Look Down - Post Your Photos

greatgrandma · 17 February 2025

The last time I did any significant climbing was about 20 years ago when I climbed two lighthouses. I climbed the Key Biscayne Florida light in 2004

In the 60s, the state of Florida saved the area around the lighthouse from developers by establishing Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and they restored the lighthouse and keeper's dwelling.

Lighthouse keeper's cottage from above

I saw these guys from the top of the lighthouse. I do not know what the parameters of this sport is but it looks tricky to me. There was a quite strong wind (small craft warnings) when this photo was taken, and it looked like they were headed down the keys with no way to get back to land against the wind.

Wind surfers from the lighthouse

There were a large number of families enjoying the beach on this spring break weekend,

Public Beach from the lighthouse

even though there was considerable surf due to a sustained northeast wind of about 20 knots.

It's a SHADOW

Miami skyline from the top of the lighthouse

greatgrandma · 17 February 2025

Then in 2005 we climbed the Key West Lighthouse. There are two windows (square) about half way up and 2/3rds of the way up, and there is a platform at the place where the lighthouse formerly ended. I met someone coming down as I was going up and he went back to this platform. Then there's two more short flights, and two round portholes before you get to the top with the outside platform.

Navy tower on Truman annex

Cruise ships through the lighthouse porthole

This was a very difficult climb for me, and I had to sit down when I got up there. The climb and the recovery from it took me about 10 minutes. Bob was already there when I got there and he went down before me too. There was a man there who was a doctor and he was concerned that I might have had a heart attack. But I was just out of breath. I noticed that other people seemed to be having problems with the height which they thought was scary and the steps ditto. But fortunately I don't have those problems. I'm just out of shape.

I wanted to take a picture of Ft. Taylor from the lighthouse

Looking for Ft Taylor

(like the one I saw at East Martello Fort yesterday),

Ft Taylor from the lighthouse

but I could not see where it was. I could see the Navy Communications tower at Truman Annex, and I know that is between the lighthouse and Fort Taylor, but I just could not see the fort.

Navy Communication tower

Fort Taylor is in there somewhere. Bob thinks the trees have grown up and are now concealing it. I took more than 20 pictures of the panoramas in all directions and the things below the lighthouse.