Posted By: Kaiz
Lighthousing with the Hannums - 04/01/02 10:54 PM
We met Dave (aka Bubba to me), Susan and Heather at their hotel in Erie PA at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. Then it was off for a day of lighthousing. There would be pictures added, but I seem to be a jinx ... first photopoint and now webphotos...
We started at the Pier Head Light in Presque Isle State Park. In this park there is the Pier Head Light at one end -- across the water is the Erie Land Light (but we couldn't find it from the Pier Head) -- and on the Lake side is the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse (built in 1872). We walked along the beach at Old Presque -- seemed kinda strange to have sand and snow at one time. A park ranger lives in the keepers quarters of the Light. On our way out of the park, we stopped at the Nature Center to get our Passports Stamped. I guess we were lucky, because the woman at the shop wasn't "actually" working.
Then it was on to the Erie Land Light. After Dave driving by the street, we soon found the Erie Land Light...to bad they don't know how to bury telephone wires. It was hard to get a decent picture without wires or the smoke stacks of the building behind it. Interesting light that seems like a lot of work has been done to it.
Next it was on the Barcelona. Of course as soon as we hit New York State...there was a detour. So it was back on 90 to Barcelona. The lighthouse is a private residence and sits practically on top of the road. We pulled into the marina next door. Dave and Mike went exploring around the light while Susan, Heather and I stayed on "public property." To me this was an "okay" light...nothing spectacular.
Then it was back on Route 5 to Dunkirk. I was able to arrange to have the president of the society there to show us around. It really doesn't open for a month or so. They kept apologizing on how dirty everything was. They opened the museum up for us and let us climb the tower. They have done a lot for this lighthouse, but it needs some painting. The tower was an easy climb.
Then, because Heather was wasting away...we stopped for lunch.
We decided that we were running out of time so Buffalo would be our last lighthouse of the day. We only had one little driving incident trying to find the marina a...it seems that Mike and I went the wrong way on a one way street ... luckily Heather saw the sign and the Hannums didn't follow us! But we got turned around the right way and found our way to the marina which has a great view of the lighthouse across the "inner harbor".
On Saturday, we met them at Fort Niagara where we had arranged to have the tower opened. This way we could see how it wintered and what we would have to do for spring clean up. It really was a lot cleaner than we thought it would be. But it still needs to be painted / whitewashed before it can be opened to the public.
After lunch, we went home and they continued on to 30 mile point. On Easter Sunday, the Hannums went over to Canada lighthousing...Dave will have to tell about the lights they saw. They got held up in Customs and were "late for dinner" but the turkey survived it all and we had a good dinner with great friends.
Mike went to work today, but I took the day off to do a little more lighthousing with the Hannums. I met them at the hotel. It was a cold, grey spring morning here in Rochester. But we visited Braddock Bay Lighthouse -- which is a private residence but Dave took pictures from the van. Then it was off to Charlotte for some pictures. And then finally to Sodus Point Lighthouse. I tried to talk Dave into walking out to the pier light...but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. With the winds and waves it would have been impossible to get out there without going swimming. I left to return home and they were off to Oswego and Selkirk...then it was dinner with JJ and Mombo.
All in all, it was a great lighthousing weekend with friends.
[This message has been edited by Kaiz (edited 04-01-2002).]
We started at the Pier Head Light in Presque Isle State Park. In this park there is the Pier Head Light at one end -- across the water is the Erie Land Light (but we couldn't find it from the Pier Head) -- and on the Lake side is the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse (built in 1872). We walked along the beach at Old Presque -- seemed kinda strange to have sand and snow at one time. A park ranger lives in the keepers quarters of the Light. On our way out of the park, we stopped at the Nature Center to get our Passports Stamped. I guess we were lucky, because the woman at the shop wasn't "actually" working.
Then it was on to the Erie Land Light. After Dave driving by the street, we soon found the Erie Land Light...to bad they don't know how to bury telephone wires. It was hard to get a decent picture without wires or the smoke stacks of the building behind it. Interesting light that seems like a lot of work has been done to it.
Next it was on the Barcelona. Of course as soon as we hit New York State...there was a detour. So it was back on 90 to Barcelona. The lighthouse is a private residence and sits practically on top of the road. We pulled into the marina next door. Dave and Mike went exploring around the light while Susan, Heather and I stayed on "public property." To me this was an "okay" light...nothing spectacular.
Then it was back on Route 5 to Dunkirk. I was able to arrange to have the president of the society there to show us around. It really doesn't open for a month or so. They kept apologizing on how dirty everything was. They opened the museum up for us and let us climb the tower. They have done a lot for this lighthouse, but it needs some painting. The tower was an easy climb.
Then, because Heather was wasting away...we stopped for lunch.
We decided that we were running out of time so Buffalo would be our last lighthouse of the day. We only had one little driving incident trying to find the marina a...it seems that Mike and I went the wrong way on a one way street ... luckily Heather saw the sign and the Hannums didn't follow us! But we got turned around the right way and found our way to the marina which has a great view of the lighthouse across the "inner harbor".
On Saturday, we met them at Fort Niagara where we had arranged to have the tower opened. This way we could see how it wintered and what we would have to do for spring clean up. It really was a lot cleaner than we thought it would be. But it still needs to be painted / whitewashed before it can be opened to the public.
After lunch, we went home and they continued on to 30 mile point. On Easter Sunday, the Hannums went over to Canada lighthousing...Dave will have to tell about the lights they saw. They got held up in Customs and were "late for dinner" but the turkey survived it all and we had a good dinner with great friends.
Mike went to work today, but I took the day off to do a little more lighthousing with the Hannums. I met them at the hotel. It was a cold, grey spring morning here in Rochester. But we visited Braddock Bay Lighthouse -- which is a private residence but Dave took pictures from the van. Then it was off to Charlotte for some pictures. And then finally to Sodus Point Lighthouse. I tried to talk Dave into walking out to the pier light...but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. With the winds and waves it would have been impossible to get out there without going swimming. I left to return home and they were off to Oswego and Selkirk...then it was dinner with JJ and Mombo.
All in all, it was a great lighthousing weekend with friends.
[This message has been edited by Kaiz (edited 04-01-2002).]