OK Dave, I'll give a little bit more information about the lighthouses I have visited. Photos will have to wait until I get them developed. To be honest I take pictures but I've seen other people's photos from this forum and I don't think mine are quite up to their standard.

Thirty Mile Point is located smack dab in the middle of Golden Hill State Park. The park itself was worth the trip because it had a nice network of hiking trails (lined by many blackberry bushes which are now ripening). If you are a camper, there are many campsites literally within the shadows of the lighthouse and with fantastic views of Lake Ontario. The lighthouse itself has many of its associated buildings still intact (even a 2 seater outhouse) and there is a detailed guide which describes the purpose of the individual buildings. The climb up the tower was easy and the view was spectacular. The most interesting facet of this particular lighthouse was the fact the the preservation society has created a turn of the century (actually the last century I guess to be accurate) feel with many period antiques furnishing the rooms. There are some educational exhibits but it was this "living museum" feeling that most impressed me with Thirty Mile Point.

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse has an extensive array of historical information and exhibits associated with it. This not only includes the lighthouse itself but also the history of the Genesee region iteself, the town of Charlotte (and to further correct myself it is pronounced sha-LOT...no "r"), Lake Ontario, navigation, and railroads/trolleys in the area. The 2 volunteers that guided me were locals who provided details of their childhood recollections of the lighthouse many decades ago. The story of how the lantern room was reconstructed is a good example of what motivated lighthouse lovers can accomplish...and it was mostly done as a high school project from what I could ascertain. The biggest marvel for me was the mason work involved in the tower constuction. The individual stones are irregular in size and shape but have been put together to form a remarkably stable "cobblestone" tower that has survived over 175 years. The tower is one of the more beautiful natural/unpainted towers that I have ever seen. The climb is fairly easy, the last few yards are up a narrow ladder. The view from the top is very nice. For those interested, here is a link to the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse Historical Society: http://www.frontiernet.net/~mikemay/

More to come:
Doc John