It was time to move on with our travel. The route was taking us to the state of Maine along the eastern coast of the United States. We had our fill of peeping the autumn leaf change and looking at the covered bridges. Our itinerary this time was heavy on visiting lighthouses along the east coast of Maine. Thinking of Maine also had one of us thinking about eating some lobster.

The first lighthouse at Boston Harbor was a guiding light to maritime traffic in the 1700s. It safely guided ships to harbor. The strategic importance of the structure was immediately identified hence its control was heavily contested. Increased maritime traffic eventually led to building more along the east coast.

Lighthouses can be seen dotting the eastern coast. Our route, confined to the coast of Maine, allowed driving southward towards our next destinations – the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. It was surprising to see the number of people touring the sites. My expectation of quietly touring deserted lighthouses was dashed. I even lost count of the number of tour vans ferrying people to the different locations.

Improvement in maritime navigation did not cease the operations of lighthouses. Majority continue operating though maritime traffic rely less on them.

Time constraint prevented us from visiting all 65 lighthouses in Maine. The few that we saw were already interesting enough. It was satisfying to know that we were able to see the lighthouses and added to our travel experience.