Owls Head Light is one of seven lighthouses open to climb during the 2012 Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
The arrival of summer brings with it a chance to spend some great time with family and friends along the Maine coast by participating in the fifth annual Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge.
The Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge is a fun-filled event being held on June 23th and 24th that “challenges” participants to visit seven lighthouses (Pemaquid Point, Marshall Point, Owls Head, Rockland Breakwater, Grindle Point, Fort Point and Dice Head) over the course of two days on a self-guided tour of these alluring sites.
This event offers local residents and lighthouse enthusiasts alike the unique opportunity to climb each lighthouse and enjoy a birds-eye view of the Midcoast from atop these towers.
Lighthouse challenge participants will receive a commemorative booklet that contains information about the lighthouses and directions to each site. Registering for the event is free and can be done at any of the lighthouse locations on the challenge. Those who complete the challenge will be entered into a drawing to win a two-night luxurious stay for two at one of the four Historic Inns of Rockland. The prize is being donated by the Historic Inns of Rockland.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
Some special features and new bonus challenges are included in this year’s event:
The U.S. Coast Guard will showcase an array of modern optics that serve in today’s lighthouses and will share an exhibit showing how the Coast Guard keeps the lights at many of Maine’s offshore stations. The display will be available for viewing on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the American Lighthouse Foundation’s Gift Store & Interpretive Center located in downtown Rockland at 464 Main Street.
Author Kevin C. Mills will also be on hand at the American Lighthouse Foundation’s Gift Store & Interpretive Center to sign copies of his latest novel Breakwater. Mr. Mills will be signing books on Saturday, June 23rd from noon to 3 p.m.
In addition, Maine’s first maritime museum, the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, is participating as a bonus challenge site. The museum will be open Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland is also participating as a bonus site for lighthouse challenge participants. The museum features a gorgeous display of Fresnel lenses, as well as other lighthouse beacons and artifacts that the whole family is sure to enjoy.
The Sail, Power and Steam Museum in Rockland is also a participating bonus site. The museum features a wealth of maritime history and artifacts, and includes a popular children’s museum.
The Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge is sponsored by the Friends of Rockland Harbor Lights, and its parent organization, the American Lighthouse Foundation. For more information, call the American Lighthouse Foundation at (207) 594-4174 or visit www.lighthousefoundation.org and www.rocklandharborlights.org
A walk out to Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse is always a memorable experience (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
