Miscellaneous

Boat Tour with LAMP Maritime Archaeologists On board the Victory III, the premiere tourboat docked at the City Marina, downtown St. Augustine. This event is a fund-raiser for the St. Augustine Archaeological Association. LAMP archaeologists Chuck Meide and Sam Turner will be presenting a personalized custom tour of St. Augustine's maritime landscape as it was meant to be seen, from the sea. The Victory III departs the City Marina dock at 8:45 am. The City [...]

Those of us fortunate enough to spend time at the top of the tower are used to answering certain questions on a regular basis: “Why are you so far from the water?” (See our website, http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com for the answer) Is the place really haunted? (If you think it is, then it is. If you think not, then it isn’t…we have no proof either way). The one that always gets me, though, is: “Do they make [...]

This is where I work. Sure there are 219 steps to the top and no elevator but when you get there… Well you can see. Oh yeah, and its winter here today 65 degrees – put your jacket on. This isn’t a place that you come and say, “I love to visit I just wouldn’t want to live here.” Its the place that you visit and say, “I’m gonna make my money and retire here.” [...]

Traveling Exhibit: S.S. United States Traveling exhibit on display at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, focusing on the 1950s Atlantic liner, a maritime engineering marvel for its time. For more information, email Kathleen Hill at khill@stagustinelighthouse.com. When: 02 March - 27 April 2007, regular operating hours (9am - 6 pm) Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Keeper's House upstairs gallery

All we lighthouse people know that lighthouses and aids to navigation, major ones, minor ones, solar powered ones and lights with Fresnel lenses are neccessary to the smooth operation of our economy and saftey. If we read about history of any major searfaring nation or culture, we find an account of the new and growing government setting up lighthouses and aids to navigation. They did so very early on. They continue to do so. Ensuring [...]

So James Cameron, not content with picking the bones of the Titanic victims, has decided to move on to grave-robbing and exploitation at a higher level. This time, according to carefully-timed news reports and interviews, he’s found the tomb of Jesus. How convenient that it also contained the bones of Mary Magdalen, Mary the Mother, and a son of Jesus…and Jimmy Hoffa, for all I know. Now Cameron can cover all the bases: “History”, Religion [...]

We have a nighttime tour at the St. Augustine lighthouse called the “Dark of the Moon”. On a recent Dark of the Moon tour a young & attractive female heard a male voice say: “HELLO PRINCESS” (note: no mortal male near her) It is time for me to rethink my daily routine……..as I do not get such comments. (I am feeling better than I look, though) Added to my list of goals……I want a ghostly [...]

Sometimes I think people have a hard time believing me when I tell them that I enjoy my time atop the tower because it is often different. Its true, there are not always optimal conditions, certain times of the year staying the duration of your two and a half hour shift can be a chore. However, there are always at least 20-30 minutes that your glad your up there. Today wind gusts in the high [...]

Hello everyone! The Man of Science at your service…aka…Paul Wenglowsky. Here’s some background info for everyone. I was born in Chicago, IL (go White Sox and Bears!), but moved to Wisconsin (go Badgers!). I’m an alumnus of both UW-Whitewater (BS-History) and UW-Milwaukee (Masters-Public History/Museum Studies). Quickly following graduation from Milwaukee I was whisked away from the Milwaukee Public Museum to become the Director of Maritime Education for the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. Can I [...]

I have been asked by Mike Vogel, President of the ALCC, to present a brief update on hurricane damage in Florida and Gulf Coast Lighthouse at the 8th Annual Maritime Heritage Conference in San Diego this upcoming October. Mike is doing a great job putting together the lighthouse track. If you have information about a lighthouse that is suffering from Hurricane damage and is recovering or has recovered, and you'd like me to share it, [...]