Showing posts with label Light Houses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Light Houses. Show all posts
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope you had a wonderful long weekend!
As I mentioned in my post about a new direction that Caravan Sonnet is heading in (you can read more HERE!) I am excited to spend more time sharing about upstate New York, New York, and New England in my travel posts! Several weeks ago I shared that I am excited to share with y'all some recap posts from the New England Winter Road Trip that I took with my mom 2 years ago about a month before the world stopped due to the pandemic!
At the time I shared a couple of posts about our trip, but with the way the world changed I stopped sharing and didn't get to share even half of what we saw or what we did and so I am excited to revisit this trip and share more! I hope that it encourages you to consider taking a road trip (in part or in whole depending on your circumstances) this winter to this beautiful place in the world!
Today I am excited to start sharing about some more of the places we saw on our New England Winter Road Trip that I didn't share back in 2020! This first place, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was one of my favorite stops we made and I hope that it will inspire you to go off the beaten trail to see this incredibly beautiful spot of Maine.
After our beautiful and brief stop in newcastle we continued to head north to where we were going to be spending the night in Camden, Maine. As we were driving I saw that there was a lighthouse that was about 35 minutes out of the way and would be a detour that would get us in later than we had originally planned. I didn't know much about this lighthouse and had never come across it on my original research for the trip, but both mom and I were excited to see another lighthouse and so we decided to head over. I am SO glad we did and can't recommend visiting this spot enough!
We arrived as the sun was starting to set which added a beauty to this visit that was simply lovely.
In the 1835 contract there was a stipulation that was placed that only fresh water could be used in the mortar mixture. Isaac Dunham (the lighthouse keeper) oversaw the project and this time the project was completed properly. One interesting note is that the original light was an Argand-Lewis parabolic reflector that only had a visibility of 2 miles because it was lit with candles. In the early 1850s this changed due to the invention of Augustin Fresnel who found a superior way of focusing light. Interestingly, Pemaquid is one of only six Fresnel lenses to this day that is still in service in Maine.
I found that part of the history of the lighthouse incredibly fascinating don't you? There was something so lovely and restful about this area and it made me curious that a man who was so decorated would spend time as the Lighthouse Keeper in this hidden and far away place. It makes me wonder if he found rest and restoration in this space. He was the lighthouse keeper for four years and this little fact of history has struck me deeply.
In 1934 the lighthouse became automated and in later years it was chosen to be featured on the Maine quarter by popular vote of Maine residents. Interestingly, Windows 7 also featured this lighthouse as a choice for a background. And something that I can definitely understand, this is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the Maine Coast.
In 1985 the Pemaquid Lighthouse was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.
The lighthouse is currently owned by the US Coast Guard, but the upkeep and the ongoing restorations are funded solely by visitor donations.
If you are going to plan a visit around the lighthouse you can easily spend lots of time as you spend time at the lighthouse itself and then spend time in the nearby park which offers unlimited ocean views (from a variety of different directions), picnic facilities, an art gallery, and a museum that contains artifacts of the lighthouse.
There is a small fee ($3.00) but because we were there in the winter there was not a fee.
Have y'all visited the Pemaquid Lighthouse before? If not, I definitely recommend adding it to your list of "must see" travel places! You won't regret it!
If you are interested in reading about the exact route that we took on this trip check out this post HERE! Here is a general overview...
You can read all of the posts from the trip by clicking the links below:
Maine
// Nubble Lighthouse //
New Hampshire
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Happy Friday friends! I hope you have had a wonderful week!
As I mentioned in my post about a new direction that Caravan Sonnet is heading in (you can read more HERE!) I am excited to spend more time sharing about upstate New York, New York, and New England in my travel posts! Two weeks ago I shared that I am excited to share with y'all some recap posts from the New England Winter Road Trip that I took with my mom 2 years ago about a month before the world stopped due to the pandemic!
At the time I shared a couple of posts about our trip, but with the way the world changed I stopped sharing and didn't get to share even half of what we saw or what we did and so I am excited to revisit this trip and share more! I hope that it encourages you to consider taking a road trip (in part or in whole depending on your circumstances) this winter to this beautiful place in the world!
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Happy Tuesday friends!
Happy Wednesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week! It's been a good week at school and on Monday I was able to get my hair cut for the first time in months and it was lovely. Sometimes it is the small things isn't it? *smiles*
Today I am excited to share more about our New England Winter Road Trip that we took in February last year (prior to the outbreak of the COVID 19 virus and stay at home/shelter in place orders)! I had stopped sharing about this trip from last year due to the sensitivity of COVID, but for those around these areas there were so many things that we did that were outside that I wanted to continue to share in the hopes that this would inspire you to see the place around where you live and for others plan a trip for the future!
As I mentioned in my last post about our trip, after our time in Concord, New Hampshire, we started to make our way through and up the coast of Maine which was absolutely delightful. I had stopped at a couple of the places we spent time at on my one week road trip adventure through New England, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia (click HERE to read more) back in 2017 and also on the New England/Canada Cruise that I took in 2015, but to have this time with my mom added a special precious aspect to the trip.
After our time at Walker's Point Estate, we continued to head north to the Portland Head Light House! My mom had never been there and I was so excited to show it to her! This was my third time to the light house, but my first time in the winter and it was gorgeous and stunning!
The Portland Head Light house is situated along the beautiful shores of Maine in Fort Williams Park in the town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
On site is also a cute gift shop (which is seasonal) that features precious gifts and artwork related to the lighthouse and to Maine in general. There is also a museum that is on the property that is housed within the former Keeper of the Lighthouse Quarters.
If you are going to plan a visit around the lighthouse you can easily spend lots of time as you spend time at the lighthouse itself and then spend time in Fort Williams Park which offers lots of different historic fort structures, unlimited ocean views (from a variety of different directions), picnic facilities, and lots of different hiking trails.
The Portland Head Light House has a fantastic and interesting history. In 1776 the Town of Cape Elizabeth posted eight soldiers at Portland Head to warn the citizens of the town of the coming British soldiers and imminent attacks.
Eleven years later, the Massachusetts legislature gave $750 to begin the construction of a lighthouse at the Portland Head location. Three years later, the US Government was given all responsibility to maintain and finance the lighthouses that were in the US at that point in time. Because the lighthouse was not yet completed, Congress appropriated $1500 for the completion of the Portland Head Light House and the original tower was completed in early 1791.
In 1865 the original tower was raised by 20 feet and a Fresnel lens was installed (of which a portion can still be seen in the Portland Head Light Museum). Unfortunately a year later, there was a ship that struck the ledge of the Portland Head, but were helped to safety by the Light House keeper and his family (and volunteers). To this day the cause of the wreck remains a mystery as members of the crew say that they could clearly see the Portland Head Light before the disaster and visibility was not an issue.
The current Portland Head Lighthouse Keeper's Quarters (which is now the museum) was constructed in 1891 and was used to house the head and assistant lighthouse keepers and their families until 1989.
In August of 1989 the property was leased to the Town of Cape Elizabeth from the Unites States Government and in 1993 the property was officially deeded to the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
While the Portland Head Light House is a traveler's dream to see, it is interesting to note that the United States Coast Guard maintains the actual light and the fog signal.
Having now had the opportunity to see the lighthouse in the cool autumn grey skies of fall and late summer days along with the winter, I have to say the winter was special in unique ways. There was just something about the sharp white walls against the beautiful blue ocean tones.
Have y'all visited the Portland Head Light House before? If not, I definitely recommend adding it to your list of "must see" travel places! You won't regret it!If you are interested in reading about the exact route that we took on this trip check out this post HERE! Here is a general overview...
You can read all of the posts from the trip by clicking the links below:
Maine
// Nubble Lighthouse //
New Hampshire
Happy Monday friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
As I mentioned in my post about a new direction that Caravan Sonnet is heading in (you can read more HERE!) I am excited to spend more time sharing about upstate New York, New York, and New England in my travel posts! Two weeks ago I shared that I am excited to share with y'all some recap posts from the New England Winter Road Trip that I took with my mom 2 years ago about a month before the world stopped due to the pandemic!
At the time I shared a couple of posts about our trip, but with the way the world changed I stopped sharing and didn't get to share even half of what we saw or what we did and so I am excited to revisit this trip and share more! I hope that it encourages you to consider taking a road trip (in part or in whole depending on your circumstances) this winter to this beautiful place in the world!
Happy Monday friends!
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Today I am excited to share more about our New England Winter Road Trip that we took in February (prior to the outbreak of the COVID 19 virus and stay at home/shelter in place orders)! To read about the exact route that we took check out this post HERE! Here is a general overview...
You can read all of the posts from the trip by clicking the links below:
New Hampshire
After our time in Concord, New Hampshire, we started to make our way through and up the coast of Maine which was absolutely delightful. I had stopped at a couple of the places we spent time at on my one week road trip adventure through New England, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia (click HERE to read more) back in 2017, but to have this time with my mom added a special precious aspect to the trip.
Our first stop after grabbing some hot tea at Starbucks (after our freezing and chilly night at the Hotel Concord (you can read more about my review of this property HERE) was to drive up to the Nubble Lighthouse, or the Cape Neddick Lighthouse in York, Maine. We happily sipped on our hot tea as we blasted the heat and it was a lovely drive over to this coastal area.
For those of you that are reading that might be interested in taking a similar trip it only took us about an hour and 15 minutes to drive over to Nubble Lighthouse from Concord.
The Nubble Lighthouse, also known The Cape Neddick Lighthouse, was absolutely gorgeous with the waves crashing against the Maine coastline. It was freezing, but absolutely so pretty with the winter colors. I had to laugh because the last time that I was here in 2017 (in September) it was also freezing so all of my memories of this adorable Lighthouse seem to be chilly! *smiles*
Cape Neddick Lighthouse is located in Cape Neddick on Nubble Island in York, Maine. Commissioned in 1874 by Congress, the construction at the "Nubble" started in 1879. Congress appropriated approximately $15,000 to build the lighthouse, which is still used to this day.
There are lots of stories that surround the lighthouse, but there are three particular ones that I found really interesting.
One of the stories comes from the early 1900s. In 1912 the lighthouse keeper and his wife decided to lean into the booming tourist business that was taking place at the York beaches. They developed a thriving business that included taking tourists across to the little island where the lighthouse sits and gave tours.
Unfortunately, they were so successful that the lighthouse requirements became neglected and eventually the lighthouse keeper was fired from his position. Since that time the lighthouse has been closed to the public and has remained inaccessible.
A humorous story that came out of the Nubble Lighthouse was of another lighthouse keeper who was known to own a 19 pound cat who attracted a lot of attention. The cat was known to swim across the channel on many occasions to visit the crowds, or "his friends" on the mainland. *hahaha*
Getting food and supplies to the lighthouse proved to be a challenge, especially in the winter. Eventually in 1950 a bucket was suspended from cables from the lighthouse to the mainland. It was used for food and supplies, and on more than one occasion transported a newborn baby!
Aside from these stories emerges a rich history stating in 1602 when Bartholomew Gosnold dubbed the little island, "savage rock".
Despite the fact that many local mariners and the community had called for a lighthouse and a proposal was offered in 1837, it was later rejected.
Even after the wreck of the Isidore in 1842, the congressional approval would not come until 1874. Since its first inception in 1879, the lighthouse has remained a famous landmark that continues to provide help and protection to those traveling along the coast of Maine.
If you are interested in visiting the lighthouse it is available for viewing seven days a week. You can find out more information on the Nubble Lighthouse website by clicking HERE.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read today! Please let me know if you have any questions about The Nubble Lighthouse or our New England Winter Road Trip!
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