(3) Gay Head

In 2004 I went to Cape Cod in New England and took the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. On that visit I saw only one of the island’s five lighthouses – Gay Head. Six years later I would return to see another three just leaving the remote and difficult to get to Chappaquiddick Lighthouse for another trip.

Martha’s Vineyard is a beautiful island, home to writers, artists and musicians and the vacation destination of choice for Presidents Clinton and Obama.

The interestingly named Gay Head was the name of the small town where the lighthouse is near, until 1998 when it was changed to Aquinnah to better reflect the heritage of the Native American residents in the area.

The lighthouse is really distinctive with its red brick coloured tower with a rotating beam of an alternating red and white light.

I didn’t get up close to this lighthouse and was happy enough to take different views of it, using the coastline and countryside to give the tower some perspective and show how it stands out against the landscape.

This photograph was taken on my 2010 visit.