But first, no stop is truly a stop with my family unless they visit the restroom several times; and this time under the watchful gaze of four founding fathers of America. What an honor!
Vacations To America Photo Gallery
Heading back the way we cameagain, moving out of the park area, there are numerous opportunities to see views from different angles.
Just be aware, those ‘curvy’ warning signs aren’t kidding. And we’ve managed to hit the displays and get back on the road out of Dodge fast enough to avoid most of the traffic jams and clogged roadways
Longstone, at low tide, is about half a mile long and joins up the rocks and islets from the Northern Hares at the northern end to the horseshoe- shaped lagoon called Brada at the southern end. There are dozens of gullies and creeks between the various rocks, which fill in as the tide rises, forming a number of separate little islands, depending on the size of the tide. The main island of Longstone has also been a graveyard for shipping over the centuries and at least fifteen known vessels has come to grief on it since 1800. The sea is horrendous during north and northeasterly storms and it must have been a virtual nightmare living in the lighthouse during such periods, as William Darling’s records make clear: On 18th March 1852, at 0130 hours, the wind was blowing strong northwest, the sky dark and hazy, an Eider Duck struck the north by east tower square of the lantern carrying two thirds of the glass inside. As the bird weighed 4 pound and hit the middle of upper square sections the consequences might have been more serious. On the 5th July 1852, a severe storm was blowing with vivid lightning and the rain mixed with hail and was continuous from 1030 to 2000 hours. The barometer remained stationary at 2007 and the external thermometer read 62°. On the 4th January 1854 a severe storm blowing east-south-east with snow showers which continued for seven days, causing heavy loss of life and shipping, at Shields and South Sunderland. Later that month another seven day gale continued and the barometer was not observed being stationary, even for one hour. All of the ships which were lost around Longstone are smashed beyond recognition, due to the ferocity and destructive elements of the wind and sea.
