To the Lighthouse

Today, by a happy navigational error, we found ourselves at the trailhead to Saugerties Lighthouse on the Hudson River.  We'd been in the car for a while by then, so we decided to roll out and explore the half-mile nature preserve on a spit of land, with its route over boardwalks and bridges, which took us to the very charming lighthouse. 

Built in 1869, it looks much more like a regular house than the more familiar seaside tower lighthouses - a regular house with a big light on top, that is.  It was decommissioned in 1954 and stood vacant for many years until rescued and restored by local enthusiasts. We wandered around the outside of it (indoor tours won't begin until Memorial Day), congratulating ourselves on our discovery and admiring the views up and down the river.

We were excited to learn, from a sign, that it's possible to stay in the lighthouse as a B&B guest - a little bit on the lines of Landmark Trust properties in Britain.  But clearly we are not the only ones to think this is a very cool idea - the place is booked up until November.  Maybe we'll keep an eye on the website, in case of sudden cancellations.

The lighthouse was not the only stop on our afternoon out, but I'll save the rest for another day.