I was wondering what everyone's worst lighthouse experience was. I had brought up this topic tonight at the HL chat, and only got one response. So what is it? I want to know what the hardest light was to get to(not by car, walking, hiking, etc). Also, the most aggravating(for any reason).

My most agravating was East Quoddy, Campobello Island,Canada. Waited 2 hours for the early mornibg fog to go away, just to get a picture, but still couldn't get to it because it was high tide.

My hardest walking to date had to be Cape Dissapointment, 1/2 mile uphill w/my mother.
But well worth the walk. Another hard walker was, Cape Reyes; long walk up hill, then down, then up again, then down again...high winds, w/my mother...again.

Those aren't bad lighthouse experiences in my book. East Quoddy is one of my favorite trips to a lighthouse, because it was challenging to reach. My wife and I just returned from lighthousing on the U.P. and the walks back to Big Sable and Au Sable made the experience much more memorable than just pulling the car into a parking lot and walking 30ft to the door of the lighthouse. The walk was good for us also.

WackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

Never had a bad experience at a lighthouse, only one "near miss". I planned to visit New Dungeness light in Washington while I was out there. The morning to go arrived with temperatures in the low 40's and pouring rain mixed with light snow. Getting to this light, i understand, entails a five mile walk over a narrow sand spit near surf's edge on both sides. I thought twice about it, and actually set out to do it in spite of the weather. Fortunately and unfortunately, a drive of over an hour was required to get there, and I came to my senses en route and turned back. I'd love to have visited that light -- I may not ever get a chance to go back there -- but the trip had the makings of a miserable venture written all over it. I regret not making the trip... Or do I not? This remorse of mine is my worst lighthouse non-experience.

My advice for visiting any light: If you have the chance, do it. You'll forget the bad weather eventually.

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-Art

Noelle: Haven't had a bad experiece yet, but then I'm a rookie! Unless you count the pictures I took that had purple spots on them because I dropped the film into ny coffee, but even they weren't too bad. Going again this weekend so we'll see what happens.

P.S. Can you leave your mother home next time?

I've never had a bad experience either. Then again I try to be so positive about everything I'm the wrong person to ask.

I'll share a day at Fire Island I had which some consider "bad".

They had a volunteers meeting in March and the rain was so heavy I got soaked walking to the keepers quarters. After the meeting the tower was opened for anyone nuts enough to climb. A couple of us did and when we got to the top we were actually on top of the fog. We could see the "cloud tops". Couldn't see any thing else but it was kind of neat.

My motto is: " A bad day at lighthouse is better than a good day at work"

[This message has been edited by Mike Seewald (edited 07-30-99).]

I can't say I have ever had a bad experience while lighthousing. Some have been more work getting to than others: The walk to and from Big Sable Point down a sandy two track, or the walk to 14 Foot Shoal through a mosquito infested forest nature trail.

As Paul says, these more difficult lighthouses to reach add to the memories of the trip. I definitely spend more time at the remote locations and it means more to me because of the effort involved in getting there. It also gives you a feel for the isolation keepers must have felt when they manned these desolate stations.

Big Sable was difficult for us due to extreme heat. The heat was radiating off the sand and my wife doesn't take the heat well, but we made mile and a half walk and felt good about it. 14 Foot Shoal was also about 1.5 miles, but it was through a humid, mosquito infested nature trail. Sure was nice to get to the beach and Straights of Mackinac!

I am knocking on wood, but no worst experiences here, just memorable ones

-Todd

Can't say we have had a bad experience. We did have one frustrating one.

We were going from Northern California to Southern California on a tour of lighthouses starting at Fort Bragg. It had been a marvelous tour. We planned our trip to make sure we would be able to see Point Sur on the one day that the docents gave the tour. We couldn't get a hotel room, so we found a camping site and slept in our van. We got up quite early the next morning to make sure we would not be late and when we got to the gate there was a large sign saying No tours today. But we were determined to see her so we made a trip the next year and took the tour. It was definitely worth the effort. It is a very interesting and beautiful hike up (and we mean up the cliff) to her. The view from up there is magnificient and she a marvelous light.

Come to think of it, we did have another frustrating experience. There is a lighthouse south of there along the California coast that is now on Vandenberg Air Force base (can't remember the name of the lighthouse). We went to the Air Force base and contacted the public relations office to ask if we could see her. The public relations officer informed us that there was no lighthouse on the base. We gave him what particulars we had from Bruce Robert's book and he asked if we would wait at the entrance - he would call us back. He had made a couple of phone calls and said he found out yes indeed, there is a lighthouse on the base, but we can't see her. He said he was told that it was pretty much under the care of the sea animals. At least they know it's there now.

We just thought of another one that started out being frustrating but the whole deal ended up making it a most memorable experience.

A few years ago, we pulled into Ft. Bragg and couldn't find the Point Cabrillo lighthouse. So being scuba divers we thought we'd go to the local dive shop and ask, certainly they would know. The first four people we talked to (who were locals) did not know there was a lighthouse there. We finally found someone who told us, "I think it's out there on the shore somewhere." So we went off to find someone else to ask. We came across a lady who had her easel set up in the middle of this back road. She had her back to the shoreline and was about 300 feet from the shore. She told us that there is no lighthouse in Ft. Bragg. She had lived there all of her life and there was none. We later found out if we had looked over her right shoulder, we would have seen the top of Pt. Cabrillo through the trees! We went on and found a fellow on a bicycle, he said he knew one was there somewhere, but didn't know where, but he'd only lived there a short time. We kept going and found a State Park and a ranger who gave us very good directions.

It ended up being one of the best days we have ever spent at a lighthouse. At the time Pt. Cabrillo was in really bad shape and the grounds were very unstable, but the setting and the light were still wonderful. There is a little cove to the left of her where the sea lions put on a show for you and they stop to make sure you are watching before they continue their antics. We must have spent 6 hours on the grounds.

She became one of our favorite lights so we went about investigating her status. And we are thrilled to know she is being lovingly restored. This has become one of our favorite stories.

[This message has been edited by Michael and Karen Power (edited 07-31-99).]

No bad experiences - only good ones!

Kathy

All of my experiences have been good ones. Never had any trouble getting to the few that I have been to.

Keep The Light Burning

The Flame

Perhaps the right question is "What was the most frustrating experience was." Have to agree with Paul and others that I have had no bad experiences, but there have been frustrating ones. Like Michael & Karen, arranging to be at a light on a given day and time to find out the schedule had been changed - Cape Florida.

Just this past week my daughter and I traveled from Annapolis MD to Southport NC lighthousing. Camped at Cape Hatteras Tues night and got into major rain for next day. Did our best to see Ocracoke in the rain. At Cape Lookout the rain had pretty much ceased, but no one would run the shuttle out to the island. Next day at Bald Head couldn't find parking to ride their overpriced shuttle to see the light up close. And, about the prettiest day we had was the drive home Thu afternoon/Friday. Frustrating yes, but not really bad. Still had the fun and enjoyment of making the trip.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 08-08-99).]

Most frustrating:
This summer I had made many calls and emails and was going to get into two lights that are not normally open during the week. Yerba Buena and Point Bonita, CA.

The day of the visits, we encountered a close down of CA 101 South to San Fran. A chlorine spill no less. I was able to see Yerba Buena the next day and I am so glad I did. It is in tip top shape. Point Bonita was a no go as the park ranger's last day was the day I had to miss. I did get to see it from the fort near it.
Derith