September 19, 2011

It has been about 15 years since we saw the Portland Head Lighthouse. Maybe we should say we visited the lighthouse 15 years ago but the fog was so thick that we didn’t get a good look at it! Today was a beautiful day and the air was so clear that we see the Portland Head Lighthouse and three other lighthouses from the same spot. One, Halfway Rock Lighthouse, stands 10 miles out in Casco Bay. (Pictured is the Portland Head Lighthouse with the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse on the right.)

The Portland Head Lighthouse sits in Fort Williams Park which played a major role in defending the US during WWI and WWII. Fort Williams was established in 1872. Over the years 12 inch guns were added that could fire upon enemy ships up to 25 miles out to sea. There were several other fortifications around the harbor that added security to the area.

Just down the coast is a little eatery called Two Lights Lobster Shack. It gets its name from the two lighthouses that sit on the hill above the coast. The location offers some of the best views of the coast in the area. The Lobster Shack is very popular with the locals and tourists.

The rocks in this area look like petrified wood and are stacked up like giant logs. The cliffs are 40-100 feet tall with endless pounding waves.

Lighthouses in the Portland area are a lot smaller than the ones around the Great Lakes. This is the Spring Point Lighthouse in South Portland. It is 54 feet tall and is referred to as the “spark plug”.

Dinner tonight was at Becky’s in downtown Portland. Becky’s was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives a few years ago. The shrimp and scallops, along with the coconut cream pie, were quite tasty.

Tomorrow we plan to climb the Portland Observatory for a view of the Portland Harbor.