August 18, 2012 Cape Blanco

The Cape Blanco lighthouse is Oregon's westernmost lighthouse. Still in use today. We had a great tour and got to see the Fresnel lens up close and personal (no touching, tho). What a fine piece of work it is, even the brass fittings that hold it all together. Made in 1936 and still going strong. The tour guide told us that out on Cape Blanco, it is: windy and sunny, windy and foggy, or windy and rainy. Must have been tough to live out there!





















The lighthouse and the lens.
















The (small) motor that rotates the HUGE lens above it. The iron staircase carefully designed for this lighthouse - it's not anchored to the walls except at the platforms.
















The last tour group up in the top; you can see how large the lens is. Saw this squirrel in the parking lot, it looks way different from ours.....
















The Hughes house (built in 1898), part of a small community that didn't make it, mostly from Ireland. Passed a flock of sheep grazing....