cameras also serve a practical purpose - to help keep the lighthouse secure. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
We first saw this lighthouse in 2000 when we went down Hawk Channel (the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys) to Key West.
In the spring of 2004, we visited Bill Baggs State Park by land and took the lighthouse tour with a docent. I actually climbed to the top of the lighthouse, and we both toured the keeper's house. I was particularly impressed by the story of this lighthouse during the Seminole Wars of the 1830s.
From the lighthouse website, this is the story:
On July 23, 1836, a band of Seminole Indians attacked the tower. ..Only the assistant .. Thompson and his Negro handyman .. were there when the Seminole arrived... Thompson and his handyman barricaded themselves inside the tower... the Indians set fire to the door which spread to a 225-gallon tank of oil. Prudently, they brought with them muskets and a keg of powder, but their weapons did little to shield them from the intense heat of the burning stairs and the flying glass from the rupturing windows and lanterns.
As the flames increased, they were forced outside onto the two-foot-wide iron balcony. The ..handyman was killed .. Thompson, already shot in the foot from the initial onslaught, was wounded again. .. his clothes on fire, Thompson threw the keg of powder down into the flames, hoping to end his misery. The explosion.. did not kill him, but it did destroy what was left of the burning staircase,..the partly conscious Thompson.. had collapsed on the balcony.
This blast did more than remove the burning staircase; assuming Thompson was dead, the Indians turned their attention to setting fire to the keeper’s house and then left, while a Navy vessel, hearing the explosion, came to shore to investigate. By the next day the crew had discovered the burned lighthouse and the wounded assistant keeper, stranded high above the ground. The resourceful captain managed to rescue Thompson by firing twine from his musket, which Thompson caught .. two seamen were able to hoist themselves to the tower and help Thompson descend. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
More United States of America Tips |
| Best United States of America Travel Deals |
Canton NY Finest Hotel
Full service hotel near St.Lawrence Univ. Clarkson, & Potsdam Travel America
Save Time & Money With Easy Booking & Great Deals. Search Bing ™ Now. Map Of Hotels
View Hotel Rooms & Reviews and Now Get our Best Price Guarantee. Hotels.com Official Site
Hotels.com Low Rates Guaranteed! Call a Hotel Expert. 1-866-925-0513 Hotels - Up to 80% Off
Find the Cheapest Hotel Rooms Now Compare Rates up to 80% Off! Sponsored Links
More United States of America Travel Deals Hotels Deals
Search Travel Deals and Packages at All Marriott Brands. Book Now. United States Hotel Travel
Directory of Hotels in the US. The Online Business Directory. Book Cheap USA Hotels
Compare & Book Cheap USA Hotels & Save on Low Rates & Great Deals Now Sponsored Links
|
