Walking to Great Point Lighthouse

I am kind of obsessed with lighthouses! I think its because I grew up in Wisconsin and had never seen a lighthouse before.

 I saw cows and corn and cheese!

Last year I really wanted to see the third lighthouse on Nantucket, but it’s not easy to get there.  Usually people rent a jeep and drive to it, but last June you were not able to do this because of birds or something.  So, James and I went to Wauwinet to look around and on a whim, decided we would just start walking to Great Point!

4.2 miles there and 4.2 miles back! 8.5 miles round trip!  On soft sand. In cheap sandals. With no water.

It started off fun!  See – I was so happy to make it to mile marker 2!

Then the complaining started, “Are we there yet?”  “I’m thirsty!” “My feet and back hurt!” I will let you guess who was doing the complaining.  Finally, we saw it!  Great Point in all its glory!

I felt like we were looking at the Emerald City!  However, unlike Dorothy and the gang we still had a while to go.  This lighthouse was like a mirage.  You see it.  You keep walking towards it, but is it even really there or is it just a figment of our imagination?

Keeping with the theme of the Wizard of Oz, remember, in the movie, when the Witch sent the flying monkeys to capture Dorothy?  Well, the Wicked Witch of Nantucket, let’s call her the Grey Lady, sent birds for us!  Hundreds and hundreds of birds that didn’t appreciate us trespassing on their land.

They started circling us, swooping down, making noises, (I swear I heard one say “LEAVE THIS PLACE!”)  We tried to keep up conversation, but after awhile I noticed these birds did not like it when we talked.  So, we ran! James jogged ahead, flailing his arms at the incoming birds; his only protection being his sandals!

I got this one picture before the intense dive bombing started and I screamed, “What am I going to do if a bird pecks me before my wedding?”  (I know I tend to be a little dramatic, but it was actually scary!)

After what seemed like hours, the birds cleared and we had made it!  Great Point Lighthouse!

We had to start walking back before the sun set.  We dreaded getting past those birds again, but unless we wanted to walk in complete darkness we had to get going.  On the way back, we met a baby seal sunbathing on the shore.  I wanted to get closer, but James decided that since we were almost pecked by birds, we didn’t need to have this baby seal’s mother maul us for getting too close to its baby.

If it wasn’t for animal rights, I may have tried to capture these swans for our wedding. (Just kidding, or am I?)

We made it back just in the nick of time.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Toppers afterward.

In closing, walking to Great Point was actually so much fun! I highly recommend it.  However, bring some water, better shoes, and watch out for those birds!

In other news, “Tuesdays With Tim” is now going to feature a “Book of the Month” for a sort of online book club!   I have always wanted to be a part of a book club! My choice for this month is the highly anticipated Night Film by, Marisha Pessl.

I am so excited for this book, but it’s not going to be for everybody!  It’s supposed to be extremely scary (like birds dive bombing you as you walk to a lighthouse scary!)  If you scare easily maybe give my first selection a pass and check back next month!  I don’t want to give anyone nightmares! :)  If you like a good scare though, join me in reading Night Film.  It’s released today!  Every month I will review the book and then pick a new one!  Can’t wait to read and talk about this book that is being described as “A literary mystery that’s also a page turner…Night Film might be the most talked about novel this summer!” – Time Out New York

See you on Tuesdays!