Stop #1 on My Lighthouse Travels

I love lighthouses and throughout my life have visited many of them. I have always wanted to spend a summer being a volunteer lighthouse keeper...but alas...it does not ever seem to happen. Yaquina Head (Yakina Head) lighthouse is one of the first I ever visited on the west coast of the United States and I loved it. I have actually been there twice. Once with some friends when I was in college at Whitman in Walla Walla, and once with my daughter and Amanda and her family. Both times I loved this place. It is my dream lighthouse. Oregon's Tallest Lighthouse is Yaquina Head. This lighthouse is one of the most-visited on the west coast with over 400,000 visitors each year. when it was being built it took approximately one year, and over 370,000 bricks from San Francisco, to construct Yaquina Head, also known as Cape Foulweather Lighthouse. There was trouble with the lighthouse from the very beginning. Construction work began in the fall of 1871 but was often delayed due to the horrendous Oregon winter. Boats bringing materials often had difficulty landing in a cove on the south side of the head. Two boats were overturned and lost all their cargo. The lighting of the first Fresnel lens was delayed for almost two years due to parts being lost in transit. The light has since been active since Head Keeper Fayette Crosby walked up the 114 steps, to light the wicks on the evening of August 20th, 1873. During early times the oil burning white light was visible from sunset to sunrise. The light was automated in 1966. The original 1873 lens is still in place, but now it is illuminated by an electric 1,000 watt globe that generates over 130,000 candlepower. This lighthouse has a signature ….that is the light shines two seconds on, two seconds off, two seconds on, then 14 seconds off. The lighthouse has been renovated and has a new "old look." The purpose of the renovation project was to restore its 1873 appearance. More restoration work is planned. This particular lighthouse was used as the setting for the "Moesko Island Lighthouse" in the 2002 film The Ring. It also appeared in Dead Man's Curve (1998), Hysterical (1983) and Nancy Drew: Pirates Cove (1977). If you like lighthouses as much as I do I would encourage you to check this one out. She really is a beauty standing up so straight and tall against the Oregan skyline. But...don't just take my word for it....go check her out yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed....and BTW...while you are there head south and check out the sea lion caves and Heceta Head lighthouse. Another beauty...especially at sunset.