My Mind's Eye

Remember your Angels are Watching

Monday, July 25, 2011

OAK ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE VACATION PICS #3

Visitors to Oak Island Lighthouse do not have inside access.
Since Mom could not get a picture from the top of the lighthouse,
she decided to take a picture of the top of me, which is very odd. I think all the hot weather is getting to Mom's gray matter. MOL We hope you enjoy the last (I hear a collective sigh of joy from all of you) of the peeps vacation pictures.




Oak Island Lighthouse was built in 1958. It was one of the last lighthouses built in America and the last manually operated one in the world.   This sign sits at the base of the lighthouse. The base was anchored 70' below the ground to make it strong enough to support
the 169' tower.No tours of the interior of Oak Island. 


 It was illuminated for the first time on May 15, 1958. Marine helicopters were needed to put the lamp in place.
The tower is made of eight-inch-thick reinforced concrete.
The black and white paint gives it very distinctive markings.
The paint was mixed with concrete so that the lighthouse would never need repainting.  The lighthouse is in a
 Coast Guard compound.  The Coast Guard oversees the light tower.  One person climbs the 134 steps weekly to inspect the lights.
 I took the below picture of Oak Island Lighthouse from the Bald Island Lighthouse ferry...amazingly...I had no idea I snapped just as the beaconlight flashed, it was my lucky day for sure.  The tower houses four thousand-watt aerobeam lights which flash intermittently and can be seen 24 miles out to sea.  With its 2,500,000 candlepower Oak Island is one of the most powerful lighthouses in the world. It is switched on manually each evening from the base of the tower and switched off each morning.

Tours of the lighthouse are offered to the public by appointment.
 I took this picture from Oak Island looking toward Bald Head
if you look closely at this picture a little over 1/2 way to the left
you'll see Bald Head Island Lighthouse.
 This stretch of beach is behind the Coast Gaurd Compound.
Nothing but beautiful sand and sea.
Thanks for stopping by to take a tour of this historic lighthouse.

27 comments:

  1. I lived in NC many years but never made it out to the Outer Banks! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!!

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  2. That one is very young as lighthouses go but it's still very cool. Too bad you couldn't tour it. I love your photos of the beach grasses and ocean.

    Miss Madi, you have a lovely top!

    Hugs & Purrs,
    J, Cindi Lou and The Krew

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  3. The beach looks so inviting to run around! Love you you Madi, Miss Mindy

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  4. Are you kidding me? No no....the end of your vacation photos already? I gotta go view your other posts that I've missed.

    I do, I do so love lighthouses. In fact, I'm gonna post about Lydia Ann on my Watery Wednesday post this week.

    Love the pictures...Wish they'd allow tours.

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  5. PS....oh my goodness...that chapel and the photos you've shared in the post below----awe inspiring, and oh so beautiful. I like it, a lot!!!

    By the way Madi, I like your top side. hehehehe

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  6. Very cool, thanks for sharing the holiday pics! We love the first beach shot, the one with the bit of railing, the most -- nice!

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  7. Very neat lighthouse. Love the beach grass photo!

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  8. Yay!!! I love lighthouse picture. and the picture of the top of you, Madi, is wonderful as well.

    Have a great day.

    pawhugs, Max

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  9. The lighthouse, the hubby and I were all born that year!

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  10. You had a wonderful vacation, for sure. Quite a contrast in the two lighthouses, the one so old, and the one so new. I enjoyed seeing both. And, Madi, I enjoyed the top view of you, too.

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  11. Wow....I never saw a light house made out of concrete before. Quite amazing. Thank you for the tour!

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  12. These are great! I love lighthouses.

    Madi--I am a little worried about Mom taking pictures above you like that. Please keep an eye on her--won't you?

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  13. That would be SO awesome to see! Thanks for sharing....

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  14. Woof! Woof! Very Nice and Golden Thanks for sharing. Happy MONDAY! Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  15. I love that you got the beacon light in the shot!!!

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  16. I love those pictures! I wish I was sitting on that beach right now looking at it...I love the beach very much!! Lots of love, Debbie & Holly

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  17. Delightful images of the lighthouse. Tell Madi to chill.... no grey matter is leaking.

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  18. Our Daddy loves lighthouses! And Mommy loved the top o'Madi!

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  19. I'm very surprised that in this time of automated-everything, the light is turned off & on manually. And whoever thought to color the concrete so it would never need repainting is as GENIUS!! I never tire of looking at photos of simply Sand & Sea. Beautiful!

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  20. Mommy is sad that you ran out of photos. But glad that she don't haf to climb 134 steps weekly! We like the pic of the top of Madi! xoxo

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  21. I have absolutely LOVED the lighthouse vacation trip reports!! Lighthouses are one of the big reasons I miss living by an ocean! Being from NJ I took them for granted.

    Too cool that you got a picture of the lighthouse lit!!

    Smileys!
    Dory, Jakey and Bilbo (Mostly Beth-the Mama)

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  22. Ohh I can smell that salt air... love the lighthouse!! I'm missing the beach..

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  23. Madi
    That was a very neat lighthouse and the beach looks so inviting.
    purrs
    >^,,^<
    ♥Abby♥

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  24. Bawhahahaha! Love that picture of the top of you, but I think you are right, the heat may be getting to your mom. The heat is getting to my mom, too. She was walking down the street today and a bike ran into her - seriously! She claims the bike ran into her, but I think she maybe ran into the bike. Don't worry she wasn't hurt just embarrassed!

    That foggy picture of the lighthouse with the light is amazing! Reminds me of a shot in an old movie. Oh and we ALWAYS love pictures of the beach! I can almost hear the sounds of the waves.

    Your pal, Pip

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  25. Madi the Mom's use any excuse to get pictures of us as a picture was taken when I was hiding under the bed. It is their way of saying they love us.

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  26. That's a great lighthouse! We have a lighthouse on our island. Maybe we should get our mom to take a picture of it.

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  27. We have enjoyed seeing the holiday pics. The lighthouse is a lot taller and thinner than the ones near us.

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Please leave a meow or bark for Angel Madi...her assistant (aka Mom) will respond in a timely fashion. =^..^=
Life is short, spend it with those who make you laugh
“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” (Leo F. Buscaglia)
TONS OF HUGS
Cecilia and Angel Madi
Email: candb214@att.net