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Last year, another business trip to Florida meant another great opportunity to photograph some great lighthouses. On a day off I traveled the width of the “sunshine state” from Clearwater Beach to Ponce Inlet to tour the wonderful Ponce de Leon Light Station. As usual, I had done my Internet homework. (The awesome Lighthouse Digest database is always the best place to start!) But even best laid plans can be foiled. You never know what Mother Nature is in the mood for or whether the grounds will be open. I recently traveled hours in anticipation of climbing Oregon’s Umpqua light tower. I arrived with over an hour to spare according to the on-line tour schedule, only to discover the volunteer docent decided to close early that day!
At Ponce Inlet it turned out to be a beautiful day. However I was somewhat disappointed to see the top of the tower surrounded by unflattering scaffolding as part of a renovation project. I soon realized this scenario could make for some very unique photographs as I observed the workers high up on the tower. Like circus high-wire performers, they gingerly stepped and swung from their narrow wooden platforms underneath the lantern room walkway. I have captured many fine panoramas from the top of lighthouse towers. But what a special view these workers had - hanging like “Spiderman” from the side of a 168-foot tower!
Even with active renovation, the tower at Ponce De Leon was open during my visit. I guess word had spread it was undergoing repair, so most visitors stayed away. For the majority of my visit, I was the only one touring the grounds! The outbuildings were beautifully restored and the lighthouse museum lived up to its billing as one of the finest in America.
I sat in total bliss inside the deserted museum, surrounded by fascinating displays and Fresnel lenses of all orders. The colossal first order Fresnel lens from Cape Canaveral cast its beautiful optic rainbow on the walls as it rotated on its display pedestal. I probably shot two or three rolls of film just within the museum. The magnificent tower, grounds and museum gave me a whole new appreciation for lighthouses. Browsing the extensive lighthouse gift shop was a fitting way to conclude a superb lighthouse outing.
I have to admit, had I known Ponce de Leon lighthouse was under renovation, I too would have stayed away. I had originally planned to take in both Ponce Inlet and St. Augustine Light that day. There was so much to see and do at Ponce Light Station that I ended up spending the entire day there. I departed the east coast of Florida with some great photographs and one of my most memorable lighthouse touring experiences.
This story appeared in the August 2002 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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