This week­end was the annu­al Light­house Chal­lenge of New Jer­sey, a two-day cel­e­bra­tion of shore­line sen­tinels dur­ing which every work­ing light­house is open and staffed by vol­un­teers. The tru­ly com­mit­ted dri­ve hun­dreds of miles over the two days to vis­it the eleven light­hous­es open to the pub­lic. Because of a scout­ing week­end for Theo, we just hit one on Sat­ur­day and three on Sun­day. But these are the last four for our lighthouse-obsessed son Fran­cis, who has been to the oth­ers over the course of the summer.

Tinicum Rear Range Light

The fam­i­ly look­ing off in dif­fer­ent direc­tions, of course 

Fran­cis goes full nerd talk­ing about con­struc­tion dates with the light­house volunteers. 

The Tinicum light is closed because of some struc­tur­al bowing. 

The light­house is right in the mid­dle of a bunch of ball fields. A neigh­bor has a great snow cone stand, a tra­di­tion in the town going back to his child­hood at least. 

The area where the Tinicum Front Range light used to be is now a sliv­er pock­et park along the water­side. Pret­ty except sur­round­ed by refineries. 

Fran­cis at Tinicum Rear Range 

Sea Girt Lighthouse

The Sea Girt Light­hous­es is house with a light on top. 

The res­i­dence of the Sea Girt Light is incred­i­bly homey and cute. 

Climb­ing down from the light. 

The lights of the Sea Girt light 

Fran­cis lec­tures on the fres­nel lens. 

Mod­els of NJ’s light­house laid out on a map of the state. 

Twin Lights of Navesink

Some fam­i­ly (Gre­go­ry is behind Julie here) 

The giant 10 ton for­mer lens. 

Hap­py kid 

Sign for the lens. 

Beau­ti­ful work­man­ship on the bilding 

Detail from light well 

Look­ing through the win­dow of the south toward toward the north 

View from atop the light 

Grill met­al­work of the cage of the Twin Lights 

Theo look­ing less wise-guy than normal. 

Gre­go­ry tries the lock to the top of the south tower 

The Twin Lights of Navesink are up a high hill, part of the Pal­isades per­haps, giv­ing our kids a rare hill to roll down. 

Fran­cis looks out over the hill top. 

The Twin Lights of Navesink 

Sandy Hook Light

The Sandy Hook Light­house is on a for­mer base. 

The light­house house hous­es the museum. 

The Sandy Hook is the old­est con­tin­u­ous light in the coun­try, pre­dat­ing the coun­try itself. 

The orig­i­nal light­house was just the out­er mor­tar. Lat­er brick helped shore it up 

Details of bricks 

The set­ting sun com­ing into the Sandy Hook Light 

Detail of stairwell. 

Fran­cis looks across the view 

Two 1000 watt bulbs shine out over 19 miles because of the fres­nel lens. 

There’s a lot of cool old struc­tures up on Sandy Hook. 

Gre­go­ry unsuc­cess­ful­ly tries the heavy door. 

Sandy Hook has pret­ty dunes 

NYC sky­line from an obser­va­tion deck on Sandy Hook. 

Sun set­ting, Gre­go­ry makes a mini sand­cas­tle before we leave North Jersey.