First Look - Florida's Lighthouses

More lights! We turned a 1999 trip to the Daytona 500 into a week-long lighthouse tour of Florida. The Keys and the panhandle would have to wait for future trips, but here's a sampling of the rest of the Sunshine State's varied and well-preserved lights. Above, the Old Port Boca Grande Light on Gasparilla Island.

With limited time, we had to settle for whatever weather and light we found - no sitting for hours waiting for clouds to part, this time. This is Jupiter Inlet Light in Jupiter. Needs a little paint. We'll see it again later in bright sun and new paint.

Sanibel Island Light is not the most beautiful structure you'll see in Florida, but Sanibel Island is really nice. I also like how the lighthouse seems to just be standing in the sand like a lifeguard chair.

Looking across the Guana River from old St. Augustine turns out to be one of the better vantage points for viewing the St. Augustine lighthouse over a mile away. The lighthouse property is wooded and so small that visitors are basically looking straight up at the tower. And a beautiful old tower it is, too...

see?

Boca Grande Entrance Rear Range Light - Gasparilla Island. Another lighthouse that seems to grow right out of the sand like the cool tropical flora that surrounds it.

Fencing! The lighthouse hunter's nemesis. St. Johns River Light, above, resides on the Naval Station Maport, and we figured climbing the razor wire fence for an unobstructed view was not a great idea. I was pleasantly surprised, however, with the framing that resulted from shooting through the fence, so I printed it as is. I didn't have a long enough lens to identify the carrier in the background, but if any of you military hardware junkies out there know that ship, let me know.

Photographically, this shot of the Hillsboro Inlet Light is not impressive. What impresses me about this light, apart from its massive Fresnel lens, is how shy it is. It is situated on a tiny point, hiding behind trees and just basically refusing to be photographed from anywhere on land.

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, Ponce Inlet. The setting sun drew a uniquely warm glow out of the sand in the old tower's bricks, and it sits on beautifully maintained grounds.

Thanks for checking in. Later!