Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Lighthouses, memorials and dikes are following us around

Monday September 16, 2013
site 40 Fishermen’s Memorial Recreation Area
Narragansett Rhode Island

 

 

 

We fiddle the morning away while it rains.

 

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The rain clears up although the skies do only partly.  Then David wants to use a $20 coupon he found on the edge of the campground map for two fish and chips, 2 clam cakes and 2 bowls of chowder at a local sea food joint.   So we head down the street  to Iggy’s for lunch.

 

 

 

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Iggy’s is a sure nuff fish house but clam cakes are nothing like crab cakes which was what we were expecting.  Turns out they are more like hush puppies with a slight clam taste.  Everything is deep fried except the chowder which is good but has about ten times the potatoes to clams.  Iggy’s has won some local and state wide awards judging from the plaques on the wall but my opinion is none of these people have been to Massachusetts let alone Maine for seafood.  No smiling food pictures on this one.

 

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We have better luck when we drive on to Point Judith. 

 

At the end of the road which dead ends at the point we find  U.S. Department of Homeland Security Coast Guard Station Point Judith and its LIGHTHOUSE.   It’s a working station so it’s surrounded by chain link fence with a security gate and lots of overhead wires.  Not the best of pictures.   Thinking that’s all there is we leave.

 

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But we have even better luck when a short way from the station we discover a dirt road running off to our right to left.  At the end, we find a fishermen’s park complete with a memorial, a battery hill, a jetty and some left over WW II concrete somethings.

 

Concrete somethings with the lighthouse in the distance and a bunker hill to the left.FishermensMemorial_thumb2

 

 

There are two really lovely spots here. 

 

One is atop the bunker hill where I found a great shot of the lighthouse but could not get these two people to move along. 

 

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These next pictures are for Paul Dahl.  The first is taken from close up when we first were at the point.  The second  is zoomed from the here for another angle so maybe he can tell us what are these things carefully fenced in on the edge of the lighthouse compound.  I’m hoping you are going to say solar panels Paul.  :-)   There are a LOT of them going far off to the left out of the range of this shot.

 

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From up on the hill we get a good view of the jetty

 

We have no plans to walk this one to the end.

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Up close it looks really familiar.  :-)    With a SHORT walk out, it provides even better pictures of the Point Judith Light.

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This is one of my favorite picture of the light house taken just at the foot of the memorial.  I know, enough all ready, but I do love lighthouses.  There is something very moving about them and the people who once took care of them.

 

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The local community has created a very touching memorial to its fishermen.

 

The second beautiful spot and the most moving is the Fishermen’s Memorial built to honor local fishermen who have died at sea.

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It’s a lovely spot over looking the sea.  The center granite stone has John Masefield’s perfect poem Sea Fever etched into it.  The wing stones list the names of all the men of this area who have died at sea.  Tokens of love have been left at the foot of each stone.

 

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What a wonderful tribute from the community to these fishermen.

From the top of the center stone:
“Port Judith Fishermen’s Memorial
Dedicated to the Memory Of Those
Who Gave Their Lives To The Sea

It brought me to tears as I am sure it has many others.

 

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On the way home we stop to take a look at the Rhode Island beach that draws people here in droves over the summer.

 

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What we find is that going to the beach is expensive and the parking lot is bigger than the beach itself.  I could not get a picture of the entire lot without being up in a tower.  Hilarious!!

 

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Ouch, $28 to come to the beach on a Saturday in season if you are from out of state! 
And even $14 if you are in state.

This is the time to come – no fees and no people.

 

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BUT they do have a parking lined with ripe rose hips! 

 

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Another fine sunset completes our day.

 

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21 comments:

  1. If you want dykes to stop following you around, you need to stop telling us where you are.

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    Replies
    1. I was thinking the same thing.

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    2. HA! Roxanne and you two too. I was wondering who would remark on this. Probably no one without you to get it rolling Rox.

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  2. Oooh, that sunset picture is the finest I've seen in a long time. Perfect!

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  3. I agree, Iggy's was good, not great, but for beach food, they are right on to what people want I think. Fabulous sunset picture!

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    1. It's for sure what the people want but good???? That's genereous. :-)

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  4. I remember the days when USCG stations did not need to have all those high fences and barbwire. I wonder if those days will ever return:(

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  5. What a drag not to be able to get into the lighthouse because of security. Lovely sunset.

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    1. Thanks Gaelyn. There are a lot of lighthouses you can't climb or which charge a fee to do so. The Coast Guard doesn't own a great many light houses now and those who do have to charge for their up keep I guess.

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  6. You sure packed a lot in an afternoon;o)) Great photos...love the Fisherman's Memoria and I'm with you on all that fried food. Once you bread and fry, it all tastes the same;o(

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    1. Absolutely Nancy. I gave half my fish to David. I've lost my taste for deep fat fried. It's funny that we didn't really spend that much time anywhere but near the moving memorial.

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  7. Sounds like Iggy's is for those traditional americans who need a bit of extra unhealthy. Beautiful picture of the lighthouse. So glad you adventured down the dirt road for the views and that meaningful memorial. Awesome sunset :)

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  8. We visited Point Judith years ago...you are now across the Sound from our hometown :-). Good job exploring to find the best "kodak picture spot".

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  9. Boy you worked hard for those lighthouse pics. You got some good ones. I don't think I have ever had a rose hip? Maybe in tea?

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  10. goreous sunsest, Sherry. well? I guess the high fees keep the riff raff out... dunno about the Russians. Reminds me of that film... The Russians are coming... the Russians are coming... and they did.. ha funny movie

    guess we need a fence

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  11. Geez, I know I commented last night. Lovely post, as always. You've certainly lived in some beautiful places. Thinking of your farm house, too. Glad you're still enjoying your travels--they're so interesting from this side of your blog. I'm trying so hard to catch up reading, but if I miss one day I'm swamped. I don't like to skim so I keep saying..."When I have time."

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  12. I just realized I hadn't seen one of your blogs for a while, and now I'm wondering if they aren't coming up on my blog roll again, or if I have just been too busy.

    Expensive beach. Wow.

    Love the fishermans memorial.

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