Nobska Light will be open to the public this coming Saturday June 23, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth, MA
The tours are conducted by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla II-2., weather permitting.
The first Nobska lighthouse was built in 1829, because Woods Hole’s deep harbor had attracted a substantial whaling fleet and many steam vessels passed by while crossing through Vineyard Sound. During the year that it was built over 10,000 vessels passed the light.
The second lighthouse was built on the site in 1876. It is a 40 foot tower made of cast iron and lined with brick. It has a fifth order Fresnel lens. In 1888 the lens was upgraded to a fourth-order lens and at that time a red sector was added to warn boaters of the hazardous L’Hommedieu and Hedge shoals.
In 1985 the light was automated and the lighthouse keepers were no longer necessary. Now the Commander of the Coast Guard Sector Southern New England resides in the lighthouse tenders former quarters.
Nobska will be open to the public six more times during 2012.
- July 12, 9:30-11:30am
- July 21, 9:30-11:30am
- August 2, 9:30-11:30am
- August 11, 9:30-11:30am
- September 1, 9:30-11:30am
- December 1, 9:30-11:30am
For more information: http://lighthouse.cc/nobska/index.html
One of the most frequent day trips that our bed and breakfast guests take is a ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard.
After disembarking the ferry we recommend taking the tour bus to get an over view the island.
Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
The sightseeing busses on the Vineyard run from Memorial Day weekend through September. They meet every Steamship Authority and Island Queen ferry from 9:00 am through 3:15 pm. They give a fully narrated tour with state-licensed drivers who are also professional guides.
The towns on Martha’s Vineyard offer surprising diversity, each with its own character and personality. For those who are interested in history, Edgartown presents an architectural memorial to whaling’s golden age. Aquinnah or Gay Head as it was named in the past is recognized world-wide for its clay cliffs and natural beauty, while West Tisbury is a typical New England village right out of a Currier and Ives print. Menemsha is a working fishing village and its claim to fame is that it is where the motion picture “Jaws” was filmed. Oak Bluffs is internationally known for its charming Victorian “ginger bread style” cottages.
The tours take approximately two and a half hours and includes a thirty minute stop at the Aquinnah cliffs.
Tickets are $29.00 and can be purchased aboard the bus.