The Secret Lives of Hoppers

Our intrepid author shares experiences visiting these historical wonders alongside her inspector husband.

ach time, it’s the same. Walking inside a cramped, narrow tower, we climb up a steep, spiraling blend of architecture and history. Our breaths, heaving on the precarious climb, E suddenly catch upon reaching our destination—especially if it’s a clear, blue-sky day. We’re stunned into silence, awed by the seagull’s-eye view of the ocean and surrounding area. Finally, we exhale. As lighthouse hoppers, we’ve “bagged” another. While I gaze out onto the 360-degree-span of ocean and land, snap- ping pictures, my husband is eyeballing ceilings, walls and floors for cracks and crevices like a hawk. Lighthouse hopping—a unique, nauti- cal hobby for me and many lighthouse lovers—has been, for the most part, my husband’s job. As a U.S. Coast Guard construction inspector for over 30 years, he oversees the surveying and inspections of vari- ous Coast Guard buildings and facilities—including the restorations of dotting the coastline throughout New England. Upon discovering his career, people immediately gush. “What a unique job!” they say. “You’re so lucky, going to the beach for work.” To which he quickly retorts, “You should try this job in January!”

BY KATHY SHIELS TULLY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CUTRONA

Lighthouse hoppers usually note the direction of a light’s spiral stair- case. ’s weaves clockwise.

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Nauset Light

Lighthouse characteristics to note Like lighthouses, hoppers vary. sible only by 4WD like Race Point, Hailing from around the world, some many are a scenic drive or bike ride, like are interested in the history or physical Light in Woods Hole/Falmouth, details, others merely for the view just steps off the road and a small park- upon reaching the summit. ing lot, or , with a large, Notebooks and pen in hand, gung-ho public parking lot across the street. “hoppers” log dates and details of each The experience of “summiting” a visit in their lighthouse journal: the architec- lighthouse varies. Light or dark? Stuffy ture; materials used in construction (wood, or breezy? Cool or steamy hot? It all brick, steel, etc.); date built; location; type depends. Does the top have all windows, to lighthouse, trying to collect as many Sweeping 360-degree vistas or targeted of light; history of the light and lighthouse like Highland Light or the Lighthouse as possible in a day like Martha’s porthole views? Race Point boasts vistas, keepers; whether they are open to the Inn’s ? If it does, you’re Vineyard Lighthouse Challenge, held while offers portholes. Bass River Light public; and if they have admission fees. rewarded with a blinding, 360-view. The each June (this year on June 11; for Location is one unique characteristic. porthole windows at Nauset, by contrast, more information go to www.mvy.com). My husband differs from hoppers in provide a cool, dark landing with targeted Photographers, whether amateur and Even though his job is unique, we has increasingly led the Coast Guard that, with some lights, he’s had to be views of the surrounding area and professional, love to capture these tow- helicoptered onto the island. Most hop- Atlantic. If it’s foggy, it doesn’t matter ers of history against sea and sky, the can’t ever seem to get away from it— to lease lighthouses to interested pub- pers have some transportation available how many windows there are. symmetry of the steep steel spiral stairs, even on our honeymoon. While driving lic groups, offloading the cost and re- to them. While some lights are acces- Some hoppers race from lighthouse and the exterior designs. Ireland’s Ring of Kerry 15 years ago, sponsibility for maintaining the public we stopped in Kinsale, a coastal village service. Like castles in Europe, they are in County Cork. Spotting the 17th cen- increasingly just historical attractions. tury Old Head of Kinsale, famous for Getting my husband to go hopping Hoppers we met along the way being the closest land point to the sink- like a pedestrian tourist isn’t always Meeting fellow hoppers—finding out see lighthouses!” Why Nauset? Benin- 10, and Lindsey, 7. “We’ve seen a lot of ing of the RMS Lusitania in 1915, we easy. “This is like going to work!” he where they’re from, what lighthouses gessner laughed, “I wanted to see a red lighthouses,” Paula said, planning to “hit made our way over, only to find out it grumbles. Last summer, I managed they’ve been to—is one of the things I lighthouse.” (Nauset’s top half is painted a couple more lights,” including Chatham, was roped off for reconstruction. “He to persuade him to layer a few light- like best. At Nauset Light, we met Curt nautical red, the bottom white.) Nauset, and Three Sisters. is a lighthouse inspector from Boston,” house hopping excursions onto various and Karen Nix of Shrevesport, Louisiana, At Nobska (painted solid, blinding But it was at Nobska, where we met I boasted to two construction work- Cape trips we had scheduled from June about 2,400 miles into their 17-day vaca- white), Megan Miller and Andrew Tappan, the youngest, most exuberant hopper of tion. They divulged their “strategy” for from D.C., denied being hoppers, then all, Mikala “Mia” Palumbo. A 2 ½-year-old ers. Next thing we knew, the rope was through October. Since he loves sharing hopping around the Cape. Curt drove, he started listing the lighthouses they’ve granddaughter of Sarah Joslin and David lifted and the four of us walked up the his knowledge of lighthouses, he was said, while Karen navigated, using The seen, together and separately—in places Bird, North Falmouth residents, Mia had stairs, the three men swapping techni- happy that interested friends or family Lighthouse Handbook: New England: as disparate as Chatham, St. Maarten, commanded her grandparents that morn- cal construction stories. would be along for some of the ride. The Original Lighthouse Field Guide by Ireland, Bermuda, Lake Erie and California. ing to take her to Nobska “now.” Intrigued Today’s technology—Long Range The tour began late June with a fam- Jeremy D’Entremont (Cider Mill Press Miller, a native, admitted by a limited print of Nobska, by local Cape Navigation (LORAN) and Global Po- ily reunion (mine) at the Lighthouse Book Publishers, 2008). At Nauset, we she’s visited lighthouses on the Cape artist Jan Collins Selman, hanging on her also met Kate Beningessner and Maude through Boston, saying, “It’s kind of what grandparent’s kitchen wall, Mia inquired sitioning System (GPS)—has rendered Inn in West Dennis, followed one week Paradis two young Canadian women you do when you live in New England.” constantly about Nobska, Joslin said, lighthouses obsolete. A strong sense by later with an overnight stay in Provinc- from Montreal, planning to surf, not hop. At Highland Light, we met the Myhres, “since she began talking.” Seeing her first some lighthouse lovers to preserve them etown, then various day trips through Architectural framing around a tower’s win- “But when in Cape Cod,” Beningessner a lighthouse-hopping family from Hudson, lighthouse up close, the toddler began as an integral part of America’s history the summer and fall with friends to dows is an important description to note. said in broken English, “you have to Wisconsin, including Karl and Paula, Erin, dancing around it with pure delight. PHOTOS KATHY SHIELS TULLY

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Hot Tubs • Massage Chairs • Saunas & More! hours, while we pleasantly sipped iced tea at the keeper’s kitchen table. Arctic Spas Cape Cod “I think my grandmother might 198 Rt. 28, West Harwich, MA have had the same table,” I interject 774-237-0123 • arcticspascapecod.com into animated conversation. Walker beams with pride. “Our goal is to make [the keeper’s house] feel lived in, not be a museum,” Walker says. Renovating and decorating the inte- rior of the keeper’s house, he tells us, is guided by one question only: “What would it have looked like in the mid- 50’s? That’s our goal.” At Race Point, trained volunteer keepers like Tom Miller insure the running and maintenance of both the light and keeper’s house. An enthusi- astic, 10-year veteran volunteer from Buck’s County, Pennsylvania, Miller Race Point is located in the dunes gives us, and all guests, a personal, of Provincetown, accessible only Visit our Harwich guided tour inside the 45-foot high, by a winding sandy path. Showroom Today! cast iron light built in 1876. Leading us through the beautifully Nauset, Three Sisters, Chatham, High- house lovers and master craftsmen visit, driving in from his Hyannis restored door, inside to the brick- land (Cape Cod) Light, and Nobska. to painstakingly restore this building home. Though they know of each oth- lined tower, My husband and I fol- to its current historically correct and er, Walker and my husband have never low Miller, carefully marching up RACE POINT LIGHT, comfortable status, preventing it from met. Within minutes—just like on our about 35–40 steep, spiraling narrow PROVINCETOWN destruction in 1996. honeymoon—the two men regale each stairs—I admit losing count—to the Customized We return to the Cape the following Instead of a chat over the phone, other with lighthouse tales only a few watch room with its picturesque, Investment weekend to drop off our daughters at Walker surprises us with a personal could appreciate. It went on for two porthole windows. From there, we a Girl Scout sleepover camp in Brews- climb several more, even steeper steps and ter, then race to Race Point Lighthouse up a ladder to a hatch door which in Provincetown where we’ll have our leads us into the lamp room. A tight Financial own one-night sleepover. Owned by space circling the optic lens centered Solutions the U. S. Coast Guard, Race Point is in the middle, it’s immediately clear leased by the Cape Cod Chapter of why most lighthouse tours only allow the American Lighthouse Federation a few people up at a time. (ALF). Billed as a “guest house,” Race One detail my husband always notic- Point is accessible only by a 2-mile es immediately is which way the stairs ADVISING HIGH NET WORTH CLIENTS for 25 YEARS drive by 4WD vehicle over a sandy spiral. The reason why some lights’ path through low-rolling dunes—un- stairs turn to the right, and others to less, of course, you want to walk. the left, perplexes him, however. His While booking our one-night reser- only guess? The stairs twist in a direc- vation, I blurted out my husband’s job, tion to afford the best views. hoping to get a chance to speak to Jim After noting Race Point stairs spiral Walker. Walker, a retired Coast Guard to the right, we reach the top where my general foreman, is a rock star in the husband notes the type of lens. Race William N. McKenna, CFP® H. Calvin Place, Jr., CFA® lighthouse community. His indefati- Point had a fourth order , President Managing Director gable passion and legendary knowl- A view of the lighthouse looms large in the windows of the four-wheel drive SUV that but replaced it with a 190 mm optic, a edge motivated many fellow light- transports lighthouse hoppers to its out-of-the-way location. modern-day plastic light, when the light Norwell, MA 781.792.0440 www.dfmwealth.com Stuart, FL 772.463.5373

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