Thursday, Sept 21, 2017 (Oregon)

Cape Blanco State Park

After lunch we hit the trail over to the Cape Blanco lighthouse. We knew this particular lighthouse was one that we could go to the top of. It was well staffed with volunteers, and we heard a brief overview of history from a greeter as we approached the property; some detailed history from the ‘historian’ volunteer, who described what life was like for the three families living at the tip of the cape, the men taking turns working the lighthouse at night, and farming their own land during the day. And we heard still more information from the volunteer on the ground floor inside the lighthouse who described the work the men did in the lighthouse itself (including keeping it ‘white-glove-inspection-clean’), and then finally from her husband at the top who told us the history of and some fun facts about the lens itself (made in Paris in 1870) and the light’s signature signal. Afterward, we bought a Christmas tree ornament at the gift shop depicting the Cape Blanco lighthouse.