Recently, my mother-in-law came to visit from California. It wasn’t her first visit, but anytime she heads east, we try to do something she’s never done before in North Carolina. This year, we took her to Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. She’s a big fan of light houses and got to see three of them, including Bodie.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is open to climb now seasonally and we went on the first day it opened. Turns out, my son is too small to climb it and you are not allowed to carry a child up like I had originally planned to do, so we adults took turns climbing the lighthouse and playing with the little guy.
I’m in my early thirties and have considered myself to be relatively fit and in good working order for the most part. That was flawed thinking. But I didn’t discover the error until I was about 200 steps into the total 257 steps and fervently praying to God to let me live to see the view. My leg muscles were on fire! I reminded myself to thank whoever made the rule that I could not carry a 33 pound three year old up on my hip. Sheer genius. I kept reminding myself that Craig had just climbed it in record time with one working leg and a cane. If he could do it, surely I could manage. Of course, he didn’t jog up the first 100 steps either. By step number 240, I was completely convinced I would need to be lowered down in a rescue basket, but I was positive it would be easier for them to do that if I could just get to the top. Must get to the top!
Finally, I made it. I stepped out into gale-force winds and one of the most breath-taking views I have ever seen. I was actually a bit dizzy looking out from that height. (let’s be honest, it was the stairs.) I whipped out my camera and took a gazillion pictures. I didn’t want to miss a thing because I had already planned to never ever climb those steps again. I struck up a conversation with a guide in hopes of postponing my decent. I learned that on a clear day, you can see forever! Well, at least 20 miles out or so. That’s incredible!
After about 15 minutes, I decided that I missed my family and needed to go back down. I found that going down stairs is way easier! I got to the bottom and looked back up at the top and felt a new love for that lighthouse. What a true beauty it is! Can you imagine the leg muscles of the lighthouse keepers?
My mother-in-law had a fantastic time in Hatteras and here in NC in general. Already thinking up what we might do on her next visit. Craig and I have decided, that whatever it is, it probably will not have stairs.
