Merely a dot on the map, Nantucket was once one of the world's biggest whaling ports. Great Point Lighthouse stands proudly at the edge of the island, the first shining beacon leading into the east coast ports. The lighthouse keeper's daughter, lighting the lamp for her father, wrote in 1937 that she felt as though she was "helping God" guide mariners to shore.
During an end of summer sojourn in Nantucket a few weeks ago, some friends and I carved out a day to spend getting to the lighthouse, as it's far from any paved roads. We ventured miles into the dunes, through the brush and along the shore. Eventually, we ran out of island and there standing 60 feet tall was Great Point Lighthouse. We collapsed into deck chairs in front of the ivory tower and told stories of our summers apart and together. Sitting in the warm sun, it was hard to imagine such a serene place could ever be ravaged by storms or pull ships ashore. A shining example of being in the right place at the right time.
