Mizen Head, County Cork, Ireland

Established in 1909 the Mizen Head Fog Signal Station is not a lighthouse in the true sense of the word, but it is well worth a visit as it sits in a spectacular location and the visitors center is very well done. It is located in County Cork on Coghnane Island, joined to the mainland by a suspension footbridge. It is the most Southwesterly point in Ireland. The photos were taken when I visited in 2001. Thanks to Peter from Pete's Irish Lighthouses for jogging my memory about this one.

A Light in the Forest

While at Point Robinson, took this one through the trees and I like it so thought I would share... hope you enjoy...

Point Robinson Lighthouse, Vashon Island, Washington

The Point Robinson Light is located on Vashon Island, Washington along the shore of Puget Sound. The light was established in 1885 by the U.S. Lighthouse Service. The current lighthouse was built in 1915. The light was automated in 1978 but still uses the original Fresnel Lens. There are two restored keepers' houses on the property that can be rented through the Vashon Parks District. The photos were taken in January 2010.

Pattaya, Thailand

My son took these pictures for me on his recent visit to Thailand. This is a faux light that is in the resort area of Pattaya in Thailand. Pattaya is on the gulf of Thailand about 165 km South East of Bangkok. The sign has "lighthouse" written in Thai. The top photo shows an actual light in the channel just off of the faux one. Photos taken January 2010.

Smeaton's Tower, Plymouth, England

Another light that I photographed in September 1996 is Smeaton's Tower in Plymouth, England. This tower was originally the Eddystone Lighthouse and was built in 1759. It has been inactive since 1882 when it was replaced by the new Eddystone Lighthouse. Two-thirds of the original tower was saved and reassembled in Plymouth where it sits today. It is located in a park, the Plymouth Hoe, overlooking the town. You will note that in my photos the lantern portion of the tower is red, however it has since been painted white.

Roses Lighthouse, Roses, Spain

It is amazing what one finds when going through old photo albums. Here is a photograph that I took in September 1996 of the lighthouse at Roses, Spain. Roses is located in the Catalonia Region in Northeast Spain near the border with France. The lighthouse was built in 1864 during the reign of Queen Isabella II. The light sits atop the keeper's house and overlooks the Bay of Roses on the Mediterranean Sea. It is 3 km Southeast of Roses. It is also possibly known as Punta de la Bateria or Punta Blancals (per Lighthouse Directory).

Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon

While going through some old travel pictures, I came across this one shot of the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon. It is a bit of a distant view, taken on a misty morning. I intend to visit this light again in 2010 and take some better photos. The light was established in 1894. It is located North of Florence, Oregon. Photo was taken in 2005.

Happy New Year

Well 2010 is upon us and we look forward to new adventures. I am hoping to add lots of lights to my blog in 2010, especially in Southern B.C., Washington and Oregon. And who knows where else our wanderlust will take us this year. I was actually going to head out to Point Robinson on Vashon Island near Seattle last weekend until the skys opened.

I have also started to post some photos on flickr and have found a Lighthouse Lovers group there that has some fantastic photos and is giving me inspiration.

The group is at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lighthouselovers/

My photos are posted under Neal D and have a better resolution than those on my blog.

Cheers all and I wish you all the best in 2010.