Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Click any picture to enlarge, Photo heavy Blog.

Road trip over to Ponce Inlet, Florida.  Our goal was to do some bike riding and go to the Ponce De Leon Lighthouse. We made the Lighthouse our first stop, there are eight different buildings plus the lighthouse to visit. Each is filled with different displays telling the history of the area, the light and the U.S.L.H.S., U.S. Lighthouse Service, had never hears of this service before, turns out that it was absorbed by the Coast Guard right before WW I. There is a 20 minute film that covers the history of the Lighthouse, after that we spent probably an hour and a half exploring the museum. Of course here are a few pictures.

First thing you do is face the challenge head on and look up to see your goal.

Just a little over half way up we decided to take a little break.

As we were taking our break  this is the sign that they have on the wall for you to read.  Not very encouraging is it.

203 steps later and we were out on the observation deck.

As close as you can get to the light.

View of the Inlet

Don't look Down.

Take a look at the little ledge right below the railing, about 15 feet down. It will come up again in a story later.

After our climb down the same 203 steps our rubbery legs took us over to the Lens Exhibit Building, other then the view from the top of the lighthouse this was our favorite building.

Part of the display of lenses.

The restorers here at the museum are considered the foremost experts on Fresnel lens restoration in the world.

This was a very small bulb in this lens but it was very blinding to look at.

This is the story involving the ledge at the top of the lighthouse

A few other interesting things we found there.

Ninety miles of open sea in one of these.

Old time fire extinguisher.

After that we unloaded the tandem and started out riding down the coast, about three miles down the path the wind changed and the fog started rolling in so we cut it short and called it a day.

The fog rolls in fast.

The dread Pirate Roberts protecting a parking lot.

War Memorial.