Tag: Lighthouse

  • Thumb Drive, Day 1

    My older son had to get back to Michigan State University for the start of the new semester and it was my turn to drive. It takes about nine hours to get there under ordinary circumstances so it involves an overnight stay in East Lansing. Then, I figured, I might as well stay a little…

  • Niagara Weekend, Part 1 (Up)

    I had a three-day weekend coming up and four unvisited counties in western New York staring me in the face. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Of course you are, but how could I sell it to the family? County Counting It’s getting more difficult to reach those unvisited counties to add them to my…

  • Carolina Wetlands, Part 8 (Rounding It Out)

    Well, we did it. We made it to the final article in the Carolina Wetlands series. Thank you for following along vicariously on my journey. Often I use the final article as a catch-all, a way to catalog stories that don’t fit anywhere else. It also lets me add a few items to my lists,…

  • Wintertime in Corolla, Part 2 (Not Water)

    Sure, I enjoyed the sand and the waves during our brief hideaway on North Carolina’s Outer Banks (map). However I couldn’t spend the entire time just staring out the window or walking along the beach. We did some other things too. Everything seemed so weird though, partially because of the pandemic and partially because we…

  • Exploring the Mitten, Part 5 (Keeping Stock)

    We stayed put more than usual during this adventure. Nonetheless, I managed grow my various lists in modest ways. The Twelve Mile Circle audience knows what I like so none of this will be a surprise. I thought it might be a nice way to wrap-up the series. Lighthouses I’ve been captivated by lighthouses for…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 9 (Lists)

    I like to count a bunch of different things and that didn’t change simply because I went on vacation. If anything, it actually accelerated it. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow my lists. So I thought I’d wrap-up this final article in the Bermuda series with a summary of my progress. Parish Counting I…

  • Inner Banks, Day 2

    We spent the first day getting down to our base at Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  That set us up well for Day Two.  Now we could focus squarely on capturing some unvisited counties.  I decided to travel counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise for the international 12MC audience).  This map shows the actual coordinates I used to guide…

  • Maine Lighthouse Museum

    Rockland, Maine (August 2009) The Maine Lighthouse Museum occupies prime space along the waterfront in the City of Rockland, sharing a building with the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce Information Center and the police department (map). It is the largest, most impressive collection of lighthouse and lifesaving paraphernalia that I have ever seen. It…

  • Umpqua River Lighthouse & State Park

    Reedsport, Oregon, USA (May 1998) The Umpqua River Lighthouse seemed to be located surprisingly inland, further inland than any other lighthouse along the Oregon coast, about a half-mile from the shore it protects (map). An earlier lighthouse sat closer to the oceanfront on the other side of the river in 1857 but succumbed to fierce…

  • Tybee Island Light Station

    Tybee Island, Georgia, USA (July 2006) The Tybee Island light station sits a pleasant 18 mile drive east of Savannah (map). From there, visitors can overlook Georgia’s Atlantic coast and the mouth of the Savannah River. The beautifully restored facilities mirror their original condition. Admission requires a modest fee.  This allows visitors to climb all…