203 Steps to Go - Ponce Inlet, Florida

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, Ponce Inlet, Florida

Those of you who follow me regularly know my passion for lighthouses. While I don't schedule trips just to shoot them (okay, Maine might be the exception), I always try to visit them whenever and wherever I can. Earlier this month, I spent a couple of weeks on Florida's northeast coast and was able to visit three of them. I wasn't able to spend lots of time exploring the best vantage point, so most of my shots are from near the parking lot and not at the best time of day. On one of the days we spent in St Augustine, we decided to head south down the coast past Daytona Beach to check out the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse that Michael Pancier had suggested.

I must say that this lighthouse was one of the best maintained lighthouses that I have ever seen. The grounds are meticulous, the lighthouse is in great condition and the experience was great. The current lighthouse was built in 1887 and is the tallest lighthouse in Florida (and among the tallest in the US) measuring 175 feet. As I entered the bottom of the lighthouse and looked up, I saw the 203 steps that would lead me to some great views of the surrounding coastline.