Montauk Roadtrip - Montauk Point Lighthouse

Christine and I spent a lot of time on this roadtrip at the shore and at lighthouses. Not only did the Yacht Club have one, but we were determined to go to -- and up -- the lighthouse at Montauk Point, aka the furthest east we could get in New York.

We should have done our homework, because the first time we went it was closed! It was foggy and rainy, and the fog signal blaring from the lighthouse was a bit loud, so we roamed around the beaches (rock, sand, and shell) of Montauk for a while before we could check in at the Club.

The next day dawned sunny and bright. The rain and fog cleared out and we headed back out the point. What a difference a day makes.

Sun ... and parking fees. As non-profit employees, Christine and I suppose we shouldn't begrudge an institution charging their parking fees during the off-season. The museum entrance fee we expected, however, and don't have a problem paying. The museum was actually really pretty comprehensive, touching on the native peoples, the history of the area and the lighthouse, and the local industries. More about it can be found at their website here.

On the sea wall, there's a huge Lost at Sea Memorial. Create by sculptor Malcolm Frazier, the memorial is a cast bronze monument honoring commercial fishermen of eastern Long Island who have been lost at sea. The base is engraved with the names of people lost over the last 200 years or so; the last name from about 10 years ago, and only one woman's name. Sadly, the youngest person listed was only 14 -- a captain's son or a cabin boy.

We about got blown off the bluff by the winds, so we headed inside to prepare ourselves for the climb ahead.

The view up the stairs, with some of the scenic highlights on the way up the 137 iron steps.

At the top of the tower, you can poke your head out a door on the balcony, but you can't walk around. With the gale force winds off the Sound that day, I had NO inclination to walk around up there anyway.

Another narrow set of stairs takes you up into the light. You can't go beyond a couple steps, but you can still see up and out over the sides.

That poor docent at the top of the tower. I suppose we can't have been the strangest set of people she saw -- even that hour. She did humor us in our photography efforts.

Thanks to Christine for letting me post these of her:

l-r: preparing to climb the stairs (check out the stained glass inset of the lighthouse, in the door to the lighthouse); at the top, shooting up into the belly of the lantern house; coming down from peering into the lantern house; waiting for me below while I peered out.

We also took the opportunity to do another drop for the Toy Society (#1099) on our way out of the park, since we saw a playground with picnic tables. I tied this one to the slide and hope that the kids I saw playing down at the other end of the lot discovered the bear before it blew away. Check out the Toy Society to see if it ever got discovered. (I should have taken a picture of Christine on the rocking horse!)