During my visits to the Outer Banks, I have always stayed at the most northern area, namely Corolla. Considering that the Currituck Beach Light Station is the Northernmost Lighthouse and the Cape Lookout Light Station is the Southermost Lighthouse this was quite a trip within a trip. There are approximately 40 miles between each of the five Lighthouses along North Carolina's Outer Banks. Four of them easily reachable within a day's visit, but I had never been to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. During this trip in summer of 2003, it was my goal.
All Ferry arrangements were made in advance and we left Corolla at 7:00 a.m. the morning of July 8, 2003. I had planned to take sunrise pictures and sunset pictures, but found out that the Ferry only transports passengers to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse between the hours of 1:30 p. m. and everyone is transported off of the Island where Cape Lookout Lighthouse is located at 5:00 p.m. I was disappointed, but at that time had no idea what I had in store for me.
I have always enjoyed the drive from Corolla along the Outer Banks through Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, catching 40 minute Ferry ride to the Island of Ocracoke, but now the new experiences began. We made it just in time to catch our scheduled Ferry to Cedar Island. This is a 2 hour and 45 minute Ferry ride and a paid one. There were only two cars on this Ferry at the time of the day that we were traveling. It was a gorgeous sunny day, very hot, but the wind from the Ocean and the air conditioned lounge helped. I was forever checking on my three small dogs I left under the Ferry's roof in the shade and carrying them water. They traveled fine. We finally reached Cedar Island and stayed at a Motel just to the left of the Ferry Station. As soon as we had arrived and I stepped foot on that place, it was if I was transported into a different world. It was.
Photograph © Bill Gaertner |
If you look very carefully in the front of this Calendar of gorgeous pictures of the Outer Banks, there is a small picture of Bill Gaertner. The description says, "Enchanted with the fragile beauty and timelessness of the Outer Banks, Bill Gaertner has photographyed and designed this Millenium calendar. Althought he won first place in North American competition for his 1999 calendar, he professes that he can only tounch and never truly capture the beauty of this unique area. "The Outer Banks is one of God's gifts to man that must be preserved and shared by all." |
Location: CORE BANKS / CAPE LOOKOUT
Nearest City: BEAUFORT
County: CARTERET
U.S.C.G. District: 5
Year Station Established: 1812
Existing Historic Tower:
Year Light First Lit: 1859
Is the Light Operational? YES
Automated: 1950
Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS/DRESSED STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Markings/Patterns: B/W DIAGONALLY CHECKERED W/BLACK LANTERN
Shape: CONICAL
Relationship to Other Structures: SEPARATE
Tower Height: 169
Original Optic: FIRST ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Original Lens Installed: 1859
Present Optic: DCB-24
Height of Focal Plane: 156
Fresnel Lens Disposition: ORIG. FIRST ORDER LENS TRANSFERRED TO BLOCK ISLAND SOUTHEAST LIGHT
Has tower been moved? NO
Previous Tower(s):
1. Construction Date: 1812
Description: BRICK TOWER INSIDE WOOD FRAME BUILDING, EXTERIOR SHINGLED AND PAINTED WITH RED AND WHITE STRIPES
Fate/Disposition:
Modern Tower? NO
Existing Sound Signal Building? NO
Existing Keepers Quarters? YES
Year Constructed: 1873
Number of Stories: 2
Architectural Style:
Construction Materials: BRICK
