The Lighthouse Lowdown

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

20 miles into Lake Michigan from Mackinac Bridge, White Shoal Lighthouse is the only red-and-white barber shop tower in the US. As the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes, it has seen its fair share of action in its relatively short history. However, most of the history is in the making as White Shoal Light undergoes restoration to be unique lodging for adventure-seekers!

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References:

1. What type of paint is used on your lighthouses? | Trinity House
2. Preserving America's Lighthouse Legacy | Tnemec
3. Lighthouse Preservation, Masonry | National Park Service
4. White Shoal Lighthouse | Lighthouse Friends
5. Visiting White Shoal
6. Seeing The Light
7. White Shoal MI | USLHS
8. WSLHPS Facebook

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1874 in the "stick" architectural style, sporting a red light characteristic until changing to a fixed white, then flashing white-red, to the flashing white we have today. While its gardens are considered one of the top 10 things to see in New Jersey, the lighthouse itself is beautiful to see and flush with exciting history!

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References:

1. - Hereford Inlet Lighthouse (herefordlighthouse.org)
2. Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, New Jersey at Lighthousefriends.com
3. Hereford Inlet Lighthouse – North Wildwood, New Jersey
4. North Wildwood changes lock on lighthouse, sparking public feud - WHYY
5. Things You Didn't Know About the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse | Galloway, NJ Patch

Now that we covered the first lighthouse in the US to display a Fresnel lens, it's time to "shed light" on the first lighthouse in the world to have one! Cordouan Lighthouse is a beautiful renaissance-style tower over four miles out in the Bay of Biscay. The 221 foot tall light is now a World Heritage Site and became a monument historique at the same time as Notre-Dame de Paris.

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References:

1. Cordouan Light Website
2. Cordouan Lighthouse | Wikipedia
3. Cordouan Lighthouse | UNESCO
4. Cordouan Lighthouse | Gironde Tourisme
5. Phare de Cordouan
6. Gardiens Cordouan | Facebook
7. Cordouan Youtube