Staying as a guest in lighthouses.

Every time the moon rises, Lorraine Coyle ascends the five flights of stairs leading to the observation deck at the top of the lighthouse.Borden Flats Lighthome- a lighthouse located off the Taunton River estuary, 457 meters off the Massachusetts coast. A New Yorker and frequent visitor to Borden Flats, Coyle speaks of the lighthouse of "the flag fluttering in the wind, the seagulls circling at eye level, and the unmistakable sound of the foghorn."

Built in 1881, Borden Flats once guided steamships to the bustling textile mills on Fall River Harbor. Today, this architectural marvel is one of 40 lighthouse lodges in the United States, a unique stop for hikers seeking a quirky, secluded getaway surrounded by history.

"When we discovered we could actually stay in a lighthouse, nothing could stop us," Coyle said. She has stayed in four lighthouses, and is certainly not the only one to express her delight. The popularity of this type of accommodation, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown, has confirmed that places like Borden Flats likely have no rooms left.

Many lighthouse hotels are the result of the efforts of passionate individuals who may have acquired some lighthouses through auctions; or they may have been given away for free to private/community groups. This is a way to save lighthouses that are neglected, eroded, exposed to harsh weather due to climate change, or becoming obsolete as sailors switch to more modern navigation methods.

Nick Korstad, who bought five lighthouses to renovate, including Borden Flats, said, "The sunsets, sunrises, and unique locations of these lighthouses are all beautiful. But for me, the real romance lies in preserving the history of the people who have dedicated their lives to guarding these lighthouses, ensuring that their history will never be forgotten. People love lighthouses, they love their soul. It's something that shines brightly in the night."

In his own way, Korstard is one of the last remaining lighthouse keepers to this day.

The guiding light shines brightly in the night.

Lighthouse-lit coastlines were once a welcoming sight to travelers and sailors, a symbol of prosperity in trade and commerce. Lighthouse keepers were also romanticized for their solitary and austere lives, and they were often considered to be undertaking a heroic task.

The most famous lighthouse in the ancient world was built in the third century BC in Alexandria, Egypt. By the 19th century, Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson, grandfather of novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, had established standards for lighthouse construction, including the invention of the converging lens to focus and amplify light. He was also the builder of the lighthouse.Bell Rock LighthouseBuilt in 1810, it is now the oldest offshore lighthouse in the world. Over the next two centuries, he and his family built more than 90 lighthouses, many of which still stand today. Regarding the legendary engineering innovations of his family, Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, "I could have worked until 1900 and still not served humanity as greatly as this."

By employing Fresnel lenses to magnify beams of light for miles, thousands of lighthouses sprang up in the 1800s, standing as sturdy, brightly illuminated beacons in the night, warning ships of danger and guiding them safely to shore.

More resilient than tidal waves.

One hundred years ago, there were around 1,000 operational lighthouses in the United States. Now, only about 850 remain. After the invention of solar-powered automatic lights in the mid-20th century, lighthouses were no longer considered a priority for the country. Along with the advent of GPS, they gradually fell into disrepair due to disuse. Lighthouse historian Jeremy D'Entremont shared, "We will lose some lighthouses in the coming decades, especially those far offshore and inaccessible to tourists. Their importance will continue to decline due to the replacement by GPS and other electronic devices."

Today, most lighthouses are used merely as visual aids for boat tourists, and these magnificent towers are in danger of disappearing forever.

"Many lighthouses still retain their original wooden architecture, awnings, and water channels. Replacing them with thick layers of vinyl or PVC would make them look awkward and unsightly, like a sore thumb sticking out of a hand," Korstad said. Each year, he spends around $100,000 (equivalent to over 2 billion VND) to maintain his seven-bedroom Bed & Breakfast property.Big Bay Point Lighthouse- America's first lighthouse hotel (Bed & Breakfast, or B&B for short, is a type of accommodation that provides overnight lodging with breakfast, usually excluding other meals). Located on a 6.5 km long sandstone peninsula, Big Bay Point Lighthouse stands on the emerald green edge of Lake Superior and is one of only 124 remaining lighthouses in Michigan - the state with the most lighthouses in the United States.

The area with the highest concentration of lighthouses is along the rocky coast of New England, with approximately 200 in total, including another offshore lighthouse.Goose Rocks LighthouseIn the state of Maine, there are approximately 33 lighthouses in Chesapeake Bay that have not been moved, submerged, or replaced with permanent structures, but the water level there is currently rising faster than the global average.

Other lighthouses are scattered throughout Florida and the rugged west coast, for example, nHeceta Head Lighthouse B&Band hNew DungenessIn Oregon, visitors have the opportunity to relax in the National Wildlife Refuge atop North America's longest sandbar. The U.S. National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 allows for the transfer of many still-operational lighthouses. They are donated free of charge from the U.S. Coast Guard to cities or local non-profit organizations through the U.S. National Park Service. If no suitable recipient is found, they are auctioned off to individuals.

After a transfer or auction is completed, the U.S. Coast Guard retains the right to continue operating all active lighthouses, but is exempt from the responsibility of maintaining those that have deteriorated. The force can reclaim transferred lighthouses at any time, and there is a list of conservation requirements that the owning groups must adhere to.

Bob Trapani, supervisor of the American Lighthouse Foundation, shared, "With limited funding and the consequences of decades of neglect, along with changes in sea level and intensity, many lighthouses battered by waves and standing precariously along the coast are destined to fail in the battle against time."

Many groups have collaborated to restore these historical structures, operating them not only as guesthouses but also incorporating them into museums to offset costs. They have moved many lighthouses from near the water's edge inland, for example.Cape Hatteras Lighthouseof the state of North Carolina - the tallest lighthouse in America - andGay Head Lighthouseof the Massachusetts region. "We've come a long way, and every year, lighthouse conservation gets even better," shared Jeff Gales, a member of the American Lighthouse Association.

But for some lighthouses, rescue came too late. The 26-meter-tall Kauhola Point lighthouse in Hawaii was demolished in 2009 to prevent it from being toppled by waves off the cliffs and injuring people. The East Point lighthouse in New Jersey and the Tillamook Rock lighthouse in Oregon are also barely standing on land. Dozens of other lighthouses are abandoned or damaged, awaiting the removal of their lead paint for relocation or repair. The city of Chicago is also considering returning the Chicago Harbor lighthouse to the Federal Government, after it has been decaying for 12 years due to a failed plan to renovate it into a luxury hotel.

"It's great when someone wants to take on these lighthouses, but in many cases, nonprofits or city governments see the lighthouse – a free gift – and think it's a golden goose. After doing some research, they realize it's just an old structure that doesn't earn a penny, and then it just sits there alone for years," Korstad said.

Although the future of these lighthouses remains uncertain and vague, one thing is clear, as clear as the lighthouse's light in the silent darkness of the sea: you should spend at least one or two nights among these historical witnesses, while you still can.

"It connects [visitors] to the past," as Korstad put it, "and takes them to a place they've never been before."

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