Lighthouses are always popular attractions. The Great Lakes are rimmed with lighthouses because commercial shipping and recreational boating are so popular. At nearby Marble Head, for example, the lighthouse is a well-recognized landmark.
Shirley and I visited several lighthouses along the Oregon Coast in Aug. of '09. Usually they were positioned on high promontories to maximize the range of their beams. Surf pounded the rocks far below reminding us that lighthouses are essentially functional. If tourists happen to like them, that's just a bonus.
At the Coquille River, the light guards a potentially treacherous bar where the river enters the ocean. When we were there, the surf was so high that it tossed a Coast Guard 44 boat as if it were a toy. Though fishing boats worked the calm waters of the river beneath the town of Bandon, none ventured out where the Coast Guard was conducting its drills.
Cape Meares
This light is reached by walking down the side of the cliff. Though it is functional, it is also rather squat and unimposing. Not exactly what you expect from a lighthouse
Sea stacks viewed through the fresnel lens are inverted by the optical distortion.
Heceta Head
There are tide pools holding sea urchins, star fish, and mussels at the base of those sea stacks. A climb of only a quarter mile takes you to the light itself where you can look back into the bay and far out to sea.
A short trail leads up and along the cliff for breathtaking views of the coast line. Even on a "clear" day, sea and sky seem to merge indistinguishable.
Yaquina Head
The 93-ft. tower is the tallest of any lighthouse in Oregon. Because of its exposed position on a high cliff, the light has been damaged many times by storms including at least two lightning strikes.
Lightouses are often found in lonely places. The keepers must have liked it that way. No snoopy neighbors. No boss looking over your shoulder.
Umpqua Bay
The Umpqua Bay Lighthouse is virtually identical to the Heceta Head Light. That just goes to demonstrate the importance of setting. Umpqua Bay is a Coast Guard Station with office facilities and government housing for the staff. Not anywhere near as romantic as Heceta Head perched on a scenic cliff.
Coquille River
The light sits at the mouth of the river where there is high surf and a dangerous bar
The steady, fierce wind send driftwood ashore all along the coast. You would think that encountering such logs in the open water would pose as much hazard as reefs and rocks.
Cape Blanco
Out on the western most point in the Lower 48, the lighthouse sits on a promontory that reaches far out to sea posing hazards to shipping.
The natural setting is always a major contributor to the appeal of a lighthouse.
Blue Ridge Parkway, May 2009
Fog in the mountains
The Blue Ridge Parkway generally follows the crest of the mountains. Early morning fog can be spectacular.
Shirley in the rhodies
Shirley paused in the embrace of rhododendrons along the trail near Rocky Knob.
Virginia spiderwort
What's in a name? A spiderwort by any other name would smell as sweet. Well, spiderworts don't actually have a distinctive smell but the lovely flower does have an unfortunate name. We found them in great numbers along the Elk Run Trail near the Peaks of Otter
Little bluets in a hollow log
There are beds of little bluets along every mountain trail in May. This small clump seemed more photogenic because it was "potted" in a decaying log.
Mountain laurel
One of our favorite springtime hikes in the Smokies is along the crest of Bote Mountain. We climb for about and hour to the ridgetop and follow it for another hour and a half to a connecting trail that leads back to the highway. All along the crest, mountain laurel and flame azaleas compete for attention.
Tulip poplar
The poplar is a majestic tree with a tall, straight trunk. In the spring, tulip-shaped blooms add to its beauty.
Shirley at Crabtree Falls
The falls were running well after spring rains. We managed to climb back to the trailhead just as the rains continued.
Wigwam Falls
The best water falls for the very least amount of effort must be Wigwam Falls. Park your car. Walk about 20 yards. Take your pictures. Usually, getting to falls along the Parkway involves a hike of at least a mile down hill--and then back up again.
Flame azaleas along the Parkway
Theoretically, you are allowed to stop anywhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway to enjoy the view. Often, though, there is no safe place to pull off the road. Still, there were flame azaleas in so many places that it was easy to get photos.
Whiteoak Canyon Falls
The view from the bluffs overlooking the falls made it well worth the effort to hike out there.
Deer on Stony Man
As we descended from Stony Man in Shenandoah National Park, Shirley and I met this deer browsing beside the trail. She was totally unflustered by our presence--as are most of the deer in Shenandoah.
Brook trout
The brookies in the streams of Shenandoah National Park are tiny but dramatically colored. Do you really need to know why we don't eat the wild trout we catch?
Mabry Mill
This is billed as the most-photographed spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I don't know about that but I do know we never miss a chance to eat at the restaurant. Nothing fancy, just great mountain cooking that begins with marvelous biscuits.
Pink lady slippers
At the trailhead down to Crabtree Falls, this lovely clump of pink lady slippers was blooming in the moist shade.
Pin cherry
The gorgeous blossoms of pin cherry could make you wish spring would last all year.