Esther and I got back this past Sunday from what is basically our annual trip to visit friends in Bluffton,SC.

We started south on Friday 5-21.

We took a bit of a different track this year- we stopped first in Lititz, PA at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory to pick up some gifts for our friends.

We also made a 2 day stop in Mooresville, NC to visit with our Maid Of Honor and her family. We found out it was Race Weekend Pt 1 but we carefully avoided getting anywhere near the race track.

We continued on to bluffton, SC on Sunday and had a great dinner with one of the couples we visit and got a great show as well- watched the resident alligator in the lagoon behind the house and then the tremendous thunder and lighthning show just after the sun went down.

We took it a bit easy on monday and then on tuesday Esther and the ladies drove up to the Charleston area to go to the Tea Plantation and my friend Art and I went over to Beaufort, SC to get a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and then continued on to Hunting Island State Park to see the LH there once again.

Here are a couple of photos I took there.








We enjoyed some very nice- if very hot- weather that day. We almost had more of an adventure than we intended- I was driving my sister's van and did not hear the gas gauge ding when it reached the warning . Luckily I guess I saw it in time since we did not run out of gas.

Esther and I were on our own on Wednesday and we decided to take a ride down to St. Simon's, GA.

It's not that far from Bluffton- just under 90 minutes one way.

We spent some time shopping- well Esther did. I spent some time waiting for her at a series of different stores. I almost bought a LH t-shirt but couldn't find one I liked enough to add to the literally dozens I already own.

We continued over to the Lighthouse and were a bit disapointed in what we found- it was closed. the museum was open so we went through there but I still could not find a t-shirt at the store.

Here are a few photos from different angles of the LH.

Here's a front view of the Keeper's House with the LH behind it from the street



A closeup of the sign put on the lantern room to attract visitors- the LH was opening in the next day or two for Memorial Day Weekend. Bad timing on my part.




Taken from the beach side of the LH.





Close up view of the fresnel lens.





Slightly different view from the street.





A view from the parking lot in the rear of the LH. The clouds had been rolling in at this point.





We took our leave at this point as we had plans to meet up with our friends for dinner.

We spent Friday driving over to Tybee Island whaich we had been to also previously several times. We opted not to tour the Light Station for this reason - and my knee was bothering me so I would not be climbing the LH anyway.

I got a number of photos of Tybee from different angles as well.

This one was taken from the Gun Battery across the street at Ft. Scriven.



This one was as well.




In this one partsa of some of the other buildings are in view.



This includes a bit more of the building housing the gift shop - where I did mange to get a very nice LH t-shirt with Tybee Island on it (duh).





Just following Paul's suggestion and keeping my feet moving around the LH.





Here's a closeup of the lantern room and the fresnel lens.





Here's one from the rear of the light station - near the heli-pad.

We left Tybee Island LH and stopped on the way back to Savannah at a few of the shops there. Esther picked up some artwork to add to the yard and I people watched.

We then stopped to get a couple of shots of Cockspur LH.

I got a shrimp boat in this one as well as the LH.



This one is just the LH by itself.

We did not get to any more lighthouses in SC or GA but we did drive by Fort Carroll by taking the Key Bridge instead of taking one of the Bsltimore tunnels. I had left my camera in the back of the van so I was unable to get a photo as we drove by.

However we did make a stop at Concord Pt. in Havre De Grace, MD.

We had very warm- 90 degree- weather again and since I had climbed the LH on numerous previous occasions we opted to not take the bath it would have entailed doing so.

Here are a few photos again from different angles of the LH.

Taken from the street near the Museum (Keeper's house).




Taken from the promenade that had to be redone due to hurricane damage.





A bit closer on the walkway around the area.





A closeup of the fresnel lens.





We left Concord Pt and made our way home.

GREAT photos and descriptions, Dennis! Thanks for sharing!
Rick

Nice job, Dennis, it's good to see St. Simon without the tarps all over it..

Thanks Dennis. Great pictures!

Dennis, love all your pictures and the story.

Thanks for the kind words.

It's hard to come up with scintilatting patter on the same old stuff.

Paul- glad the tarps were gone as well- just wish I had timed it just a little better and the LH was open as well.

Dennis