Lighthouses

Was reviewing some of my pictures a came across some I took of lighthouses. Mom had decided she wanted to take pictures of Washington and Oregon lighthouses. It sounded like a cool road-trip so I joined her.

Truly, how could one go wrong taking pictures of these beacons of maritime hope. They stand tall and point the way home for those who may be lost at see. Too many of them are becoming automatic or being decommissioned. It is a shame things are trending this way. Somehow, relying on automated machines seems the height of folly. Technology is fine when it works but it takes so little to wipe it out and then what are you left with. Look at what happened in Japan earlier this year . It wasn't the huge earthquake but the tsunami that crippled the area. Sometimes old ways of doing things by hand are a good thing.

Here are a few of the lighthouse and coastal pictures from that trip. Enjoy.

Walkway up to Grays Harbor (Westport) Lighthouse, WA

Grays Harbor (Westport) Lighthouse, Grays Harbor (Westport) Lighthouse, WA. Standing 107 feet tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in Washington, and the third tallest on the West Coast. It was lighted for the first time June 30, 1898. http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=117

Spiral staircase inside Grays Harbor, WA,  Westport Lighthouse

Wave off Ocean Shores,WA

North Head Lighthouse Washington -Constructed 1896. North Head is one of the windiest places in the United States. On January 29, 1921, winds were clocked at 126 mph before the instrument blew away. They have frequently been measured at over 100 mph. The light was automated in 1961.
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=116 

North Head Lighthouse Washington

North Head Lighthouse Washington

North Head Lighthouse Washington

Wildflowers and rocky shore below North Head Lighthouse WA

Rocky shore below North Head Lighthouse WA

Cape Meares Lighthouse Oregon from walkway. Cape Meares lighthouse sits at the north end of the beautiful 20-mile Three Capes Scenic Loop along the Oregon coast. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1888. The light was lit for the first time on January 1, 1890. Though the squatty lighthouse was only 38 feet tall, located on a 217-foot cliff, it could be seen for 21 miles. The lightstation consisted of the tower and two oil houses. In 1895 a workroom abutting the tower was added.
http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=134

Cape Meares Lighthouse Oregon with it's big red lens

Red lens in Cape Meares Lighthouse Oregon. This is still a working lighthouse with a wonderful view.

Wild flower off of walkway to Cape Meares Lighthouse Oregon. I still have no idea what this flower is.

Close-up of unknown wild flower off of walkway to Cape Meares Lighthouse Oregon

Three Arches Stacks at sunset  just South Cape Meares Lighthouse