Welcome to the second installment of our Christmastime at Lighthouses special! Last year we covered classics like St. Augustine Lighthouse and Nauset Light, and this year we selected five special lighthouses from our 2024 lineup that do something special for the holidays.

Listen in for some festive magic and lots and lots of Christmas lights!

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References:

1. https://www.mainelightstoday.com/nubble-lightlike-no-other-lighthouse-at-christmastime/
2. https://www.mnhs.org/events/2948
3. https://www.christmasinedgartown.com/
4. https://www.vineyardsquarehotel.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-christmas-in-edgartown/
5. https://www.kporttrust.org/flying-santa
6. https://tworivertimes.com/historic-lighthouse-becomes-christmas-beacon/
7. https://www.skogasafn.is/skogar-museum/artifacts/deck-prism/

You probably wouldn't dream of using a lighthouse for bombing target practice...right? Unfortunately, that was the fate of Waugoshance Lighthouse, built in the 1850s and hanging on by a thread today. Efforts to restore the light were abandoned in 2021, leaving this light to fall to into the waiting arms of Lake Michigan.

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References:

1. Waugoshance Lighthouse | Lighthouse Friends
2. Waugoshance Light | Wikipedia
3. We Bombed Waugoshance Light | Restless Viking
4. What do the numbers mean on a nautical chart? | National Ocean Service

Many know which lighthouse was the last to be automated in the US, but what about second to last? Goat Island Lighthouse of Kennebunk, Maine was not automated until 1990, and even today there are caretakers who watch over the light and the island it rests on.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our US listeners!

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References:

1. Islands & Lighthouse — Kennebunkport Conservation Trust
2. Goat Island Light | Lighthouse Friends
3. Station's Facebook
4. Goat Island Lighthouse | Jeremy D'Entremont
5. Thanksgiving at The Rock
6. Thanksgiving Miracle at Tillamook Rock Light
7. Thanksgiving at Boon Island Light

You've heard of nuclear bombs and nuclear power plants, but have you ever heard of a nuclear lighthouse? Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse was a pain in the behind to build, but it's troubles didn't stop there! Listen in for the story of the first (and only) US light to be run with nuclear power!

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References:

1. Baltimore Light Station > United States Coast Guard > All
2. The Baltimore Light | Lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay
3. Caisson (engineering) - Wikipedia
4. Measuring Worth - purchasing power of the dollar.
5. Baltimore Lighthouse, Maryland at Lighthousefriends.com

Happy Halloween everyone! Today we're covering the spooktacular Pensacola Lighthouse, home of the Blue Angels and spirits of long past...Listen in for the story of how this 40 foot lighthouse became a 150 foot beauty.

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References:

1. Pensacola Lighthouse Website
2. Pensacola Lighthouse | Lighthouse Friends
3. Pensacola Lighthouse considered one of most haunted in America | WKRG
4. Winslow Lewis: A Nineteenth Century Lighthouse Scalawag | USLHS
5. Winslow Lewis | USLHS Archives
6. Winslow Lewis | National Archives
7. Pensacola Lighthouse Timeline
8. Pensacola X | Reddit

It is not often that a lighthouse is built to replace an old tower, only for both to remain in service (and not as range lights)! This is the case for the Cape Romain Lighthouses, very different in color, stature, and light characteristic, but only a few yards apart! Listen in to this episode to hear about their exciting history and how you can visit them today.

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References:

1. Cape Romain Lighthouses | Lighthouse Friends
2. Keeping the Lights On | The Maine Mag
3. Cape Romain Lighthouse Boat Tour | Coastal Expeditions
4. Light List | USLHS
5. Cape Romain Suicide | Lighthouse Digest

Best known for it's annual Christmas lighting ceremony, Cape Neddick Light, or Nubble Lighthouse, sits out of reach of visitors on a tiny island in Maine. Although it can't be visited now, Nubble Light has a rich history of tourism, including by the cat Sambo Tonkus (amazing name!).

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References:

1. Nubble Lighthouse | Lighthouse Friends
2. The Wreck of the Isadore | NE Lights
3. Cape Neddick Nubble Light History | New England Lighthouses

Can't think of anything fun to do next month? Pack up the kids and head to New Jersey! The third weekend of October is the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey, where anyone can drive the state shoreline to collect lighthouse, museums, and life saving stations!

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References:

1. Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey (lighthousechallengenj.com)
2. 2023 Lighthouse Challenge of NJ Sites - Google My Maps
3. 28837 Daboll Fog Alarm Patent.pdf (uslhs.org)

Man, can Vince and I talk!

In this lengthy episode, we chat about our trip to Cape Cod from beginning to end. If you're considering visiting the Cape, or just want to hear more about our adventure, listen in!

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Also known as lightvessels, lightships are lighthouse's little brothers, guarding areas where lighthouses are not easily built. While there are only around 15 lightships remaining in the US today, the history of these ships stretch back hundreds of years!

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References:

1. Lightships | National Park Service
2. Lightship | Wikipedia
3. History of Lightships | Nantucket Historical Association
4. First Lightship | Guinness World Records
5. A History of Lightships | US Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association International