Yaquina Head Lighthouse is one of the most popular lighthouses in the United States. There are hundreds of thousands of guests that visit every year. The tower is the tallest on the Oregon Coast – soaring 93 feet in the air. This lighthouse is the only Oregon Lighthouse with a marble floor. It stands 162 feet above sea level, and can be seen from ocean vessels as far away as 19 miles. I was told this by one of the kind volunteers at this lighthouse. He added that it can be seen “no further, thanks to the curvature of the earth.”
During construction, two different boats met their doom on Yaquina Head’s shores trying to deliver supplies. After much labor, the lighthouse was lit on August 20, 1873. There was a large dwelling built for the three keepers that manned this lighthouse station. Because of this lighthouses proximity on the coast, there were a number of storms and high winds that caused surface damage to the tower and the keeper’s dwellings. Fences were built to ward off rocks and other debris from destroying the property. However, this didn’t stop the tower from being struck by lightning in October of 1920. Luckily, through the years, the lightening and severe storms haven’t really hurt this lighthouse. In fact, to this very day the structure of the lighthouse is within one inch of being perfectly straight.
At least until it was time to go back down all one hundred and eleven steps! I barely made it but I am still sore! 😉
all the pictures (especially the food) look great. so glad you guys were able to go and that you had a good time!
r
Um, I think I would have just delivered right up there at the top, if I'd actually made it up there in the first place.
Gorgeous views!
You have a way with photo journalism!! So neat!
The pictures are great Jessica!
How neat! I bet it was worth the stairs but I understand the "still sore" part!