My Connection

I have always loved lighthouses, but interestingly enough I had never seen one up close. Since I grew up in Boston, one would think that with the many hours spent on the beach, at the Cape as well as my travels to other states with lighthouses, I would have visited at least one in my lifetime. Needless to say, visiting one or more lighthouses became a goal I placed on my bucket list. Maybe eventually I would climb one.

Inspired by a Book

Knowing that lighthouses would become a topic for this blog, I started looking for juvenile books that would inspire the post.. The one I chose as my inspiration for this block is Sophie Blackall’s Hello Lighthouse. Hello Lighthouse did an excellent job noting the purpose of the light house as well as detailing the day to day responsibilities of a light house keeper as well as his personal routines and pastimes. I was impressed by by her descriptive writing taking us on a journey of the lighthouse responsibilities of the past in comparison to today’s lighthouse routines and the changes it means for those who are the keepers.

When in June my husband decided to take a continuing education class in Daytona Beach, I accompanied him. While he was in his course I did what I always do, look for places to visit while he is in class. Routinely, I looked for my usual…scrapbooking stores, historic landmarks and attractions, museums, beaches, and whatever else might be in the attraction pamphlets and hotel guidebooks.

Not finding any nearby scrapbooking stores still in existence, I slept, walked around the hotel, watched television, dined with him on his lunch break and waited for his class to end. When the class ended we decided to drive to visit Daytona Beach and grab a bite to eat.

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Although beforehand I didn’t search for local lighthouses nor saw one advertised in the brochures; we came upon a sign that read, “Ponce Inlet Lighthouse & Museum,” directing us to continue driving straight ahead.

Knowing that a lighthouse was on my bucket list, my husband proceeded to follow the signs. Unlike the lighthouse in Hello Lighthouse, the lighthouse was not on its own island; it was on a historic inlet. When we arrived we parked in the first parking lot that we found. After getting out of the car and tried to fine the entrance we realized we were in the park’s parking lot. Since we already had begun our walk to the entrance, we continued.

The walk to the entrance was scenic, we were able to see the inlet boat ramp, the park, the Hidden Treasure Restaurant across the street from the park, the Ponce Inlet Veteran’s Memorial, and the magnificent Ponce Inlet Lighthouse tower in the center of the park/museum.

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When we arrived to the lighthouse’s entrance, it was 8:11 and although the lighthouse and museum didn’t close until 9:00, we had missed the last opportunity to purchase admission tickets by eleven minutes. Because I decided I might try climbing the my husband and I decided we would return the next morning before we were to depart. Since we were there, we visited the gift shop where I learned about the lighthouse and the museum.

When we arrived it was dusk and still considerably light outside; once we left the gift shop, it had darken and we were able to see the lighthouse illuminated.

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As we headed to the car we stopped at the Ponce Inlet Veterans Memorial

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By the time the next morning arrived, I was determined that I would try climbing the 203 steps to the top of the 175 foot tower. My decision was fueled by the fact that my athletic family seemed confident I wouldn’t be able to do it. Granted, I was not in shape and had stopped my modest exercise program six months prior and that six month program was the first in many, many years. Anyhow, my daughter giggled and said, “Uh huh” when I told her. To her father, she said, “Why does she always pick things like this to do?” The comment was a reference to when I went parasailing and whitewater rafting, even though I can’t swim; as well as knowing that in high school I spent two weeks camping and hiking on snow shoes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains where I climbed up and rappelled down one of the peaks. She also knows I have talked about parachuting out of a plane. Anyhow, she and my husband seem to have a great laugh. Not sure how my son felt. Meanwhile my husband tried to talk me out of climbing to the top of the lighthouse fearing I would “pass out;” hence the title of this post.

Getting Acquainted Before my Ascent

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My Lighthouse Climb

As I began my ascent to the balcony of the lighthouse, the lyrics to the first stanza of Miley Cyrus’ song, The Climb came to mind.

” I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming but
There’s a voice inside my head saying
You’ll never reach it,
Every step I’m taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high”

Google Search, Google, https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics+to+miley+cyrus+the+climb&oq=lyrics+to+miley+cirus+the+climb&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.13314j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.

My ascent up the 203 steps came with much perspiration and many pit stops. At every landing there was a window, some with ledges. I shamelessly tell you, I literally stopped at each one to catch my breath.While resting I talked to people who were ascending or descending the steps. No matter how tired I got, I was not going to prove my husband right. He had already texted me to see if I was okay asking if he needed to come get me or if I needed to return. Not Climb?

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On the “Piazza”

Although I hate the pictures taken of me at the top of the lighthouse in the “Piazza”, I include them because it is proof that I wasn’t to be counted out. I don’t usually take pics and in this one I don’t even like what I am wearing. When I made it to the top I took these pictures. Two of the ladies I met on my way up took pictures of me. They also called down to my husband, when he got out of the car, they yelled, “She did it!” I loved it!

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My Descent

My descent was uneventful and surprisingly not difficult, probably because I was still on Cloud Nine from my climb. Above I shared Miley Cyrus’ song, The Climb as it represented the task at hand.

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The visit to the lighthouse and the museum provided many ideas to help visitors connect from the history of the inlet to those related to the lighthouse and museum. One can also incorporate math with dates, number and angles of steps and the dimensions of the lighthouse itself. Additionally the science involved in the construction, the fresnel lenses and much much more. There are lots of other activities that could be designed to compliment the book and the visit. I was impressed with some of the activities already developed by the Historical Preservation Association.

Although the following pictures are as I was exiting the property and getting a final view of the lighthouse, I didn’t not just leave after my descent. I concluded my visit by touring some of the buildings affiliated with the museum as I had done prior to my ascent. I will share those pictures in a later post.

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Goodbye Lighthouse!

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