When I was younger, one of my classmates loved lighthouses.  Emma’s family took trips to lighthouses, and she collected miniature lighthouses.  I have no idea if she still has a passion for them, but I felt bad for her when I read an article about GPS making them obsolete.

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Built around 280 B.C., the first lighthouse was made to alert ships of coastlines.  Later, aerial navigation benefited from their beacons.  There are over 14,000 lighthouses in the world, but technological advances (such as GPS) and the cost of continual upkeep have put lighthouses on the endangered list.

Lighthouses aren’t the only travel-related casualties of technology, but they might be the most beautiful and historic, often being built as much for form as function. The Enoshima Lighthouse (Japan), Kiz Kulezi (Turkey) and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse (U.S.) are three great examples of aesthetic brilliance. One bit of hope is their historical importance.  Some lighthouses have been declared historic landmarks.  Others have been converted into museums.  Some have even renovated into bed and breakfast establishments.

Later this year, I will be in San Francisco, and I will be adding a couple lighthouse visits to the itinerary.  Along with the previously mentioned Pigeon Point, I am also going to check out Alcatraz Island Lighthouse.  I can’t miss this opportunity to see something so vital to the early days of the travel industry.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist