St Augustine FL – Arrival on 10-21-22
Thank goodness we arrived at the St Augustine Elks Lodge by 1pm. Reservations were REQUIRED! Luckily, people there let us know and told us to quickly go online since there were 2 or 3 spots still available. We took site #2. After getting settled we decided to check out the St Augustine Lighthouse that was only a couple miles from the Elks Lodge.
A ticket to go inside and up the stairs of the lighthouse, tour the keepers’ home was $12.95 for seniors. The lighthouse is 165 feet tall with 219 steps and 8 landings. Seems like each lighthouse we visit is more amazing. This lighthouse was the most amazing one we’ve seen on our trip. It began with a grand granite entrance.
The Keeper’s office was extremely roomy. Various tools of the trade were on display including a huge, two-person wrench!
70% of the Keeper’s time consisted of care of the lens, lamps, reflectors and standing watch. The reflector cleaning was a constant job. Smoke from a faulty wick would cover a reflector requiring it to be cleaned – no matter the time of day or night!
Additional room with storage. There was an opportunity to lift a 25-lb bucket equivalent to the bucket of heated oil that the keeper had to carry up 219 stairs to keep the light lit!
The tower was absolutely beautiful inside! It was so spacious compared to others we have climbed. I felt an elegance in its design.
The spiral, wedge-shaped steps had a larger surface area for more secure footing going up and down. Since I can be a bit of a klutz at times, I really appreciated that! Two-way traffic was easily managed with the frequent landings. (It also was easier for people needing longer to ascend or descend the 219 steps.) I’m sure everyone appreciated the openness within the tower and the ample light and “breathing room” it had.
Looking upward:
UP we go! I enjoyed the information and graphics in blue on the various landings on the way up the 219 steps.
View of the Keepers’ Homes from a window of the Lighthouse.
The views were awesome.
Before converting the light to an electric bulb, it took 3 keepers to keep the light going and maintain the lighthouse and grounds. Therefore, there were two assistant keeper homes, and one head keeper’s home.
The head keeper’s home, was the largest and nicest we have seen. While this duty was hard work for the entire family, this was an awesome location for it!
And some history on local shrimping:
