While the lighthouse keepers of old are, for the most part, retired due to automation, the lighthouses themselves – and the lights, of course – remain working to keep mariners away from rocky cliffs, land, coral reefs, and other potentially dangerous areas that are hard to see in the dark, in storms, or in fog.

These days, many lighthouses have been turned into unique inns, but some offer lighthouse keeping programs. Lighthouse keeper duties range from relatively light (no pun intended) to full-time positions. The lighthouse volunteers are often responsible for greeting guests, providing a little about the history of the lighthouse, helping in the gift shop, clearing debris from the beach, etc.

Put a lighthouse stay on your travel list and learn what life was like for the lighthouse keepers of the past – the isolation, the quiet, the epic views, the powerful storms. The following are some of the most beautiful lighthouse stays you can put on your bucket list.

Battery Point Lighthouse – Crescent City, California

Originally named for three cannons salvaged from the wreckage of the ship America, which burned in the harbor of Crescent City in 1855, that were fired off on Fourth of July celebrations, Battery Point lighthouse is located on an exposed rocky mound and regularly battered by storms.

On March 27. 1962 the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the northern hemisphere – a magnitude 9.2, struck Alaska near Prince William Sound generating a series of waves that raced south at 600 MPH around midnight. The lighthouse keepers – and the lighthouse – survived the resulting tsunami but eleven others died.

Photo credit: Alan Vernon via flickr

Seguin Island Lighthouse – Sequin Island, Maine

One of the oldest lighthouses on the Atlantic coast and authorized by President George Washington, the current lighthouse is the second to be built on this site. Seguin Island is one of the foggiest places in the world – one year the fog signal blew for nearly one-third of the year.

Photo credit: foroyar22 via flickr

Yaquina Head Lighthouse – Yaquina Head, Oregon

The history of this lighthouse is troubled and colorful. In the 1920s there were three people working the lighthouse. One night, the head keeper went into town leaving his assistants behind. One got drunk and the other very ill (he soon died). After that, a ghost reportedly haunted the lighthouse.

Ships passing close to Yaquina Head regularly reported their compasses going awry, but the explanation was found in a vein of magnetized iron in the outcropping on which the lighthouse sits.

Browns Point Lighthouse – Point Brown, Washington

Situated on the eastern side of the entrance into Commencement Bay, which leads from Puget Sound to the port of Tacoma, Browns Point Lighthouse was originally built on land owned by an Indian of the Puyallup Indian Reservation before Washington was a state. Fog posed a significant problem for shipping in the area and during periods of dense fog, the keeper didn’t get much rest.

Photo credit: mjardeen via flickr

Bodie Island Lighthouse – Bodie Island, North Carolina

Originally named after the family who owned the island, folklore has it that the name resulted from the number of shipwrecked bodies that washed ashore. Rising 165 feet and painted in striking black and white stripes the current lighthouse is actually the third attempt to illuminate the perilous stretch of coast from Cape Hatteras to Currituck Beach, known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The first was abandoned due to a poor foundation, the second was destroyed by retreating Confederate troops, and the third was completed in 1872.

Photo credit: The Uprooted Photographer via flickr

Garden Key Lighthouse – Fort Jefferson, Florida (the Dry Tortugas)

Located near the center of the Dry Tortugas, a small cluster of reefs, islands, and shoals about 70 miles from Key West, the Garden Key lighthouse marks the spot where Ponce de Leon anchored in 1513. The current iron structure replaced the old lighthouse which was badly damaged in an October hurricane in 1873.

Photo credit: lighthouser via flickr

Pottawatomie Lighthouse – Rock Island, Wisconsin

The Rock Island Passage is the widest passage connecting Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The site of the lighthouse is atop a 137-foot bluff and the lighthouse itself became operational in 1837. In January 1876, the keeper reported two men attempting to row a boat to the mainland from a nearby island never arrived – a terrible storm came up shortly after their departure. They were later seen frozen stiff and sitting upright in the boat and adrift on a mass of ice.

Photo credit: eaghra via flickr

Rose Island Lighthouse – Rose Island, Rhode Island

Due to its strategic position at the entrance to Newport Harbor, the Rose Island lighthouse has been used by both British and colonial troops, overlooked a rifle practice range, used for storage by the U.S. Navy’s torpedo manufacturing unit, and more.

This lighthouse’s proximity to Newport means it’s not as isolated as many lighthouse stations, but lighthouse keepers still had to endure some pretty extreme weather. Storms have bent the tower to the point of breaking the plaster inside the house, torn the chimney down, and despite the light, boats still smashed on the island and sometimes into the lighthouse itself.

Photo credit: StJenna via flickr

Cape Blanco Lighthouse – Cape Blanco, Oregon

Built in 1870 and the oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon coast, Cape Blanco is just one and a half miles off Oregon’s southern coast, the cape sports chalky white cliffs that prompted Spanish explorers to name the landmark Cape Blanco (or White Cape). There are no roads leading to the cape, and high winds buffet Cape Blanco through much of the year.

Photo credit: Dougtone via flickr

Loggerhead Key Lighthouse – Loggerhead Key, Florida (the Dry Tortugas)

During the Civil War, roughly two thousand people lived on Garden Key and the loggerhead turtles on Loggerhead Key were a primary source of food. A hurricane of 1873 inflicted heavy damage on the lighthouse but the tower was patched and inspected. The repairs were so effective a new tower was never built.

The lighthouse was automated in 1987 and volunteers stay in the original building that served as the kitchen and keeper’s dwelling. In 1992, the area was designated Dry Tortugas National Park and encompasses all seven islands of the Dry Tortugas as well as the surrounding coral reefs and shoals. The loggerhead turtles continue to return to the island to lay their eggs – now without fear of being eaten.

Photo credit: www.gregmillerbirding.com

What should you know about a lighthouse stay?

Some lighthouse keeping programs are offered at no charge and others include a fee, but the rates are far less than you’d pay to stay at a hotel. A typical lighthouse stay ranges from one week to four weeks. Advanced planning is required as some of the lighthouses have 2-year waiting lists for keeper stays!

Most of the lighthouse keeper’s quarters have modern appliances, so you’re no longer required to cook your dinner over a wood-fired stove.

Temporary and/or volunteer lighthouse keeper programs are a wonderful working vacation experience and it comes with the benefit of being able to stay in an actual lighthouse.

Resources

The United States Lighthouse Society

Lighthouse Friends

As the airline industry continues to cut costs and maximize revenue, every inch of the finite space within each aircraft is being closely examined.

An Italian company called Aviointeriors which makes commercial airline seats recently debuted an ‘ultra high density seat’ and what’s been dubbed by many as the ‘world’s most cramped airline seat’.

Photo credit: Aviointeriors website (https://www.aviointeriors.it/)

According to the Aviointerior’s website, airlines want to introduce a new class of passengers – a below economy class, aka the standing class. So they’ve designed a seat that lets a passenger perch in a slightly-higher-than seated position straddling a base that looks vaguely like a horse’s saddle. You won’t slide off onto the floor, but it’s doubtful you’ll be comfortable and certainly not on a long flight.

Of course, not everyone travels on a corporate spending account (do those even exist anymore?). While most of us can’t afford a first-class seat, we may spring for business class on medium- and long-haul flights.

Here are the best business class airline seats (in no particular order) to take the pain out of long flights wherever you’re headed next.

American Airlines

American recently moved away from the seats that slowly slide passengers to the bottom in favor of fully flat cocoon-style spaces with more privacy than most. Plenty of storage, universal AC power outlets and USB jacks are available with every seat.

Photo credit American Airlines website (https://www.aa.com/)

Eva Air

Eva Air, a privately owned airline based out of Taiwan, delivered a new business class cabin last year. This Asian carrier’s business class cabin features muted colors and mellow tones and the same seat as the American Airways. Each seat has multiple plug point and all the bells and whistles of an executive office.

Photo credit: Luke Lai via flickr

Etihad Airways

Great privacy combined with clean, modern lines makes this airline’s business class unique. The business class chairs include massage functions and they lie fully flat. All seats have direct aisle access, so there’s no climbing over or waking your neighbor to visit the loo.

Photo credit: Etihad Airways website (https://www.etihad.com/)

Swiss Airlines

The business class seats in Swiss Airlines planes have been copied by many as the ideal for sophisticated design. The cabin sports wood veneer, warm grey colors and a sleek modern design. This is a consistent and practical seat true to its Swiss design and has few bells and whistles.

Photo credit: NewbieRunner via flickr

Oman Airways

With one of the widest seats in business class – a 22″ base – it’s also the longest seat as well, stretching to 6′ 5″. The seats exude warmth with a calming toffee color. The business cabin is small and split by a galley so that it has an exclusive feel that simulates the first-class experience.

Photo credit: Oman Airways website (https://www.omanair.com/)

Air New Zealand

The unique positioning of the seats combined with the privacy wall make for a comfortable trip. White leather and clean lines demonstrate Air New Zealand’s business class redesign and gives the business class cabin a light and airy look. Of course, don’t forget that Air New Zealand pioneered those fun videos for those who can recite the safety speeches from memory.

Photo credit: Air New Zealand website (https://www.airnewzealand.com/)

Singapore Airlines

Still by far the widest and most spacious seat in the sky – far outdoing most first-class seats – the Singapore Airlines’ experience is legendary. It’s also the most expensive pampering you can get in the air. The cabin crew and the food are one of the biggest selling points to flying with Singapore, but you can’t beat those seats either.

Photo credit: mas95 via flickr

Cathay Pacific

The versatility of the Cathay Pacific seat – move it back for privacy or forward to chat with a fellow traveler – is excellent, but it’s worth noting that this is the same seat as the American Airlines class seats. It’s also intuitive and comfortable. The Cathay Pacific team has always been up against some pretty good competition and yet they regularly manage to keep their price point lower.

Photo credit: Bayaer via flickr

Beware the lie of the ‘lie-flat’ seat

The penultimate seat for any long haul traveler has to be a seat that will allow you to lie flat, just as you would in your bed back home. Some airlines have installed ‘lie-flat’ seats in their first- and business-class cabins but the ‘lie-flat’ label is used with some liberties. In most cases, the seat reclines to a position that is nearly straight, but pitched at an angle that looks more like a shallow ‘v’ shape.

If you’re trying to recognize and understand the difference between seats and how to pick a better airline seat, SeatGuru.com’s got the essential Guide to Booking the Best Airline Seats.

A logo is a graphic or image that’s associated with a particular company, organization, or individual and used to encourage instant recognition. The power of a well-designed logo can be immense, but what’s popular – what ‘speaks’ to people – changes over time and company logos evolve to change too. When two companies merge, their individual logos may be kept or left behind depending on the needs of the new company going forward.

Let’s take a look at the logos of the top four airlines over time.

American Airlines Logo History

American Airlines is no newbie to consolidations. The company was formed when a number of small airline companies were incorporated into American Airways, Inc. In 1934, American Airways became American Airlines, Inc. Up untiil the most recent logo redesign, their logo always held the eagle (although facing different directions) and used the colors of  the American flag: red, white, and blue.

The first American Airlines logo (1934 – 1945):

American Airlines flipped the eagle to face the other direction and dropped the red color from 1945 – 1962:

 

Then, in 1962, the company cleaned up the brand to look like this:

In February, 2013, American Airlines and US Airways Group announced that the two companies would merge and retain the iconic American Airlines brand with the following logo:

(Image credits https://logos.wikia.com/)

Delta Airlines Logo History

Delta Airlines began its company history as the first aerial crop dusting company, formerly Huff Daland Dusters, and was established in 1924. It began international mail and passenger routes in 1927. It was an early supporter of the hub-and-spoke system where airplanes brought schedule passengers into a hub airport where they were then connected to other Delta flights to continue on to their destination.

The Delta Airlines logo changed often and so we include only a few variations here.

Delta Airlines logo 1929-1930:

Delta Airlines logo 1934-1951:

Delta Airlines logo 1953 – 1955:

Then, Delta decided to clean up the logo and make it simpler (Delta Airlines logo 1959 – 1960):

Later, the red and blue arrows were pointed upward instead of forward (Delta Airlines logo 2004 – 2007):

The current Delta Airlines logo:

(Image credits https://www.deltamuseum.org/)

Continental Airlines Logo History

Continental Airlines was founded in 1934 as Varney Speed Lines, which was named after Walter Varney who also started United Airlines (more on that later). Originally, Varney Speed Lines operated as an airmail and passenger service in the American southwest – Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.

The airline was soon closely allied with Lockheed and flew Lockheed planes: the Model 9 Orion, the Electra Junior, and the Lodestar. Following the cancellation of all domestic air mail contracts by the Roosevelt administration in 1934, Robert Six purchased the airline and renamed it Continental Air Lines (later changed to ‘airlines’ in 1937).

 

In 1967, Continental introduced a new classic logo and returned to its original red hue:

 

In 1991, the company changed to a blue-hued logo and added the globe:

 

It was displayed in a few variations, including the longitude lines painted on the airplane tail fins in gold. There are even several versions where the word ‘Airlines’ is eliminated.

(Image credits https://logos.wikia.com/)

United Airlines Logo History

United Airlines was founded in Boise, Idaho in 1926 as Varney Air Lines – an air mail service of Walter Varney who also founded Varney Speed Lines which later became Continental Airlines.  Varney Air Lines was renamed Boeing Air Transport in 1927 after it was acquired by the aircraft manufacturer.

In 1933 United began operating the Boeing 247 – the first all-metal airplane and able to fly transcontinental in 20 hours, which made it significantly faster than its earlier predecessors.

United Airlines first logo included an outline of the U.S. map. Notice the use of ‘air lines’ versus ‘airlines’ too:

After passage of the Air Mail Act in 1934, United became an independent company again and their logo looked like these two until 1939:

Through the 1930s and 1940s, the United Airlines logo took on the look of a badge or shield. They also added the U.S. map to demonstrate coast to coast service and later deleted it again:

On the mid-1950s through the 1960s, the shield theme held, but it was slanted:

In the 1970s, the United Airlines’ logo took on it’s tulip shaped ‘U’ effect which it continued through 2010. It was also here that ‘airlines’ became a single word:

In 2010, United acquired Continental Airlines in a merger and a strange twist of fate considering both were started from the same guy, Walter Varney. The two logos were merged as well:

(Image credits https://logos.wikia.com/)

Many Chicagoans, as well as Chicago visitors, look forward to the opportunity to dine outside – especially when the weather warms up. So the activity at many rooftop restaurants in Chicago heats up in the summer time. Of course, in a city like Chicago, a rooftop restaurant means dining very high – among the tallest skyscrapers – with a view of the city lights at night.

For your early summer enjoyment, check out the highest rooftop restaurants in Chicago (shown highest first).

1. Signature Room – on the 95th floor

A landmark in Chicago and located in the John Hancock Center on the Magnificent Mile, the Signature Room is located on the 95th floor. This makes the Signature Room the highest rooftop restaurant in Chicago. In addition to the restaurant that features artisan-quality meals with it’s heart-thumping views, the Signature Room also has a notable lounge.

(Photo: Signature Room)

2. Cit̩ Рon the 70th floor

Perched high atop Lake Point Tower, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world, Cité delivers 360-degree views with it’s award-winning cuisine.  Cité boasts unobstructed views of the city and a lakefront that spans over three states from the 70th floor of Lake Point Tower. Cité is an enclosed restaurant, which means it’s also open year-round.

(Photo: Cité)

3. Roof at the Wit – on the 27th floor

The Roof at the Wit is a rooftop restaurant at the top of the Wit, the newest downtown Chicago boutique hotel located on historic State Street. On the 27th floor is the Roof with panoramic views of the Chicago River, skyline, and Millennium Park. The Roof at the Wit is open year-round and has open-air dining warmed by a built-in fire pit. With talented chefs skilled at creating market-fresh meals, the food plays well with the views.

(Photo: Roof at the Wit)

4. Vertigo Sky Lounge – on the 26th floor

Boasting they are the only year-round indoor and outdoor rooftop lounge in Chicago, the Vertigo Sky Lounge is on the 26th floor at the Dana Hotel on State Street. The outdoor fire pit adds ambiance and warmth to chilly evenings and an ice bar cools things down in winter. The Vertigo Sky Lounge features live DJs every night and a packed calendar of events.

(Photo: Vertigo Sky Lounge)

5. Sixteen – on the 16th floor

Located on the 16th floor at the top of Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago, Sixteen is a Michelin-rated and Forbes 5-Star restaurant delivers a true epicurean experience. Executive Chef Thomas Lents leads a talented team to present French-inspired American cuisine created with ingredients sourced from around the world The restaurant’s 30-foot floor-to-ceiling windows afford an inspiring backdrop containing Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and the Wrigley Clock Tower.

(Photo: Sixteen)

In the quest for unusual places to stay, people are turning to all sorts of lodgings. Take a look at these amazing hotels built into caves around the world for a taste of what it was like to live underground with all the luxuries you’d expect from a typical hotel. Many cave hotels are former monasteries, abandoned mines, and even ancient housing for the poor.

What is it like to sleep in a cave? It’s incredibly quiet - the walls are extraordinarily thick, so the only sound you hear is your own breathing. It’s super dark – the only light comes from what’s piped in through renovations or implemented with candlelight. It’s naturally climate-controlled, so it stays a constant temperature.

The following are some of the most amazing cave hotels around the world:

1. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Matera, Italy

A fascinating and ancient complex of rocks, caverns, and grottoes in Southern Italy, the Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita is a beautiful and magical setting built into cliff side caves. With 18 unique rooms restored to the hotel’s strict conservation philosophy, each room features antique woods, handmade linens, and candle lighting. Access the fruit and flower garden with views of the river valley below.

(Photo  courtesy of https://www.sextantio.it/)

2. Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Ayvali, Turkey

Comprised of six beautifully restored cave houses, the Gamirasu Cave Hotel is situated in the heart of a historic region of Capadoccia in the village of Ayvali, Turkey. Tradition combines with modern comfort at the Gamirasu. Connected to a 12-century Byzantine Christian church, which was until recently used by monks, this cave hotel still has some rooms that were former housing for the monks.

(Photo courtesy of https://www.gamirasu.com)

3. Sala Silver Mine Hotel, Sala, Sweden

A room in a silver mine that just might be the deepest hotel room in the world. Guests visiting the Sala Silver Mine take a mine shaft elevator 500 feet below ground to access a double-bed room with silver accents (appropriately). Guests are provided with an intercom radio to communicate with the staff who waits above ground because, as you might expect, cell phones don’t work in this cave hotel.

(Photo: Sala Silver Mine Hotel, Mine Suite, Sala, Sweden)

4. Cuevas El Abanico, Granada, Spain

Unique caves, complete with modern hotel amenities like free Wi-Fi and a cozy lounge with a fireplace – all the comforts of home. The Cuevas el Abanico are located in Grenada’s famous Sacromonte district and you can enjoy the views from the terraces overlooking the Alhambra Palace and the Flamenco quarter. The old Arabic quarter, called the Albayzin, features narrow cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and flower-filled balconies.

(Photo: Cuevas El Abanico, Granada, Spain)

5. Hotel Argos, Cappadocia, Turkey

All 33 rooms of this cave hotel are designed in different styles. The guest cave suites of the Hotel Argos in Cappadocia are accessible by an underground tunnel and feature high vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, and indoor pools. This luxury cave hotel is in the hillside village of Uchisar, the site of a thousand-year-old former monastery patiently carved out of the regions’s soft volcanic rock.

(Photo: courtesy https://twitter.com/argosCappadocia)

Another option in Cappadocia, are the Cappadocia Cave Suites. A former hay barn restored in the 1990s that’s not a boutique hotel with 18 amazing rooms set deep in the rock and known as “fairy chimneys”.

(Photo: courtesy https://www.cappadociacavesuites.com/)

6. Kokopelli’s Cave B&B, Farmington, New Mexico

This one-room cave hotel is a privately owned cliff dwelling located near Farmington, New Mexico. Get above ground to enjoy famous southwest sunsets over the four states that meet at their corners: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Getting to the Kokopelli’s Cave is half the adventure, and not one for the faint of heart. Arrive well before dark to navigate the road to the cave and pack light as the cave is 70 feet below ground and accessed by a trail.

(Photo: Kokopelli Cave B&B New Mexico)

7. Les Hautes Roches, Rochecorbon, France

This property is built within the freestone rock face in Rochecorbon, France. The Le Hautes Roches takes inspiration from it’s oceanfront location with silky white walls that mimic the froth on ocean waves. A former monastery turned upmarket retreat on the banks of the Loire, and with 12 of the lavish rooms set in caves, this cave hotel is one of a kind.

(Photo: Les Hautes Roches, France)

8. Alexander’s, Santorini, Greece

In the picturesque village of Oia on the island of Santorinia, Alexander’s takes the traditional cave house and pushes it to the next level. The architecture is familiarly Cycladic in style – white-washed walls and domed roofs. There’s a terrace with dazzling views out over the village where houses cling to the rock and the sun sets over a crystal blue sea.

(Photo: Alexander’s cave hote, Santorini, Greece)