| When a sailor today wants to know where he is at on a dark, storm-tossed night, he flips on a little box called a GPS receiver that quickly interacts with signals from satellites - and yields an almost instant fix. We take this navigational aid for granted, concerned only that our batteries will last. So who needs a lighthouse today? |
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"I'm the keeper of the light Warren Nelson |
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| Over the years, I've taken
many guests to "Riding The Wind" at the
Big Top Chautauqua.
As one of those who has trouble keeping a tear out of the eye when Warren starts the song "Keeper of the Light," I find it interesting to see what that song means to those who are hearing it for the first time. Lighthouses have a great attraction us. We may not need them for navigation, but we do need them for insights into our history, and as reminders of our heritage. Lighthouses simply have a romantic appeal. |
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Of the six Apostle Island lighthouses, Raspberry Island Light is the most popular to visit, mostly because it has a great dock, a central location, and is a scheduled stop of the cruise boats. Of course a boat is needed to gain access to any of the Apostle island lights. But by boat - if it is a sail boat with even modest draft - just getting close enough to several of the lights to see and visit is a chore of "anchor out/pray the wind doesn't shift/take the dingy in." The National Park Service site has super information on each of the lights - as you may have found already if you clicked on the three lighthouse images featured above. In our more "romantic" moments, more than a few of us would jump at the chance to stay at a lighthouse. You know, like for a weekend with someone special. None of the Apostle Island lighthouses offer that kind of thing. Which is a good thing considering most of us are fond of real bathrooms instead of outhouses. Even in our songs we give a romantic tone to what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper - or the wife of a lighthouse keeper. The reality is that it was a lonely, and often dangerous life. Good
friend/historian/webmaster Bob Mackreth, has posted some great stories on the NPS site in
the Apostle Islands Scrapbook section. This would be a good time for you to click over to
their site to read Just remember to return to this site later! |
More lighthouse sites on the WWW.
| * In 1998 PBS started a very well done series called Legendary Lighthouses and published a bunch of neat stuff, including a selection of photos, on their site. |
