A beacon in the night ...

Have you ever sat back and thought about how important lighthouses truly were for the American shipping industry? What would happen if there had been no beacon in the night to guide these massive ships into port? It would have been very devastating.

Growing up in North Carolina, we have a host of lighthouses that adorn our coastline. I have had the opportunity to visit a few of them. Last year, my friend Phyllis & I decided that it would be a really neat idea that at some point we try to go and see the various lighthouses in North Carolina.

While we did see a couple North Carolina lighthouses from a distance last summer, we never did go visit them. This February (and over into March), we took a trip down to Savannah. Prior to leaving, I did some research on the lighthouses in North Carolina, South Carolina & Georgia. We found out that three of Georgia's lighthouses were within fifteen miles of where we were staying. So we decided that while on this trip, we would try to go see them and take pictures.



The first lighthouse on our stop was to try to find Cockspur Island Lighthouse. It sits just east of Savannah heading out toward the Atlantic Ocean. Sadly, there is no way to really gain access to the lighthouse unless you decide to swim across the sound. We found a place to pull off and got as close as we could. Above is a close-up of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse. It was initially built to help guide ships from the Atlantic into the entrance of the Savannah River, which would lead them into the port. As you can see from the next distance shot, the lighthouse is very small, and we affectionately named it "the baby."



After leaving Cockspur Island, we drove the few miles over to the Tybee Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Georgia, and it sits right along the Atlantic Ocean. I have had the opportunity to climb to the top of this lighthouse for an amazing view. We considered doing that this year, but it was much too chilly to attempt. We also saw this lighthouse at nighttime, and yes, they do still keep the beacon shining.





Our last stop was actually a block from our hotel, the Old Savannah Harbor Light. This mini-beacon sits alongside the Savannah River in Emmet Park. Its purpose for being built was to also guide the ships down the Savannah River and into the Port of Savannah. Cockspur Island & Tybee Island Lighthouses are several miles down river, so the Old Harbor Light was built to primarily direct the ships upon their entrance into the city.




Our lighthouse tour has just begun, and so far it has been very fun, historical & even educational. We are also trying to take our pictures with each lighthouse to prove that we have been there (I won't post how many attempts it took us to get pictures made with some!) But I hope everyone will at some point be able to see one of these great wonders. But most importantly, lighthouses serve an importance in the aiding of sailors into ports, etc., but we are also supposed to be our own lighthouse. God commands us in Matthew 5:16 to "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." We also need to be a beacon in the night and guide those to the true Light, Jesus.