Lighthouses along the Massachusetts Coast

Posted on August 22, 2013August 22, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I ran around trying to get pictures of lighthouses last summer. I had it in my head that the best lighthouses to photograph were in Maine. It was a fun trip and I got some beautiful shots but I overlooked the fact that there are 16 lighthouses just on Cape Cod. Cape Cod is a day trip for me and what about the rest of the Massachusetts Coast?

Boston Harbor Cruises offers 2 Lighthouse Cruises, a “northern” and a “southern”. Of course they are always on a Saturday night so I haven’t had the chance to take either. But this year I haven’t been looking for lighthouses. I’ve been chasing whales and seals and in process look what I’ve seen!

Gurnet Light

This has been my nemesis of a light since I heard of it. The Lighthouse is not open to the pubic and is accessible only by four- wheel- drive vehicles from Duxbury Beach. But even if you have a four- wheel -drive, which I do not, the road is not open to the public either.

If you want to hike it, which I have considered, it’s only about 5 miles each way. (With camera gear I’d rather not) The other option is from the water but I don’t have a boat so I was thrilled to pass right by it on Captain John’s Whale Watch trip.

Bug Light AKA Duxbury Pier Light

Seems like there are “Bug” Lights everywhere. They refer to little lighthouses, many are “spark plug” like in shape but most also have a real name like this one. Although known as “Bug Light” it’s real name is Duxbury Pier Light. It was built in 1871 on the north side of the main channel in Plymouth Harbor to mark the dangerous shoal off Saquish Head. It was the first so-called spark plug lighthouse in the US.

To really appreciate this spark plug of a light you need to read The Keeper of Bug Light http://www.buglight.org/Harry%20Salter%20Buglight.pdf It’s an easy read and very interesting.

`Let’s take a quick swing down to Chatham on Cape Cod. As I looked at the seal colony we cruised past Chatham Lighthouse with Lighthouse beach in front. (If I ever do a Cape Cod series you’ll see this one again.)

Today, the former keeper’s house is an active U.S. Coast Guard station, with on-duty personnel living quarters. Search and Rescue, maritime law enforcement, and Homeland Security missions are carried out here. Flotilla 11-01 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary operates from this station.

This is located right on Main St so it’s easy to get to unlike some of the other’s mentioned here. Lets take a look at a couple more in my next post.

They That Go Down to The Sea In Ships

Posted on August 20, 2013August 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

About a week ago I found myself with some time on my hands and a beautiful late summer day. Yes, I say late summer because the heat of July was gone and there was a freshness to the air.

As I thought about my options I got the urge to take a drive to Gloucester. I spent many happy hours scuba diving in Gloucester waters when I first moved to Massachusetts. As I moved farther and farther south my jaunts to the Cape Ann area became less and less. Just as I never went to Cape Cod when I lived north of Boston I now avoid the traffic that makes a northbound trip to Cape Ann so difficult.

But this day I felt adventurous so about 11 am I headed out to make the drive north. The fates must have agreed with my decision because there was no traffic and I made excellent time.

The closer I got to Gloucester the more nostalgic I became. I passed the exit to Folly Cove, one of my old dive spots and crossed the bridge over the Annisquam River, a tidal, salt-water estuary.

Eventually I found myself driving along the harbor following the long, narrow Stacy Esplanade. There ahead of me was the symbol of Gloucester, a memorial to all those thousands of Gloucester fisherman lost at sea in the first three centuries of Gloucester’s history.

The Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial is an eight foot tall bronze statue of a fisherman dressed in oilskins braced at the wheel of his ship.

The deck is sloping, his face rugged. The statue rests on a granite base. A small plaque on the north or street facing side of the base reads “MEMORIAL TO THE GLOUCESTER FISHERMAN, August 23,1923”

On the front or harbor-facing side is the inscription from the 107th Psalm which reads:

I have seen this statue many times over the years and in between I’ve seen many photos, yet it never fails to move me. It speaks to the hugeness of the ocean and the smallness of man who dares to brave its vastness as well as memorialize those that set sail never to return.

Wave Bye Bye

Posted on August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 by Dusty Roads

National Monument to the Forefathers

Posted on August 12, 2013August 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

What do you think of when someone says Plymouth, MA? I bet Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower come to mind right away. Maybe you think of Pilgrims and Plimouth Plantation. But I wonder if you knew that Plymouth is also home to the world’s largest solid granite monument,the third-tallest statue in the United States?

As you follow RT 44 into Plymouth there’s a little sign pointing to the National Monument to the Forefathers. I have driven by that sign so many times that I’ve lost count. Every time I drive by I say to myself, “I need to check that out sometime.” but I never seem to take the time. Sometimes fate has to take a hand.

The other night I was heading home just about dusk. As I started up RT 44 I ran into a detour for road construction. The detour routed traffic down Allerton St. As I followed the detour signs I turned a corner and my mouth dropped. I was glad I had the camera with me because I was looking at a huge statue. I had no idea the National Monument to the Forefathers was so impressive. I walked up to take a closer look.

The monument, which faces northeast to Plymouth Harbor (and, roughly, towards Plymouth, England), sits in the center of a circular drive. On the main pedestal stands the heroic figure of “Faith” with her right hand pointing toward heaven and her left hand clutching the Bible. Counter-clockwise from the feet of “Faith” are Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty. Each was carved from a solid block of granite, posed in the sitting position upon chairs with a high relief on either side of minor characteristics. Under “Morality” stand “Prophet” and “Evangelist”; under “Law” stand “Justice” and “Mercy”; under “Education” are “Youth” and “Wisdom”; and under “Liberty” stand “Tyranny Overthrown” and “Peace”.

As I explored this colossus and its little park, more and more cars pulled up and stopped. I bet there were more people visiting the monument thanks to the detour than normally visit all summer!