We'll leave the light on for ya.

One of the first things I looked into when I moved back to North Carolina was the location of the lighthouses. I am not sure if there is a "lighthouse gene" or not, or if it is just that there have always been pictures of lighthouses around the house as long as I can remember. Either way I find that fascinating despite never really ever going near any of them. Event 4 or 5 years ago I was contemplating taking a long vacation to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina and see the light houses. Now that I live here, there's nothing holding me back! Imagine my delight when I found that there are actually a couple of them within a short drive (or ferry ride) of me! For the record we will all agree that there are 7 lighthouses in North Carolina. Depending on how you define "Lighthouse" that number can be 8, 9, 10, 13 or even close to 20. Some of those "lighthouses" though would be extremely boring and almost impossible to visit since they're basically steel platforms a few miles offshore. Some of the lighthouses are barely standing and a few are simply the remaining foundations of long ago destroyed lighthouses. For now lets just go with the basic 7 light houses, from South to North: Oak Island Bald head Island ("Old Baldy") Cape Lookout Okracoke Cape Hatteras Bodie Island Currituck Beach The first two are just south of me and were the obvious choice to my first visits. I am quite fortunate in the case of Oak Island, as it has only recently been opened to the public. Up until roughly a year ago you could walk up to it but no go inside. in 2007 the US Coast Guard turned the lighthouse over to Oak Island and they now open it a couple of days a week for tours to the first level. Even better, with advance notice, you can get a tour guide to lead you to the top of the lighthouse. This past weekend a tour group fro Wilmington was going to drive to Oak Island to climb the lighthouse and then over to Southport, a neighboring touristy town. Since my mother shares my lighthouse fascination (or perhaps I inherited it from her?) she and I both went along on the trip. We rode over on the short bus (stop laughing!) and the trip took maybe an hour or so. When we unloaded from the bus you realize that you are parked right beside the lighthouse and it's absolutely huge. I guess I assumed we'd be parking a ways away and hiking to it, but it's mere feet off the road and easily accessible.Please note for the record that in this picture I am wearing a hat. Please also note the overcast skies in the background in this picture:I had been checking the weather the week leading up to our trip and saw there was a chance of rain. If the weather got bad we might not be allowed to climb. If there is lightening in the area, no one is allowed inside the lighthouse. Let's face it, it's the tallest thing in the area, has a big chunk of metal on top and metal ladders running from the top to the bottom. That's a recipe for crispy tourists. Luckily we didn't get rain. Unluckily, we got wind. Lots of it. The following is the list of requirements and warnings from an email for our climb: Weather permitting (we can not climb if there is lightning in the area). Everyone climbing the tower is required to sign waivers. Parents are required to sign for those under the age of 16. Climbers must be at least 10 years old. Sneakers or similar closed toe, rubber sole shoes are REQUIRED - absolutely NO sandals or flip-flops. Climbers are required to have both hands free for climbing due to the steepness of our steps. Cameras/video recorders are encouraged but must be in a back/fanny-pack or fit in a pocket/on a belt (both hands must be free). In addition we wound up signing 3 different wavers and releases on the trip. I am sure, like me, you were wondering what the heck is up with all these rules. Well, Oak Island Lighthouse is unlike most any other lighthouse out there. Getting to the top is an adventure in itself. There are no steps going up, but ladders. Even more nerve wracking is that you can see all the way from the top to the bottom (and from the bottom to the top). I took lots of pictures inside, but the flash reason doesn't do much for you in a 150 foot tall tube.Go to the Oak Island Lighthouse website and see their pictures.With our group of 16 people, only about 12 opted to climb the lighthouse. After the first few sets of 17 rung "flights" the number had dwindled to about 8. No one had fallen, they just decided for one reason or another not to continue. I pushed on. I am glad I did.Looking west down the Oak Island coastThe "back" side of Oak Island and the marshes on the sound sideNotice I am no longer wearing a hat. By the time I had climbed half way up I could tell my the sound of the wind that there's no way I'd be able to wear my hat up there. I was right. The wind was blowing steady at roughly 40 miles an hour. Our guide said it was the strongest wind he'd ever seen up there. I guess I'll need to go back one day when there isn't gale force winds! You may be wondering about the white circle over my shoulder. That's not my hat blowing away in the distance. That's "Old Baldy" which will be the next lighthouse I visit. I know it doesn't look like a lighthouse. Here's a better picture, but the overcast skies just make it tough to see. If you click on the picture it may be easier to see.My next post should be my afternoon in Southport and the walking History/Ghost tour of town. For those keeping score at home, that's 1 down, 6 to go!