Lighthouses

I never thought lighthouses would be fascinating, but when we took our first trip up the coast of Oregon around 16 years ago, we stopped at every lighthouse we could. These are wonderful symbols and monuments to a bygone era of a simpler and harsher life. The stories that come with these places are incredible. The isolation and elements lighthouse tenders (and in some instances, their families) went through are pretty incredible.

Ever since that trip, I’ve wanted to see more lighthouses. On this trip, we saw three. One in Washington, just north of Astoria. One on the central coast of Oregon just south of Yachats. And the third in Crescent City, California. So, here you go … pictures!

The first lighthouse is the North Head Lighthouse in Washington, just north of Astoria and the Columbia River. It is located in Cape Disappointment State Park. There is also a bay nearby named Deception Bay. This is part of the wonderful history of these places. Those names were given by a fur trader who mistook the mouth of the Columbia River for a bay that he was prevented from reaching due to the shallow sand bars that fill the area. The last picture is the view from the lighthouse.

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The second lighthouse we visited was Heceta Head Lighthouse. Sixteen years ago, we stopped at a touristy stop — The Sea Lion Caves — that is a few miles south of this lighthouse. From the caves, I took some pictures of the lighthouse. I remember that day was gray and wet and there was a lot of fog that created some eerie images. Unfortunately, those pictures were on good, old-fashioned film and I have no idea where they are. Back then, we didn’t stop at the lighthouse. This time we did. One of the cool things about this lighthouse is that there is a hiking trail nearby that takes you over a ridge and other sights to see. But very early on that trail, you get right at eye level with the light. So, here you go, including a view of the beach from the lighthouse, and two additional views of that beach from sea level.

While I was taking the pictures of the beach, I stopped and talked to an older man who was sitting nearby. (I think we were both waiting for our wives.) One of the things I like about getting out into the world is the conversations you can have with strangers — where connections can be drawn and we can remember each other’s humanity. It’s real life, real people, real stories, and real reactions. I asked him what brought him to Oregon. He disclosed that his daughter had recently passed away. At the age of 41 from pancreatic cancer. We talked for a bit about their journey, about his family. I expressed my condolences to him. If I remember correctly, the memorial he and his wife were on their way to was yesterday. I hope that the family was surrounded by love and memories of their lost daughter, wife, mother, and friend.

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Finally, Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, California. You can only reach this lighthouse when the tide is out. There is a “causeway” that allows you to access it then, but at high tide, portions of it are covered. The name comes from decades ago when there were some cannons on the small island. The cannons are long gone, but the name remains. This was a difficult lighthouse to get decent pictures of because there were too many people around. I did what I could.

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