After saying my good-byes to my new friends from the Road Scholar/Elderhostel program, I made my way back through Chincoteague to Assateague Island to ascend the 198 steps to the top of the 154 foot lighthouse built in 1867. It was electrified in 1933 and its beacon is visible for 19 miles.
At the end of the trail stood the sturdy light but I didn't realize that there was a separate entrance fee and I had left all but my camera and binoculars in the car! So, back I went down the 1/4 mile trail....and back again to pay the $3 or 4 fee. Rule#6 is now...always squirrel away $20 somewhere even if you don't think you will need any money! Short on time, I'm certainly glad it wasn't a mile hike each way!
The internal brickwork was some of the nicest that I have seen in a lighthouse! It is said that 500,000 bricks were brought in from Philadelphia in the 1860's.
The stairwell was quite spacious all the way up, never narrowing! A sign said that the inside walls were vertical and that the outside walls sloped inward (it is usually the opposite)!
The windows all had curved alcoves, unfortunately the lighting in this photo does not show the true beauty of it's interior.
198 steps and several minutes later I had reached the top! This is the view to the southwest, the Assateague Channel separating Assateague Island from Chincoteague Island. The beach we went to earlier in the day on Wallops Island is at the south end, and the sunset kayak trip started on Chincoteague and was visible from here!
Here is the view to the North West, with the Assateague Channel still in view. Our sunset paddle ended somewhere to the north of here.
This was the only view I could get in the eastern direction of the Atlantic Ocean. A swarm of 100+ wasps prevented me from venturing any further!
Safely down the steps without incident, I took the trail (once again) back to the parking lot in search of just 1 more adventure before making my way back home.
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