This past weekend we took a 45-minute drive to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The 3.2-mile Wildlife Nature Loop there is closed to vehicle traffic until 3 pm daily. It's a perfect place to walk or bike ride; we did both. And, it's best to go now before hot, humid weather arrives along with MANY mosquitoes and summer tourists.
Daily operation is overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard. The 142-foot lighthouse replaced a 45-foot lighthouse. That one was built in 1833 as there was no guiding light in a stretch along the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. As coastal commerce increased so did shipwrecks on shoals along the Delaware and Virginia coastlines.
Congress allocated $50,000 for a new lighthouse in 1860. Construction began but was delayed by the Civil War and completed in 1867 after the war ended. The taller brick lighthouse was conical and made of red brick. Its alternating bands of red and white were painted in 1968.
The first light was an oil-burning, fixed Fresnel lens visible for up to 18 miles. In 1933, electricity replaced oil and three 100-watt bulbs were placed inside the Fresnel lens. Twin rotating lights flash one after the other from a height of 154 feet above sea level.
In 2013, the lighthouse closed several months for a much needed $1.5 million restoration. This before photo was taken during a June 2007 visit.
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It reopened in early fall of 2013. The top of the lighthouse is accessible April through November for visitors to climb to the lens tower by way of a cast iron staircase.
These lighthouse fun shots (double and fractured) were shot straight out of the camera (SOOC) with special effects in my Olympus Tough TG-2, an all-weather point and shoot digital camera.
20 comments:
i like the unrestored photo better. beautiful lighthouse and those landscape photos are Awesome
thanks for the card and well wishes, got it yesterday..
Nice restoration, and I like the pano. Mosquitoes are crazy here already.
My favorite is the panorama shot. Don't see much wildlife in the wildlife area. Is it mostly birds? I chuckled when I read that Sandra likes the unrestored lighthouse photo best. The newly painted one looks a bit too perfect and needs some weathering, but the unrestored one looks really dumpy to me.
Hello there, great photos and always love the ones of the two of you :) Great panoramic shot too and neat effects. The last time we were here was in 2013 and the path to the lighthouse was blocked off. I look forward to the next visit so that we can take a look. Did you see any horses?
We love to visit there although we have not been there since the lighthouse re-opened. We'll try to make it this fall.
It looks like a lovely spot. We went to the metro parks here to walk the trails a couple of days ago. I thought it was too early for mosquitoes yet. I found out very quickly that it wasn't!!
Beautiful images of the NWR and the lighthouse. They did a great job on the restoration. You totally had my interest peaked with that waterproof camera. I've been looking for one to kayak with!
They did a great job with the lighthouse restoration.
Gorgeous shots of the NWR. The lighthouse looks much improved!
Beautiful place to visit! I like the Lighthouse, before and after both. Very cool. Sorry I missed your call, I'm still sick with a sinus infection.
That place look very much like it does around the lake here and even if it's fresh water in the lake there's just as many mosquitoes :-)
There's something special with lighthouses! I loved sailing close to them when I had my boat and sometimes stop for a while too. Lots of seagulls though and it's best to keep a distance to them, they do aim very good :-)
Have a great day!
Christer.
What a great place for walking and riding. The lighthouse looks great after its makeover.
What a lovely wetland. I just got a 3ft. solar lighthouse for my garden. Had to have it when I saw it.
Nice pictures ... and a nice, happy one of the two of you !
What a change that reno made! Beautiful! Our daughter, Greta, camps somewhere near there each summer with her hubby's family. Beautiful (and fun) shots you posted today. You have such a good time with that camera, Dorothy =)
Nice pictures! You always seem to have a good time together.
I like the untouched...SOOC...pic better too. Did you take your own selfies? ...:)JP
It's so generous of you to take us all with you on your travels! I feel like I'm really there via your spectacular photos.
Thank you : )
Lovely place to visit! The lighthouse is a real beauty.
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