Cape Hatteras

Ah, now this is what I expected to see here.  We drove south on NC12 towards Buxton, and stopped at Cape Hatteras lighthouse.   At a height of 200 feet, this is deemed the tallest lighthouse in the US and the 23rd tallest in the world.  Visitors can get permits to climb to the top, but it is described as "strenuous", equivalent to 12 stories, with a handrail on only one side of the two way stairwell.  Considering Bob and I have bad colds, we can barely breathe as it is, and decided walking up and down 268 steps wouldn't be a good idea.  The beach here is beautiful, although this part of the seacoast is known as "the graveyard of the Atlantic" due to the treacherous currents, which have sunk over 600 vessels since the 1600's.  I walked  to the site of where the lighthouse used to stand.  Engraved in the original foundation stones are the names of the lighthouse keepers who tended to "The Guardian of the Graveyard".