Summary: The Urban Hiker's Grand Tour continues! We hear the latest hike to #GetOutThere - Chuckanut Ridge Trail (<a href="https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/chuckanut-ridge-trail)" rel="noopener">https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/chuckanut-ridge-trail)</a>, lower ridge trail in Larrabee State Park territory from Chris. And AJ sheds some light on hiking around some of our Washington State Lighthouses...AND a birthday! Also, we will be off the air for two weeks, rejoining you all August 11.<br><br><br>AJ<br>The lead in:<br>Washington State Parks Foundation- guest writer: <a href="https://waparks.org/pacific-northwest-lighthouse-adventures-with-wspf-photographer-aj-barse/" rel="noopener">https://waparks.org/pacific-northwest-lighthouse-adventures-with-wspf-photographer-aj-barse/</a> <br><br>*Resource*:<br> LighthouseFriends.com (<a href="http://lighthousefriends.com/)" rel="noopener">http://lighthousefriends.com/)</a> - think the WTA of Lighthouses “This site includes photographs, directions, histories, and GPS coordinates garnered while personally visiting every lighthouse in the United States and nearly every lighthouse in Canada.” <br><br><br>*A*_*dmiralty Head Light, Fort Casey, Whidbey Island (Origionally named Red Bluff Light <a href="http://www.historylink.org/File/5710" rel="noopener">http://www.historylink.org/File/5710</a> *_<br><br><br>_*Point Wilson Light (Port Townsand)<a href="http://lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=108" rel="noopener">http://lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=108</a>*_<br>*_-Fort Worden_*<br><br>Point Wilson's first lighthouse was built in 1879 by the United States Lighthouse Service (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Lighthouse_Service)" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Lighthouse_Service)</a> as a companion to the <br><br>Admiralty Head Light (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiralty_Head_Light)" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiralty_Head_Light)</a> built some 18 years earlier on the eastern side of Admiralty Inlet. A square wooden tower projecting from the roof of a two-story, Cape Cod–style keeper’s quarters held a fixed fourth-order Fresnel lens (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens)" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_lens)</a>. The station also included a fog signal building with 12-inch, steam-powered fog whistle.[5] (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Wilson_Light#cite_note-histlink-5)" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Wilson_Light#cite_note-histlink-5)</a><br><br>High tides and stormy weather occasionally took their toll on the sandy beach (<a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/ptwilsontw2.jpg)" rel="noopener">http://www.lighthousefriends.com/ptwilsontw2.jpg)</a> on which the tower was built. In 1886, a picket fence, 5 feet high and 440 feet long, was built across the low part of the spit to catch drifting sound and build up the area where a breach seemed likely.<br><br>The current lighthouse was completed in 1914, but the original lighthouse, minus its tower, continued to serve as a residence (<a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/PointWilson_1916_dwelling.jpg)" rel="noopener">http://www.lighthousefriends.com/PointWilson_1916_dwelling.jpg)</a> for the keepers. The new lighthouse (<a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/PointWilson_1916_cg.jpg)" rel="noopener">http://www.lighthousefriends.com/PointWilson_1916_cg.jpg)</a> features a forty-nine-foot concrete tower, built in an octagonal shape to reduce wind pressure, which projects upward from a fog signal building. <br><br>The station was automated in 1976- remains in the hands of the U.S. Coast Guard (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Coast_Guard)" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Coast_Guard)</a>, while the grounds are managed by Washington State Parks (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Parks)"></a>
