This afternoon found us nosing the Granny Rental south to Ponce DeLeon Inlet for a visit to the tallest lighthouse in all of Florida.
According to the video introduction, it was the second lighthouse on the inlet. The first, back in the early 1800's, sat vacant and unlit for 20 years because the whale tallow that it was designed to burn never actually arrived. Eventually, it fell into the sea from disrepair.
Whatever the case, they did a better job with Lighthouse 2.0, which is still standing.
We spent a good hour walking around, visiting the homes of the keepers and meeting the black and white cat that lives there. The souvenier shop worker was proud to inform us that there has been a black and white cat at the lighthouse for 100 years. A different cat over the years, we presume.
They had some great displays - old ships, the intricate lenses that the lighthouse has used, and restored buildings. None of it held a candle to the climb to the top of the lighthouse.
It should be understood that Kelsey does not like heights (hence her choice of me as a husband). Nevertheless, because a 9 year old boy asked her, she agreed to try to make it to the top - all 206 steps.
Round and round we went, up more flights of stairs than I could count. Kelsey trailed us, moaning softly and assuring us "I'm behind you....".Of course, we knew she was behind us, because we started first and the stairs were too narrow for her to have passed us without someone having been tossed inward and down lighthouse shaft.
While she was still climbing, the boys and I were walking around the top of the lighthouse, watching sail boarders in the Atlantic. You see her pictured below, laughing nervously at the top of the landing, wondering "How in the world am I going to get down?!?!?"
Before we headed down, however, we talked her into going out on the landing and see how far she'd climbed.
As you can tell by her grip on the door frame, she was thrilled to be there. Way to go, Kelsey!!!
4 comments:
We have had a similar experience at a scenic tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon. Cole and I are not fond of heights either. We got to the top, Cole took one look and had a panic attack. He was inconsolable until he was almost back on terra-firma. But when he got to the bottom and saw how many adults wouldn't even attempt it, he was pretty proud of himself!
Sounds like you are having a great time! You guys deserve a breather!
Thanks, Gayle! Yeah, I was pretty proud of her - especially when she actually went out on the upper deck!
It was only steps, but who was counting?
uh, me. you. and the kids.
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