There were a couple of "Must-Do's" connected with this trip. One of them was to see and climb this wonderful lighthouse. This was my first so I was pretty excited. After our walk on the beach we went across the street to a crisply manicured and immaculate area where the lighthouse and keeper houses are. A small fee allowed Jeff and I entrance (We were lucky, as I understand it. Reservations are taken and walk-ups are sometimes turned away. That and they close it up when it gets too windy, and as you can see by the flag, it wasn't a calm day.) and our goal was to scale the some 178, 209, or 218* or so steps that would take us to the observation area just below the beacon.
Let's get the particulars out of the way first:
First Tower built: 1736
Present Tower: 1866
Height; 144 feet
First lit: 1867
Range: 18 miles
Automated: 1987
There are three landings in the climb where you can look out the windows (and rest). The iron steps were fashioned separately, one by one, to conform to the dimension of the narrowing walls.
This first landing picture isn't too frightening, neither is our breathing.
By now our breathing sounded labored, however we weren't the least bit winded. Jeff and I could have walked back and bounded up like young gazelles a couple more times, given enough time and oxygen.
It is almost too difficult to see, but Jeff and I are waving from atop the Lighthouse.
More of the Tybee Island Lighthouse on Monday
* These differing number of steps are somewhat confusing. The website lists 178 stairs while one of the park service employees said 209 while another source, I forget where, mentioned 218. The difference could include the additional number of steps from the observation area on up to the beacon. I didn't count going up and I sure won't ask Jeff to do it again. It wasn't the easiest climb I've ever done.
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