Warning! Visiting lighthouses can be incredibly fun for the entire family—and addictive. Along the way you will also have the opportunity to make many new friends and experience breathtaking seascapes that offer some of the most serene and beautiful locations on earth.
So go ahead, stare deep into the light that beckons the admirer to come nearer, but know that its alluring powers can be both profound and permanent on one’s heart and mind. For I can think of no other man-made structure that is capable of evoking our deepest emotions or inspiring the most moving of artistic achievements than a lighthouse.
Their mere presence exudes a powerful sense of protection and purpose. Even if a person is unaware of lighthouses and the reasons they were built, their unique and often beautiful construction conveys an undeniable sense of great importance, for these benevolent beacons of the sea are no ordinary structures.
At the foot of a lighthouse swirl the ancient secrets of the sea. The vastness of the deep and its crashing surf serve as a constant reminder that the serenity of these grand locations can be replaced in a moment’s notice by the untamed power of the tempest, which historically wreaked havoc on many a ship, often causing tragic shipwrecks whose remains are strewn beneath the rocky ledges and shifting sands of our coastlines.
Before you can visit a lighthouse and experience its grand offerings of beauty and history, though, you have to first know how to get there, and let’s face it: everyone needs a little help now and then when it comes to “finding our way.”
Global Position Satellite (GPS) in one’s care is great, but I’m of the belief that no technical instrument, regardless of capability, can ever fully replace that human “voice” when it comes to such topics as driving directions and intimate local knowledge.
If you are seeking out lighthouses, you do not just want to find them. Wouldn’t it be nice to also be formally “introduced” to these guiding lights of the sea by someone in the know who has meticulously retraced the steps of the bygone lightkeepers before you?
No one is more qualified to serve as the companion “voice” on your personal lighthouse journey than Jeremy D’Entremont, New England’s foremost lighthouse historian. Before you think that being “introduced” to a lighthouse is simply learning the driving directions, though, think again.
D’Entremont has traveled countless lonely roads to lighthouses, sought out and traversed their obscure walking paths, and in many instances, scaled the staircases of these stately beacons to obtain more than just travel information, which makes The New England Lighthouse Handbook a must-have for both the novice and tried-and-true lighthouse enthusiast.
Within the pages of this volume, D’Entremont demonstrates his prowess at being uniquely adept at presenting the entire realm of the lighthouse experience, from the important how-to-get-there information to the history and lore of each beacon, as well as fascinating tidbits of human interest that spark our imaginations and conjure up the golden age of lighthouses and their keepers.
Oh yes, there is something else you should know as you turn each page of The New England Lighthouse Handbook—the mere act of doing so can serve as the start of a new and exciting chapter in your own life. For on occasion, a visit to a lighthouse has been known to change the course of an individual’s life, which is yet another fascinating possibility to ponder as you seek a temporary reprieve from the fast pace of society or perhaps the stress of your occupation.
With Jeremy D’Entremont’s New England Lighthouse Handbook as your guide, plan your next trip to a lighthouse today, for time and the tides wait for no one. Along your journey from light to light, be prepared to experience unbridled fun and satisfaction, and remember to absorb every ounce of romance, mystery, strength, inspiration, and spiritual renewal that you can possibly derive from seeking out New England’s beckoning beacons!
— Bob Trapani, Jr.
Executive Director
American Lighthouse Foundation